资源简介

标题：VOA常速英语：Preaching for the Environment
听力内容：
Throughout history, there have been many groups and cultures that have worshiped the Earth or nature. While the world's major organized religions do not hold to those beliefs, some scientists say today's religious leaders could play a key role in protecting the environment.
Ecologist Grzegorz Mikusinski believes a little faith may go a long way in helping to preserve biodiversity. He and his colleagues have studied how people of different religions are distributed around the world. Many live in areas where biodiversity may be at risk from climate change, development or other factors.
“Christians and especially Roman Catholics are most numerous in the countries where there is a lot of biodiversity. It's obvious that South America is very, very important here – Brazil, Ecuador and so on. And all these countries are strongly Catholic. And then the United States, Mexico and then some countries in Africa – those countries that are in this belt of very high biodiversity along the equator,” said Mikusinski, an associate professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
He said there's a certain amount of overlapping of religions and biodiversity, such as Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Hindu in the Indian subcontinent and Islam in Asia Minor and regions of North and Central Africa. He says the environment is not usually a topic of sermons or speeches to the faithful, but perhaps it should be.
“I've actually been a member of [the] Catholic Church many, many years and I have to tell you, frankly, that, I don't know, maybe I've listened to 1,500 preaching priests and I've never heard a word – or very little, I think never – about being more modest in your way you are using the resources.”
　
Caring for the environment, he said, would be in religious communities' best interests.
“Religious congregations own about, I think, if I recall well, seven percent of the land on the Earth and then [an] additional eight percent are considered as being sacred lands. So, actually 15 percent – that is [a] very high number – is directly linked to religions, so to speak.”
His colleague at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences -- Malgorzata Blicharka – is co-author of the study. She wrote that conservation strategies are needed which “can change people's ethical attitudes towards nature and encourage modes of thinking and lifestyles that are good for the environment.” Mikusinski agrees.
“We have a moral obligation to secure a decent living for coming generations. This is common for almost all religions. We are using more and more resources per capita. And of course in the long run it's not sustainable,” he said.
He admitted it's a complicated issue. For example, it's difficult to ask the poor to use even fewer resources than they do now.
Another co-author of the study, Hugh Possihngham of the University of Queensland in Australia, wrote, “Roman Catholics, per capita, have the greatest potential to preserve biological diversity where they live.”
Mikusinski pointed out that Francis of Assisi is the Roman Catholic patron saint of animals and ecology. And now, the current pope is named Francis. He said that he hopes Pope Francis will take an active role in protecting biodiversity.
************标题：VOA常速英语：World Bank Issues Regional Health Reports
听力内容：
The World Bank has released new reports outlining the health challenges facing six major regions. Those challenges include not only many types of disease, but road accidents as well. The bank says the reports will help policymakers develop evidence-based health programs after the Millennium Development Goals expire.
The World Bank has released the reports in conjunction with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Timothy Evans is the bank's director of Health, Nutrition and Population.
“What we see when we look beyond the global picture is that there's a lot of regional specificity to trends in the burden of disease. And so the regional focus just allows us more detail and attention to what's happening in different regions of the world.”
He said the world is too diverse to have a one-size-fits-all health plan.
“That doesn't work anywhere,” he said, “That doesn't work globally. It doesn't work regionally. It doesn't even work within a country. So the more understanding you have of context and need the better able the system is to respond appropriately.”
Evans outlined the ongoing health challenges for sub-Saharan Africa.
“The big one remains communicable diseases. That relates to HIV and malaria, but also the childhood killers – diarrhea and pneumonia – being two of the biggest. And of all the regions in the world, sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where there are more deaths and life years lost from communicable diseases than other types of illness or injury,” he said.
　
Dramatic progress has been made against malaria through insecticide treated bed nets and indoor spraying. As for HIV/AIDS, greater access to antiretroviral drugs has saved many lives. Nevertheless, the World Bank regional report says these two diseases remain major health problems.
Road accidents are also a top killer, not only in sub-Saharan Africa, but in most of the regions studied.
Evans said, “What we're seeing is a dramatic surge in mortality and injury from road traffic accidents. And this is a reflection of many, many, many more vehicles on the road – great increases in vehicle ownership -- and very inadequate investments in the infrastructure related to road traffic safety.”
The World Bank official said that the road accident fatality rates in Africa are a hundred times greater than those in the United States.
In North Africa and the Middle East, the MENA region, the health concerns are a bit different than those in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The large majority of the burden of disease is tied up in what we call the non-communicable diseases – the chronic illnesses -- diseases of aging and lifestyle. And so problems with high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke. These are the lion's share of the burden of disease in the MENA region,” he said.
Much of North Africa and the Middle East has experienced and is experiencing violence and conflict. Evans says that has a direct effect on the health of populations in those countries – Syria, Libya and Egypt, for example.
Evans said, “Health does well in conditions of security. Health is really threatened in conditions of insecurity and it relates to some of the terrible violence that you see, which is often associated with situations where the normal rule of law has been lost and there's armed violence and other sorts of problems. But the second is that the uncertainty often leads to mass movements of people across borders [and] into territories where they're not necessarily welcome.”
What's more, violence and conflict cause many skilled professionals to leave causing a brain drain.
The World Bank has also issued health reports for other four other regions.
In South Asia, much progress has been made regarding communicable diseases and maternal health. However, the region is hard hit by chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Child undernutrition also remains a big problem.
East Asia and the Pacific have some of the world's highest rates of diabetes and a high fatality rate from road accidents.
In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the World Bank says alcohol related illnesses are a major problem, along with communicable diseases, such as HIV.
And the Latin America and the Caribbean region is seeing an increase in ischemic heart disease or reduced blood flow to the heart, as well as big increases in depression and low back pain.
The World Bank provides two forms of support for the regions: loans and information to help formulate health plans. The information is expected to be used to evaluate the success of the expiring Millennium Development Goals and in deciding what, if anything, will replace them after 2015.
************标题：VOA常速英语：Washington Week: Obama to Lobby for Syria Strike
听力内容：
The coming week could determine whether the United States launches military strikes against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. President Barack Obama will make the case for action to a largely skeptical nation with a nationally-televised address Tuesday.
Americans will hear arguments for armed intervention from a president who came to power pledging to wind down military engagements and avoid new ones absent a direct threat to the nation's safety. Obama will argue that America is, indeed, threatened by Syria's deadly use of chemical weapons.
“Failing to respond to this outrageous attack would increase the risk that chemical weapons could be used again, that they would fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us. And it would send a horrible signal to other nations that there would be no consequences for their use of these weapons,” Obama said.
Republican Senator John McCain, who backs the use of force in Syria, heard from constituents who doubt America's ability to have a positive impact in the Middle East.
“These people are fanatics in their beliefs. They will keep killing people when we leave,” said Domenick Negri, a U.S. Air Force veteran.
McCain says America must keep its word.
“You can imagine the lesson that Iran and other countries take when the president of the most powerful nation in the world says he will take action and does not,” said McCain.
Whether resolutions authorizing the use of force in Syria will pass both houses of Congress is far from certain. President Obama says he wants legislative backing for military strikes, but does not need it to act.
“What we are talking about is not an open-ended intervention. This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan. There would be no American boots on the ground. Any action we take would be limited, both in time and scope, designed to deter the Syrian government from gassing its own people again and degrade its ability to do so,” said Obama.
Last week, a Senate panel approved a resolution on the use of force in Syria. The full Congress returns to work Monday after a five-week recess.
************标题：VOA慢速英语：White's Ferry： Crossing the Potomac River for Hundreds of Years
听力内容：
Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.
I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
On the show today, we play unlucky music in honor of Friday the 13th!
We also tell about a Muslim American rapper who sings about Jesus.
But first, we take a boat ride across the Potomac River near Washington.
White's Ferry
Ferry boats once were an important method of transportation across rivers. There once were more than 100 ferries in operation on the Potomac River. That is the river that runs through the Washington, DC area and into the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of the United States.
All but one of the ferries have been gone for many years. The historic White's Ferry has served the DC area since the late 1700s. And the business is still doing very well. Faith Lapidus has more.
Cars are pulling onto the boat at White's Ferry under the watchful eyes of the captain. Next are the bicycles. Scott Lake and his friends use the ferry service on their way to train for a race.
"I love the ferry. It feels like it is a step back in time. You get to enjoy being close to the river while also cutting your ride back down to a manageable distance."
"The best thing is that it's nostalgic. It is not updated. It is a throwback ferry. It does its job."
Since it began running in 1786, White's Ferry has been a popular way to cross the river that separates Maryland and Virginia. The boat -- the General Jubal A. Early -- is named for a Confederate commander during the Civil War.
Over time, the business was sold. Malcolm Brown's family has owned it since 1946.
"My father came home from the war, World War II, and he and some other fellows got together and bought the rights. And in 1972 when I came home from the service they asked me to get involved with it and run it. I really didn't want to, but I agreed to do it for a year. And it got busier and busier."
As the business grew, so did the boat. The Browns' first ferry carried just three cars. That was replaced by a steel boat for 15 cars. Now White's ferry service uses a cable-pulled boat that can carry up to 24 cars.
White's is the only ferry operating on the Potomac River. It is popular among some local workers.
"It's a lot less traffic, it is a lot less headache. I use it every day. I take it on the way to work. I have been doing it for about eight years now."
"It is certainly much quicker to get where I need to go. And also it is a lovely ride."
The ride is about three minutes one way, and five minutes the other. And the price is reasonable - $5 one way or $8 round trip.
David Pierce Jr. is one of the ferry's four captains.
"Wish it was a longer ride, not three and a-half minutes. It takes really a multi-task. We have to look at the river, land, the boat and collect (money) all at the same time before we get to the other side."
There are no plans for building a bridge in the area. So, White's ferry is expected to continue connecting Maryland and Virginia over the Potomac River for some time to come.
American Muslim Raps About Jesus
Young Muslim musicians who write songs about Islam are gaining popularity in the United States. Their appeal is spreading even among non-Muslims. Mo Sabri, from Tennessee, is one such musician. Sabri wrote and recorded a song about Jesus that has gone viral on the web.
"We can go umrah, hop up on a jet, just to go jummah."
Mo Sabri is singing about Mecca, although rap is not generally known for spiritual messages. He says there are too many songs on the radio that urge children to do bad things. But, Mo Sabri wants to be a good influence.
One of his latest songs got more than one million views on YouTube.
"In the West, they call him Jesus, in the East they call him Isa, Messiah, Christ, the same person that you speak of."
Sabri says he really wrote "I Believe in Jesus" for the people of east Tennessee. He says he wanted them to know that Muslims respect Jesus.
"The son of a virgin, they say it is illogical, probably improbable, but God made it possible."
"I grew up in an area that didn't really have any Muslims, and I was able to see that they were all more similar than different. I was like, ‘I want to reach out to my neighbors and show that Muslims and Christians as a whole can experience what I experienced.'"
Sabri says that Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the son of God, like Christians believe. But he says Muslims do believe that Jesus was a prophet, a messenger for God.
"There's so much misinformation about Muslims, to think that a Muslim can't talk about Jesus, or can't love Jesus, is, I think, just the wrong idea."
Mo Sabri says his goal is to correct that misunderstanding.
"My goal is to dispel that idea."
He says he was inspired by another musician, Matisyahu, a Jewish reggae artist who has also rapped about religion. Sabri praises Matisyahu's work.
"It's really nice to be a role model for the kids and the adults because there's not too many people doing what I'm doing."
And Sabri wants to continue that tradition.
Music for Friday the 13th
Do you have paraskevidekatriaphobia It means fear of Friday when it falls on the 13th day of the month. Friday the 13th has been considered unlucky for hundreds of years. No one really is sure why. There is no scientific evidence to support the belief. But people think it just the same.
So today we are celebrating Friday the 13th with music. Here's Mario Ritter.
In 1972, Stevie Wonder released "Superstition," a song about beliefs and fears that have no basis in fact. The song goes: "13-month-old baby broke the looking glass, seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past." The song advises against worrying about things that are not real.
Blues musician Albert King sings about bad luck connected to the Zodiac. Those are twelve signs linked to the apparent position of planets, the sun and other stars. Albert King's song seems to make fun of the belief that the Zodiac governs our lives.
In "Born under a Bad Sign" he sings, Born under a bad sign / been down since I began to crawl / if it wasn't for bad luck / You know, I wouldn't have no luck at all.
The California punk rock band Social Distortion celebrates a dark humor. The band's members named their recording company "13th Floor Records." Their albums include "Mommy's Little Monster," "Prison Bound" and "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell."
One of the group's biggest hits dismisses the power of superstition. It includes the lines, thirteen's my lucky number / to you it means stay inside / black cat done crossed my path / no reason to run and hide.
We leave you with Social Distortion performing "Bad Luck."
I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. Our program was written and produced by Caty Weaver. June Soh and Jerome Socolovsky provided additional reporting.
Do you have a question about American life, people or places Send an e-mail to learningenglish@. We might answer your question in a future show. You can also visit our website at to find transcripts and audio of our shows.
Join us again next week for music and more on American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：词汇典故：赌博的相关词汇
听力内容：
Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
现在是美国之音慢速英语《词汇典故》。
Many people believe that "money makes the world go around." Others believe that "money buys happiness."
很多人认为金钱使世界运转。其他人则认为金钱能买来幸福。
I do not agree with either idea.
我不同意这两种观点。
But I do admit that money can make people do strange things. Let me tell you about a person I once knew who liked to play card games for money -- he liked to gamble...
但我承认，金钱能让人做一些奇怪的事。我来告诉你一个我曾知道的喜欢玩牌赢钱的人，他曾喜欢赌博。
My friend Bob had a problem because he liked to gamble "at all costs" -- he would play at any time and at any price. To take part in a card game such as poker, my friend would have to "ante up" -- he would have to pay a small amount of money at the beginning of the game.
我朋友Bob有个问题，他喜欢"at all costs"赌博，意思是不惜一切代价。无论什么时间、什么价位他都会赌。在玩纸牌时，我朋友会"ante up"，即在每局开始时拿出一点钱。
Bob always played with "cold, hard cash" -- only coins and dollar bills. Sometimes my friend would "clean up" -- he would win a lot of money on one card game. He liked to tell me that one day he would "break the bank." What a feeling it must be to win all of the money at a gambling table!
Bob通常用"cold, hard cash"玩牌，即使用现金。有时他会"clean up"，在一局纸牌赢很多钱。他常对我说，他总有一天会"break the bank"，意思是将庄家的钱赢光。赢得赌桌上所有的钱会该是何种感觉啊！
Other times my friend would simply "break even" -- he neither won nor lost money. But sometimes Bob would "lose his shirt" -- he would lose all the money he had. He "took a beating" at the gambling table. When this happened, my friend would have to "go in the hole" -- he would go into debt and owe people money.
平时Bob常"break even"，指不赚不赔。但有时他会"lose his shirt"，即输个精光。他在赌桌上"took a beating"，损失惨重。这时，他会"go in the hole"，负债累累。
Recently, Bob turned to crime after losing all his money. In his job, he "kept the books" for a small business -- he supervised the records of money earned and spent by the company. Although my friend was usually honest, he decided to "cook the books" -- he illegally changed the financial records of the company. This permitted him to "make a fast buck" -- my friend made some quick, easy money dishonestly.
最近，Bob输光钱后走上了犯罪道路。他的工作是为一家小公司"kept the books"，意思是他管理该公司的收支记录。Bob虽然一直很诚实，但他决定"cook the books"，也就是非法改动公司财务记录。这让他"make a fast buck"，赚得大笔不正当外快。
I never thought Bob would have "sticky fingers" -- he did not seem like a thief who would steal money. But, some people will do anything for love of money.
我从没想过Bob有"sticky fingers"，偷盗习惯。他不像是偷钱的盗贼。但有的人为钱不惜一切。
Bob used the money he stole from his company to gamble again. This time, he "cashed in" -- he made a lot of money. Quickly he was "back on his feet" -- he had returned to good financial health. His company, however, ended up "in the red" -- it lost more money than it earned. The company was no longer profitable.
Bob用从公司盗取的钱再次开赌。这次他"cashed in"，赚得很多钱。他很快"back on his feet"，恢复到富裕的经济状况。但他工作的公司因"in the red"倒闭，即亏损比收入还多。该公司不再盈利。
It did not take long before my friend's dishonesty was discovered. The company investigated and charged him with stealing. Bob tried to "pass the buck" -- he tried to blame someone else for the deficit. His lie did not work, however. He ended up in jail.
没过多久，Bob的不诚实行径被发现。公司调查后指控他盗窃罪。他试图"pass the buck"，试图指责他人造成了亏损。然而谎言未起作用，他最终进了监狱。
Today, I would "bet my bottom dollar" that my friend will never gamble again -- I would bet all I have that he learned his lesson about gambling.
今天，我"bet my bottom dollar"，即我敢肯定鲍勃不会再赌，他一定从赌博中吸取了教训。
Words and Their Stories, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.
以上是美国之音慢速英语《词汇典故》，由Jill Moss创作，我是Faith Lapidus。
************标题：VOA常速英语：Voters in US Heartland Wary of Military Action in Syria
听力内容：
As President Barack Obama seeks authorization from Congress for U.S. military strikes on Syria, voters in the U.S. are expressing concerns about another engagement in the Middle East. Though a possible military strike is on the minds of many voters, it's not necessarily the top issue in their discussions with members of Congress still on recess in their home districts.
The rural farmlands of Indiana seem about as far away from Syria as most Americans get.
In many ways, life here doesn't change much. The passage of time is marked by how tall the crops are growing.
At the heart of this farmland is Greentown, population under 2,500.
Local U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Millspaugh calls it “a very secure little town.”
It has a business district awash with flags, no surprise given the town's strong connection to the U.S. military.
“There are many World War I and II vets here, a lot of people in Vietnam who have served are here, and then the current wars, many are here from that as well,” says Millspaugh.
Which explains why many here are war-weary.
“I am,” says Millspaugh. “I would like to be able to go, if we go into a war. I would like to be able to go in and win and come home, and that's not easily done now.”
“It absolutely is a war-weary part of the country,” says freshman Republican Representative Susan Brooks, within whose congressional district Greentown falls. “I think the entire country is weary of war,” she adds.
Brooks is in Greentown to meet one-on-one with voters like Karen Swann to understand their concerns. A U.S. military strike against Syria doesn't appear to be one of them.
“That's in Syria, and we're here dealing with our day-to-day issues," says Swann.
Brooks says she hears more here about the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, calling it by far the biggest issue.
Karen Swann says just because the debate over U.S. military action in Syria is not prominent at her meeting with Brooks doesn't mean people are insensitive to the plight of the Syrian people.
“It says a little bit that we think we need to mind our business for one thing, and not be the caretaker of the world. But I don't think that we are insensitive to the people in Syria. I just think we are tired of taking care of the world's problems,” says Swann.
Brooks says that even far beyond Greentown this seems to be the prevailing attitude.
“There is certainly a sentiment across the country against intervening in Syria… However, I believe it is incumbent upon the president - and then will be with respect to the Congress if we would vote to strike - to explain to the American people, and do a far better job explaining what the American interest is.”
A vote on U.S. military action could come soon after Congress reconvenes September 9.
************标题：VOA常速英语：Where Did Rock 'n' Roll Come From
听力内容：
For nearly 50 years, rock 'n' roll was the most popular music in America and in many other parts of the world. There are some common stories about where rock 'n' roll came from, but a new book argues that many of those stories are myths.
According to Larry Birnbaum, author of the new book "Before Elvis" everyone thinks they know the story of rock 'n' roll.
“If you ask any -- the average person - where rock 'n' roll came from, they'll say 'It came from the Blues.' They think it came from the Delta Blues like Robert Johnson or Muddy Waters -- which it did not,” he said.
On songs like "Little Red Rooster," Birnbaum points out that this version of the blues didn't become part of rock music until the 1960s, when the Rolling Stones embraced Delta Blues. And what about the other origin story for rock - that it came from rhythm and blues, or R&B
Birnbaum says that doesn't tell the whole story either.
“When they do these histories of rock 'n' roll, they'll say that rock 'n' roll came from R&B,” he said.
While that's true, he says the problem is: Historians who say that aren't looking far enough back.
“They don't question where R&B came from," he said. "It's like it fell from the sky or something.”
Every artist builds on the previous generation's work. Birnbaum's book looks at that phenomenon when it comes to rock 'n' roll - exploring not only the music that came before rock 'n' roll, but the music that came before that. There are many examples and some of them go way back.
"You've got Louis Jordon -- he did ‘Ain't That Just Like a Woman' and that has the guitar intro that Chuck Berry lifted for ‘Johnny B. Goode,'” he said.
There's another important element of early rock, an element that goes back even further.
The song “Weary Blues” by Artie Mathews came out almost a century ago, during World War I. Its most important element is the Boogie-Woogie baseline.
“The Boogie-Woogie baseline is used in a lot of the early rock songs," Birnbaum said. "There are several Boogie baselines that are typical of the Boogie-Woogie and the most common one is [sings it] and you hear that in a lot of rock 'n' roll songs.”
Take that Boogie Beat, combine it with one more ingredient - and that, Birnbaum says, is the origin of rock 'n' roll.
“A combination of a back beat and a Boogie Woogie baseline and when you combine those two, you get a rock 'n' roll feel,” he said.
One example comes with Harry James and his orchestra in 1939, playing a song with a perfectly descriptive title: “Back Beat Boogie.”
“It's unusual to use the back beat that early and that prominently, but there it is! There it was," Birnbaum said.
It may seem like a quantum leap from the suave orchestrations of the Big Band Era to the rowdy sounds of rock 'n' roll, but it was really just a hop, skip and jump.
************标题：VOA慢速英语：Ocean Storms Can Cause Great Damage
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News. I'm Mario Ritter.
And I'm Caty Weaver. Today we tell about the science of severe ocean storms. Severe storms that develop over the Indian Ocean are called cyclones. Storms that form over the northwestern Pacific Ocean are typhoons. And storms that form over the eastern Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean are hurricanes.
Hurricane Sandy brought death and destruction to the eastern United States last October. Today rebuilding efforts are still in progress in some areas.
Sandy was one of the country's deadliest hurricanes. It also was the second most costly in American history.
The storm kept hitting coastal states for a week. It caused major destruction in New Jersey and New York.
Estimates of the number of dead from the storm differ. But as a hurricane and what is called a post-tropical cyclone, Sandy was said to be directly responsible for at least 117 deaths in the United States. It also was blamed for 69 other deaths in Canada and the Caribbean Sea.
Some experts have linked other deaths to the storm. People died of the cold because of loss of power in their homes – or loss of their homes. Others died in accidents while cleaning up the damage. Or, they suffered carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Experts say Sandy caused an estimated 50 billion dollars in property damage. That made it second only to Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that caused 108 billion dollars in damage.
Sandy began as a tropical depression off the coast of Africa. At first, it produced rain and thunderstorms in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. By October 18th, it arrived in the Caribbean Sea. The storm weakened as it passed over Cuba. But it grew stronger as it moved toward the United States on October 27th.
Scientists say the hurricane joined with another weather system arriving from the west. The combined storms caused water levels to rise all along the east coast. Winds with speeds of over 65 kilometers an hour stretched 1,500 kilometers from side to side.
Sandy struck southern New Jersey before it began moving inland across the North American mainland. Some lives were changed forever along the coastlines of New Jersey, New York and other states.
How Do You Name a Hurricane
How did Hurricane Sandy get its name Naming storms and other natural events has been a tradition for centuries. For example, the name "Thor" was given to the mythical Norse god of thunder, the loud sound that follows lightning in the sky.
An Australian scientist began calling storms by women's names before the end of the 19th century. During World War Two, scientists called storms by the names of their wives or girlfriends.
American weather experts started to use women's names for storms in 1953. In 1979, they began to use men's names, too.
Scientists choose the names of storms many years before they are used. They decide on them at meetings of the World Meteorological Organization. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida has one list for each of six years for Atlantic storms. Its experts name storms when they reach wind speeds of 62 kilometers an hour. That is true even if they never grow stronger.
The first name used in a storm season begins with the letter A. The second begins with B and so on. The letters Q, V, X, Y and Z are never used. And the same list of names is not used again for at least six years. And different lists are used for different parts of the world.
A name is retired when the storm with this name has been very destructive, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
That same year, Greek letters had to be used for the first time to name storms in the Atlantic. That was the plan -- to call storms Alpha, Beta and so on -- if there were ever more than 21 named storms in a season. As it happened, there were 28.
How Do Hurricanes Form
Ocean storms develop when the air temperature in one area is different from the temperature nearby. Warmer air rises, while cooler air falls. These movements create a difference in atmospheric pressure.
If the pressure changes over a large area, winds start to blow in a huge circle. High-pressure air is pulled toward a low-pressure center. Thick clouds form and heavy rains fall as the storm gains speed and moves over the ocean. Storms can get stronger as they move over warm ocean waters.
The strongest, fastest winds of a hurricane blow in the area known as the eyewall. It surrounds the center, or eye, of the storm. The eye itself is calm by comparison.
Wind speeds in the most severe ocean storms can reach more than 250 kilometers an hour. Up to 50 centimeters of rain can fall. Some storms have produced more than 150 centimeters of rain.
These storms also cause high waves and ocean surges. A surge is a continuous movement of water that may reach as high as six meters or more. The water strikes low coastal areas. Surges are commonly responsible for about 90 percent of all deaths from ocean storms.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami keeps close watch on severe storms. It works with government officials and with radio and television stations to keep people informed. Experts believe this early warning system has helped reduce deaths from ocean storms in recent years.
But sometimes people cannot or will not flee the path of a storm. That is what happened in some parts of Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina struck.
Studies have found that some people do not leave a storm-threatened area because they have no transportation or money for transportation. Another reason is that they fear their property will be damaged by other people, if not by the storm. Yet another reason is that people do not want to leave their farm animals or pets.
Weather experts use computer programs to create models that show where a storm might go. The programs combine information such as temperatures, wind speed, atmospheric pressure and the amount of water in the atmosphere.
Scientists collect the information with satellites, weather balloons and devices floating in the oceans. They also receive information from ships and passenger airplanes and other flights. Government scientists use specially-equipped planes to fly into and around storms. The crews drop instruments tied to parachutes. The instruments collect information about temperature, pressure and wind speed.
Scientists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale to measure the intensity of storms based on wind speed. This provides an idea of the amount of coastal flooding and property damage that might be expected. The scale is divided into five groups or categories.
The mildest hurricane is a category one. A hurricane called "Cat One" has winds of about 120 to 150 kilometers an hour. This storm can damage trees and lightweight structures. It can also cause flooding.
Wind speeds in a category two hurricane can reach close to 180 kilometers an hour. These storms are often powerful enough to break windows or blow the tops off houses.
Winds between about 180 and 250 kilometers an hour represent categories three and four. A more powerful storm is a category five hurricane. At its fiercest point, Hurricane Sandy was called a "Cat Three."
Researchers say forces other than wind speed help cause extensive destruction. And the lower the air pressure, the stronger the storm. Water caused Hurricane Sandy's worst damage. Flooding drowned many human victims. Farm animals and pets also suffered.
Some scientists believe climate change affects major storms. They say the warming of Earth's atmosphere is already making the storms worse. Other scientists have published studies that dispute this.
In 2010, a special committee of the World Meteorological Organization reported on severe storms. The committee's work appeared in the journal "Nature Geoscience." Ten scientists wrote the report. They represented both sides of the debate about climate change. The scientists reached no clear answer about whether rising temperatures on Earth had already intensified storms. Still, they made some predictions.
The committee said the changing climate might cause more powerful ocean storms in the future. It said the overall strength of storms measured by wind speed might increase two to 11 percent by the year 2100. And there might be an increase in the number of the most severe storms. But there might be fewer weak and moderate storms.
This Science in the News was written by Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was June Simms. I'm Mario Ritter.
And I'm Caty Weaver. Listen again next week for more news about science on the Voice of America.
************标题：VOA常速英语：Refuge Provides Happy Ending for Farm Animals
听力内容：
More and more Americans keep chickens, pigs and other farm animals in their backyards. And while many of them are raising their livestock responsibly, a growing number are finding the venture too burdensome. As a result, many farm animals are being abused, abandoned or killed. However, for some mistreated pigs, goats and chickens, the future is not so grim.
Urban farmers
In a quiet suburban neighborhood just outside Washington, Ali Mirsky raises chickens in her backyard. But she's not a farmer in the traditional sense. The self-proclaimed homesteader is one of a growing number of Americans choosing to raise their own food in an urban environment.
“I like the idea of seeing and caring for animals but also having access to fresh, healthy produce like eggs or meat,” she said.
Mirsky says she uses a common-sense approach to caring for her backyard chickens, who roam freely in an enclosed den on her property.
“For me it's providing fresh water, fresh food that's nutritionally balanced and healthy and also access to the outdoors,” she said. “So it is a commitment and it is a responsibility when you care for a living thing.”
But not all urban farmers are as responsible.
Urban farming pitfalls
Terri Littlejohn, assistant associate director of the Prince George's County Animal Management Division in the state of Maryland, says in addition to the dogs, cats and other pets they take in, her department is getting more and more calls to rescue farm animals.
She's noticed a trend not only in Prince George's County, but nationwide, not just in farming communities but also in residential areas.
“We've picked up pigs that are in someone's backyard, we've picked up goats, we've picked up chickens, we've picked up hens,” Littlejohn said. “We're seeing a lot of animals that have been abused and a lot that have been neglected.”
Safe haven
Since the animal shelter where she works is not set up for farm animals, Littlejohn has been transporting many of them to the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary for abused and abandoned farm animals and wildlife, a 400-acre refuge in rural Maryland.
She recently helped transport two pigs to the quiet refuge. They will be quarantined for a short period of time before joining the 200 other barnyard residents.
Terry Cummings co-founded the sanctuary with her husband Dave in 1996. They work with humane societies up and down the East Coast who call them when they take animals in from cruelty cases or find them abandoned.
The animal residents include horses, pigs, goats, sheep, cows, chickens, turkeys, and a variety of water fowl; ducks and geese. The animals live out the rest of their natural lives in a safe and peaceful setting, all of which is funded entirely by donations from the public.
Cummings believes most urban farmers are not aware of the responsibilities and all the time and money that goes into properly caring for farm animals.
“There's been this whole back-to-the-land movement and some people call themselves homesteaders or sustainably raising animals and they want to grow their own food in their back yards and that includes animals," Cummings said. "So there's been a real increase in this over the last few years and we've seen more and more problems associated with it. They think that they are going to be able to cheaply raise animals for meat in this manner and it really ends up being an abusive situation for the animals because they don't have the knowledge or the desire to do it properly.”
She describes a batch of chickens that recently arrived on the farm.
“They were purchased from a hatchery for somebody to raise in their backyard and the person had a change of heart at the last minute and didn't even open the box that came in the regular mail from the hatchery,” she said. “Just literally threw the box out on the street in a busy intersection, and it was picked up by animal control.”
On this sunny day at the refuge, an assortment of birds -- among them roosters, turkeys and chickens -- roam free, take dust baths and sun themselves without any fear from humans.
Down the hill from the chickens, a special pair of pigs have found a safe haven here after arriving at the farm earlier this year.
“Emilia and Felix, they are very cute little Guinea Hogs who were being kept in a horrible place in Maine," Cummings said. "The owner had them in a wire cage where they had no shelter, no roof of any kind, and it was negative 10-degrees and they were kept without food or water…the owner just didn't have the desire to spend the money to give them a proper shelter.”
Cummings knows each of the animals by name.
“We are the happy ending for the farm animals,” she said. “They come from these awful situations where they've been treated terribly, not given proper food or water or any kind of shelter at all and then they get to come here. We have 400 acres, they can roam around, they can do whatever they want to do.”
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：华盛顿海军船坞枪击案
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.
这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。
Americans are expressing anger and sadness at the latest shooting incident in the United States. This one took place last Monday in Washington, DC, just a short distance from the Capitol building.
美国人对该国最近发生的枪击事件感到愤怒和悲伤。上周一的枪击事件发生在距国会大厦不远的华盛顿特区。
Twelve people were killed and several others wounded in the attack at Washington's Navy Yard. Police shot dead the gunman after a search at the base. He was identified as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, a former Navy Reserve sailor. At the time of the shooting, he was an information technology specialist with a private company that worked for the Defense Department.
本次华盛顿海军船坞的袭击事件造成12人死亡，多人受伤。警方在船坞搜查后击毙了这名枪手。该枪手被确定为34岁的前海军后备水兵Aaron Alexis。枪击发生时，他是一所受雇于国防部的私营公司信息技术专家。
His mental condition has become a central issue in the investigation. He had recently told police that he was hearing voices. Mr. Alexis was arrested in two separate shooting incidents in 2004 and 2010. Yet he held a security clearance, which enabled him to enter a secure military area.
他的精神状况已成为调查的中心问题。最近他告诉警方说听到一些声音。Alexis曾因2004年和2010年的两起独立枪击事件被捕。然而他参加了安全调查，因此能进入安全的军区。
This week, many Americans were remembering the victims of the attack. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers suspended debate for a few minutes. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said a few words.
本周很多美国人在纪念该袭击的受害者。国会议员在国会山暂停了几分钟议论，参议院多数党领袖Harry Reid略作讲话。
"My thoughts are with those who are suffering as a result of the loss of their loved ones and also those people recovering from the wounds."
“我的心与失去亲人者以及创伤恢复者同在。”
Senator Chris Murphy represents Connecticut, where a gunman killed 26 people at an elementary school in Newtown last year. Since then, he has been the Senate's leading supporter of gun control legislation. He says the Navy Yard shootings show why stronger laws are needed.
参议员Chris Murphy代表康乃迪克州，去年一名枪手在该州纽镇的一所小学杀死26人。自此后，Chris Murphy一直是参议院枪支管制立法的首要支持者。他称本次海军船坞枪击案显示了为什么需要更有力的枪支管制法。
"People out there do not understand why Congress does nothing as these shootings continue to mount. I think people in Newtown shake their heads when they see another shooting and further potential indifference from Congress."
“该地人民不明白为什么枪击案持续上升，而国会却无所作为。我认为纽镇人看到另一起枪击案及国会可能进一步冷漠时将摇头叹息。”
Like Mr. Murphy, Illinois Senator Richard Durbin is a member of the Democratic Party. Mr. Durbin notes that gun control legislation died in the Senate earlier this year. He says the failure was mainly the result of Republican opposition to new restrictions and requirements for gun purchases.
类似Murphy， 伊利诺斯州的参议员Richard Durbin是民主党成员。Durbin指出，今年早时枪支管制立法被参议院否决。他称立法失败主要因为共和党反对枪支购买的新限制和要求。
"We have to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of those who would misuse them – felons who have a history of misusing firearms, the mentally unstable who cannot be trusted to have a firearm."
“我们须竭尽所能使枪支远离可能的滥用枪支者，包括有滥用枪支史的重刑犯，以及持有枪支而不能信任的精神状态不稳定者。”
Republican lawmakers have shown little interest in re-opening the gun control debate. But several say the Navy Yard shootings raise other important issues. Senator Lindsey Graham says the shooter never should have been cleared for duty as a military contract worker.
共和党立法者对枪支管制的再次辩论兴趣不大。但一些人说，这起海军船坞枪击案引起了其它严重问题。参议员Lindsey Graham称枪手决不该被允许担任军事合约工人。
"To me, it is not about gun control. It is about what has happened with our contractor force. How could he pass a background check to get a job with the federal government after he had misused a weapon twice When you shoot a guy's tires out because you are mad at him, you are a good candidate not to work for the federal government."
“对我而言，该事件与枪支管制无关。这与我们的军队承包商发生的事有关。他怎么能在两次滥用武器后通过背景核查，在联邦政府得到工作？只因恼火别人就射击对方的轮胎，尽管你作为一名优秀候选人，仍不应就职于联邦政府。”
Another Republican senator, John McCain, had this to say:
另一名共和党参议员John McCain曾这样说：
"We also should focus our attention on people who show mental instability and whether they should have access to weapons or not. I think all Americans are in agreement on that."
“我们还应注意到显示精神不稳定的人，注意他们是否应获得武器。我认为所有美国人都同意这些。”
Congressional members say something should be done to prevent attacks like the one on Monday. But there is no solution acceptable to everyone.
国会成员称，政府应采取措施防止类似周一的事件再次发生，但尚缺一个为每个人所接受的解决方案。
And that's In The News, from VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember.
以上是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道，我是Steve Ember。
************标题：VOA常速英语：Washington Week: Focus on Fiscal Battles
听力内容：
After weeks focused on Syria, Washington is turning its attention to fiscal deadlines that, if not met, could provoke a limited U.S. government shutdown and another downgrade of America's credit rating.
President Barack Obama is expected to address this very topic in remarks on Monday. The drama is a replay of partisan battles over federal spending and the president's signature healthcare law, known as Obamacare, a major component of which will be activated October 1.
President Obama says America's fiscal picture is improving.
“The deficit has been cut in half since I came into office. It is continuing on a trend line of further reductions. If we want to do more deficit reduction, I have already put out a budget that says ‘let us do it',” said Obama.
Republican lawmakers are not satisfied. House Speaker John Boehner:
“For the sake of our economy, we will continue to do everything we can to repeal, dismantle, and defund Obamacare. Another important part of our plan for jobs is reining in the massive deficits and debt that is hurting our economy and jeopardizing the American dream for our kids and grandkids,” said Boehner.
So far, House Republicans appear divided on how best to pursue those goals. Further domestic spending cuts sought by Republicans will get no Democratic support, says House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
“This is one of the dumbest ideas you could advance: cut education to reduce the deficit. No! Invest in education to grow the economy and bring money to the Treasury,” said Pelosi.
And the White House says it will not negotiate on the Affordable Care Act as Obamacare is formally known.
Spokesman Jay Carney said, “We will not accept anything that delays or defunds Obamacare. Threatening a government shutdown over an ideological position is not something most Americans would believe is the right thing to do."
Without a funding extension, the U.S. government's spending authority expires at the end of this month. The federal government will reach its borrowing limit weeks later.
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：Wealthy Foreigners Buy Their Way to US Citizenship
富有的外国人购买美国国籍
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
What do these four things have in common: a proposed wind farm in the American state of Washington, a gold mine in Idaho, a new casino in Las Vegas and ski resort expansions in Vermont. They're all investment vehicles for wealthy foreigners seeking green cards to live in the United States.
以下这四件事有什么共同点呢：美国华盛顿州拟建的风力发电场，爱达荷州的金矿，拉斯维加斯的一家新赌场和佛蒙特州滑雪胜地的扩张。它们都是外国富人谋求到美国生活的投资工具。
Under American law, foreigners can get such recess if they invest at least 500,000 dollars to create at least 10 jobs in the country. Here is an example of how the program works.
根据美国法律，外国人在美国投资50万美元并创造至少10个就业岗位，就能在美国居留。以下就是该计划如何运作的一个例子。
A few years ago, Jordan Gagner and his wife needed to move from their home in Canada to a drier climate, like Arizona. At first, the possibility of moving south of the border permanently seemed unlikely.
几年前，乔丹·冈纳(Jordan Gagner)和他的妻子需要从加拿大搬到一个少雨的地方，像亚利桑那州(注：该州位于美国南方边境)。起初，永久性搬到美国南方边境的可能性似乎不大。
"Being a self-employed wealth manager and a teacher, those are two occupations that are not on the top 10 lists of visas being given to foreigners to come down to the U.S."
他说，“作为一名个体理财经理和教师，这两个职业都不在提供给外国人来美签证前10名的名单上。”
But then he heard about the immigrant investor visa. He and several other foreign investors offered $500,000 each to build an assisted living center in Bellingham, Washington. Mr Gagner was credited with creating lots of jobs during the recession and his whole family received green cards.
但随后他听说了投资移民签证。他和一些外国投资者每人投了50万美元，在华盛顿州贝灵汉市建立了一家养老院。冈纳先生由于在经济衰退期间创造了大量就业机会获得好评，他全家都获得了美国绿卡。
Immigration lawyer David Andersson organized the deal.
移民律师大卫·安德森经手了这起案子。
"If you have a solid investment and there may be a benefit which exceeds mere return, such as the ability to move your family to America, then an investor may consider a lower return than, for example, a bank."
他说，如果你有一项可靠的投资，收益有可能超过单纯的回报，例如有能力全家移民到美国。那么投资者可能会考虑低于银行的回报。”
Mr Andersson has led the way in an industry he says is growing quickly. Companies that bringing together investors and possible borrowers are officially known as "EB-5 regional centers." The name comes from the part of the immigration law that set up the immigrant investor visa.
安德森先生在他所言的一个正迅猛增长的行业里遥遥领先。为投资者和潜在借款人牵线搭桥的公司被称为投资移民区域项目中心。这个名字来源于规定投资移民签证的移民法的某部分内容。
Some Americans have expressed concerns about the program. Landowner Harland Radomske first heard about it when a group of wealthy Koreans were invited to invest in a wind farm on land next to his property. He feared a wind farm would reduce the value of his ranch, and there was more.
一些美国人已经对该计划表达了担忧。农场主哈兰德·罗德姆斯克初次听到该计划时，是一群韩国富人被邀请投资邻近他农场的一处陆上风力发电场。他担心风力发电场会使他家农场贬值，当然还不止这些。
"We have all of this controversy going over immigration, the borders of Mexico, and all of that, issues before the Congress and Senate and so on. And now we find out unbeknownst, if you're a rich foreigner, you can buy your way to citizenship."
他说，“我们就移民、墨西哥边境等问题闹到了美国国会和参议院。而现在我们发现，如果你是外国富人，你就能买到美国国籍。”
The wind project developers refused many requests to tell the side of the story. Yet, even with the despite over immigration, the foreign investor program has a lot of support in Congress. There is also a move to make the program permanent.
风电项目开发商拒绝了讲述这件事另一面的很多要求。然而，即使移民争议不断，外国投资者计划在国会却获得了广泛支持。并且还有活动要使该计划永久化。
And that's the Economics Report from VOA Learning English. I'm Mario Ritter.
以上是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。我是马里奥里特。
************标题：VOA常速英语：Volunteers Clean Up California Coastal Waters
听力内容：
Volunteers pulled trash from coastal waters last weekend and cleaned debris from beaches in 100 countries around the world. In Los Angeles one beachside community took to the water in kayaks as their part of the coastal cleanup.
Paddling out in colorful kayaks - small rowing craft based on an Eskimo design - 150 volunteers collected rubbish floating in a Los Angeles marina on Saturday.
“Get a little exercise, clean up, a good cause, feel like you're doing something global,” said Buzz Pierce, who was one of the volunteers.
Thousands of volunteers in coastal California joined hundreds of thousands in other countries for the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.
Michelle Staffield of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation says there is more trash some years than others off the coast of Los Angeles.
“And we're always excited when there's less because it makes us feel like our effort is working,” she said.
Volunteer Shawn Alva says many people are careless with their trash.
“The cigarette butt thing is the most annoying just because it's not a giant ashtray, people," she said. "Come on.”
Volunteer Theresa Duenas says small pieces of debris are found throughout the bay.
“You see basically pieces of candy paper, and you can identify those pretty well because they're shiny,” she said.
Part of the cleanup took place in a sheltered inlet called Mother's Beach, where novice kayakers can safely get in the water.
Teacher North Moench came with a group of middle school students.
“This is a great place to learn how to kayak, gentle water, not much breeze, and a good activity as well,” he said.
Michelle Staffield says that keeping the coast clean is everybody's job.
“Reducing our use of debris that cannot be recycled, reusing as much as we possibly can, and then of course, recycling,” she said.
She says that then there may be no more need for coastal cleanups.
************标题：VOA常速英语附字幕：World Awaits UN Findings on Syria
听力内容：
The long-awaited United Nations report on Syria's alleged chemical weapon attack on civilians in August is due out Monday.
The images of the aftermath of the alleged attack are haunting - children suffering and bodies lined up on the ground.
Now, after U.N. inspectors have examined the site and collected boxes of evidence, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the findings likely will leave little doubt.
“I believe the report will be an overwhelming report that the chemical weapons was used,” he said.
The secretary-general also took aim at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"He has committed many crimes against humanity. And therefore, I'm sure that there will be, surely, the process of accountability when everything is over," he said.
But how any of this affects a civil war that has taken more than 100,000 lives remains unclear, especially since the report itself will not assign blame.
“Russia will continue to deny that it was the Syrian government and the United States and Britain and France will continue to insist it was. And that division will continue to hamper a clear U.N. resolution with enforcement power,” said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
In the meantime, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has continued his public offensive, appearing on Russian TV, denying that Syria used chemical weapons and dismissing U.S. threats of a military response.
At the U.N., Syria's ambassador Bashar Ja'afari sounded confident.
"We have nothing to hide. On the contrary, we are waiting, expecting, calling on the team of investigators to come up with their full report," he said.
But as the conflict rages, Murhaf Jouejati, a former member of the rebel Syrian National Council, believes the U.N. report may finally sway many in the U.S. and elsewhere who don't want to get involved.
"I think that [undecided] segment of the population will change their minds, therefore releasing or enabling authorities in the U.S. or even in Britain to have a stronger case for a show of force against Syria," said Jouejati.
For now, the fate of Syria is being left in the hands of diplomats, hoping to rid Syria of chemical weapons and somehow get all sides to lay down their arms.
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：AS IT IS-YouthWRAP Helps Teenage Lawbreakers Reject Crime Through Community Projects
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, welcome to As It Is! I'm Mario Ritter.
Today, werevisit a story about a program that gives young people a chance to do good in their community.
Hurricane Sandy struck the eastern United States last October. The hurricane caused flooding and damage from high winds. Today some victims of Sandy are still having problems. However, there is an army of helpers that have joined the recovery effort. They are young people who are getting a second chance. Jim Tedder has more.
Young people help clear a road damaged by Hurricane Sandy at Breezy Point, New York. When the work is finished, government vehicles will again be able to get to the coast to take care of wildlife.
Other teenagers are preparing food packages for victims of Hurricane Sandy. These helpers are from New York City. They were found guilty of non-violent crimes and are now on probation -- a period of supervision instead of time in jail for former lawbreakers.
The young people are receiving help from a non-profit group called YouthWRAP. It helps teenage lawbreakers reject crime through community projects.
Vincent Schiraldi is New York City's Probation Commissioner. He says the young people and the city get something valuable out of the program.
"The more time they spend doing good, the less time they are going to spend doing bad as far as we are concerned. So part of it is for them to turn their lives around, part of it is for them to really do the work that New York City needs to recover from Sandy."
Not far away, Coney Island's Salt and Sea Mission is working with YouthWrap. The group is giving other young offenders the chance to do something good. The Mission takes care of individuals whose homes were destroyed.
"Today we are giving out green beans, macaroni and cheese, diced tomatoes, apple sauce, apple juice, pesto beans, no kidney beans, and maple and the peanut butter."
The teenagers are paid up to $1400 dollars for the summer. But even more important is the responsibility and experience that these young people gain.
"It meant a lot because it changed the way I see life and now I see people."
Pastor Debby Santiago is the leader of the Salt and Sea Mission. She was once a drug dealer and bank robber. But now the city's Probation Department wants her to provide guidance to the young people.
"They're helping this community, most of them, I mean they're getting pleasure out of helping other people."
Hurricane Sandy recovery projects in New York City involve about 450 teens on probation. And many of them are on their way to a better life.
I'm June Simms.
The Bill of Rights was added to the 1787 Constitution after constitutional opponents argued that it gave too much power to the central government.
The ten articles of the Bill of Rights include guarantees of freedom of speech, press and religion. They give the people the right to assemble, or meet, make appeals to the government and possess arms. The Bill of Rights protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.
And that's our show for today. Join us tomorrow for another As It Is program from VOA Learning English.
************标题：VOA常速英语：US Unemployment Falls to 7.3 Percent, But Hiring Pace Slows
听力内容：
Slower than expected jobs growth in August is likely to weigh on the U.S. central bank's decision to scale back its monetary stimulus program. U.S. unemployment fell to 7.3 percent in August, the lowest in nearly five years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says even though 169,000 jobs were added in August, fewer jobs were added in June and July than previously thought.
U.S. companies are still hiring, but they're adding new jobs at a slower pace than many had hoped.
Cary Leahy at Decision Economics said the job market is the weakest it's been in 12 months. “Momentum has really slipped. Four months ago the average job gain over three months was 200,000 workers per month. It's fallen to 150,000.”
The good news is that unemployment is now at pre-recession levels. The bad news is more Americans have given up looking for work.
Robert Bixby at the Concord Coalition said that's especially true for those who have been unemployed six months or longer.
“One of the most troubling aspects is not just the number of unemployed, but the number of people that are finding it very difficult to get back into the workforce,” said Bixby.
It's a structural problem that has led to the lowest job participation rate in 35 years.
Economic analysts say automatic spending cuts and higher taxes enacted earlier this year have aggravated the problem. Joseph Gagnon at the Peterson Institute said the so-called sequester has been a drag on U.S. growth.
“That has held us back. So that has meant, instead of a great year, we're just having a sort of so-so year - not a very good year, but not bad; just sort of mediocre,” said Gagnon.
That mediocre job growth could force the U.S. Federal Reserve to rethink how how fast it scales back policies that have kept long-term interest rates at record lows.
Economist Cary Leahy said the job numbers may be reason enough to delay plans to wind down bond purchases worth $85 billion a month. “Even though the Fed may still surprise us and decide to begin tapering this month, this is basically a major reason not to do that."
Not everyone is concerned. A recent survey of new business owners shows confidence at its highest level in more than a year.
Dane Stangler, director of research for the Kauffman/Legal Zoom Confidence Index, said, "One, people are starting businesses, two among the people who are starting businesses, they're highly confident about one, their own business prospects and two, about the wider direction of the economy.”
Bright spots include the manufacturing sector, which added 14,000 jobs after five months of declines.
The average number of hours worked per week also ticked higher in August - a sign that companies need more labor.
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：美国宇航局发射气象球研究臭氧层
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
Students at Saint Louis University are launching weather balloons into the sky above St. Louis, Missouri. The United States space agency NASA is paying for this activity. It's a part of a study to improve our understanding of air pollution and climate.
圣路易斯大学的学生们在密苏里州圣路易斯市放飞气象探测气球。美国太空总署NASA资助了该活动。这项活动是提高我们对大气污染和气候知识的部分研究。
[VOICE]
A group of students surround a laptop computer and a radio receiver outside the Saint Louis Science Center. They're getting ready to take part in a NASA project to measure ozone. The students hear the sound of information.
圣路易斯大学科学中心外，学生们围着一台笔记本电脑及一台无线接收器。他们正准备参加美国太空总署测量臭氧的项目。学生们听着声音信息。
Inside container made of Styrofoam material are small instruments, they measure direction, temperature, humidity, air pressure and ozone. The students tested all the instruments. When they are certain everything is operating correctly, they attach the container to a weather ballon.
泡沫塑料制成的容器中安装了小型仪器，以测量方向、温度、湿度、气压和臭氧。学生们检查了所有仪器。在确认一切运行准确后，他们把容器系在一个气象气球上。
The ballon will carry it into the atmosphere three times higher than jets airplane. But first, the students need to fill the ballon with helium gas, so it can rise. They need a lot of helium, fully blown up, the ballon will be 2 to 3 meters in diameter.
该气球将携带它进入大气层，升至高于喷气飞机三倍的高空中。但学生们首先需填充氦气至气球，使其上升。这需要大量氦气，充饱气后的气球直径能达到2至3米。
A voice announces the launch time.
一个声音正在宣布放飞的时间。
"This is Gary Morris with the Saint Louis University weather balloon launch team at the St. Louis planetarium. We're five minutes from a weather balloon launch."
“我是Gary Morris，来自圣路易斯大学气象气球放飞组，正在圣路易大学天文馆。距离气象气球放飞时间还有5分钟。”
Gary Morris is a professor at Valparaiso University in Indiana. He is the lead trainer for the nationwide study. The professor says NASA wants more information on ozone because * affects our atmosphere ― both good and bad.
Gary Morris是印第安纳州瓦尔帕莱索大学的教授。他是全国性研究的首席培训师。该教授称，美国宇航局希望获得更多臭氧的信息，因为它对大气层有着好与坏的影响。
High up in what is called the stratosphere, the ozone layer keeps harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth. But near the ground, emissions from cars and petrochemical plants form ozone pollution and smog, the unhealthy air condition that affects breathing.
臭氧层处于名为平流层的高层地方，能阻隔有害的紫外线辐射地球。但在地面，汽车和石油化工厂的排放会形成臭氧污染和烟雾。这种对身心有害的空气状况会影响呼吸。
Jack Fishman leds the ozone study at Saint Louis University. He says new requirements that decrease pollution have lowered ozone levels in American cities, but he notes that pollution in remote areas continues to increase. He blames industrial activity in eastern Asia for that pollution.
Jack Fishman是圣路易斯大学臭氧研究的负责人。他称减少污染的新要求降低了美国城市的臭氧污染状况，但他指出，偏远地区的臭氧污染持续加剧。他指责东亚地区的工业活动污染臭氧。
Mr Fishman says polluted air is being blown across the Pacific by currents in the upper atmosphere. He says ozone pollution has slown the growth of farm crops and forests.
Fishman称污染的空气被上层大气气流吹越太平洋。他称臭氧污染减慢了农作物和森林的生长速度。
And now, at the Saint Louis Science Center, is time for the balloon launch. OK, comes a voice, ready...
现在，圣路易斯大学科学中心是时候放飞气球了。好的，这是倒计时的声音，准备……
"Five, four, three, two, one, lift-off! Alright!"
“5，4，3，2，1，放飞！好的！”
[VOICE]
And that's the VOA Education Report. I'm Jerilyn Watson.
以上是美国之音慢速英语教育报道，我是Jerilyn Watson。
************标题：VOA常速英语：US Weighs Boosting Training for Syrian Rebels
听力内容：
As debate continues over a possible U.S. strike against Syria, there's a push in Congress for the U.S. military to assume a role in training Syrian opposition fighters in neighboring Jordan.
U.S. training of Syrian rebels has been carried out covertly and on a small scale.
Now, some in Washington want to boost that support and throw the might of the U.S. military behind the training. Among those supporting overt assistance to the rebels is U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who met with President Barack Obama at the White House.
"There seems to be emerging from this administration a pretty solid plan to upgrade the opposition, to get the regional players more involved. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, a lot of the Gulf Arab states have been helping quietly. Now is the time to get out front and be more overt," said Graham.
U.S. troops are already in Jordan, where they have a long history of training allied forces.
U.S. forces are poised to launch a limited strike to weaken Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but not remove him from power.
The top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, told lawmakers that looking beyond a limited strike, the U.S. military can train the Syrian opposition to defeat Assad forces and bring about his eventual departure.
“The path to the resolution of the Syrian conflict is through a developed, capable, moderate opposition. And we know how to do that," said Dempsey.
With debate still raging on whether the United States should get caught up in another Middle East conflict, Pentagon officials are careful not to discuss preparations for a broader training program for Syrian rebels.
Pentagon Spokesman George Little said, "At this point, given the current situation, I'm not going to get into the specifics of our planning. But we plan for just anything, as I've said before, and we continue to plan and consult with our partners in the region."
Rebels complain that the small weapons and other lethal aid promised by the U.S. has been slow to reach them.
Analyst Michael O'Hanlon said that's because U.S. officials must make sure the aid does not fall into the hands of extremists. "Twelve-hundred insurgent groups, which means you don't really know to whom you give these weapons and how to ensure their control thereafter. Therefore, that does raise the question of whether we should be trying to do more, not just to train, but to fashion an organization and a hierarchy."
Scenes like those of Syrian rebels preparing to execute captured Syrian soldiers highlight questions of whether helping the rebels is right. The video was shot in 2012 and made public recently by The New York Times.
The Obama administration must now decide whether it wants to continue to work through a covert and quiet means, or deepen its involvement.
************标题：VOA慢速英语：Needy Kids In Virginia Get Supplied for School
听力内容：
Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.
I'm June Simms.
On the show today, we play new music from two singer-songwriters.
We also tell about a campaign to collect school supplies for needy children.
But first, we knock out a report about a program for young boxers.
Lime Lite Gym
Almost 20 percent of Washingtonians are extremely poor. They live in neighborhoods where crime and violence are usual. Many organizations have community programs to try to improve conditions. Christopher Cruise tells about one of them.
Washington, DC can be a dangerous town.
And it does not get any easier here, at Lime Lite Boxing and Fitness.
Tony Simmons is the founder of the training center for young fighters. The group provides young boxers with everything they need for the sport.
He says the trainers also provide fatherly spirit and guidance for some of the children.
"Some kids don't have fathers at home or uncles...so we take kind of take on the role of an added parent. Like they say: it takes a village."
The coach has some rules for those who want to be part of the boxing program. The children must have average or better than average scores in school. They also are not permitted to fight outside of boxing centers.
Mr. Simmons says the training can make the children better boxers. But he says it also provides them hope for the future. He says the coaches all have jobs. The children want to be like the coaches. So, the coaches help them learn about the value of work.
"These kids are going to go out and get jobs and be law-abiding citizens."
Coach Simmons says a few hours in the center every day keeps the kids off the streets and out of trouble. He says by the time they are done training they are so tired they just want to go home, do their school work and go to sleep.
Sometimes an especially skilled fighter comes out of Lime Lite, like boxer Malik Jackson.
"I get a lot of respect from the kids, because they look up to me. They respect what I do. I've been putting in the work for ten years and they see that."
Mr. Jackson started training at Lime Lite when he was nine. He was small and other kids were mean to him. He would get into fights at school. Then, school administrators would punish him.
So he started attending the gym. He says he wanted to learn how to keep calm. But he also learned he was naturally good at the sport of boxing.
Now, Malik is a high school graduate who also earned a place on the United States national boxing team. He hopes to go to the Olympic Games in 2016.
Tony Simmons is proud of Malik's success.
"When you take a kid from scratch, who has two left feet and you see him be the best, the elite among the elite, like Malik Jackson. I really can't put it into words, but it is a beautiful feeling."
The two men will continue to work together. Mr. Simmons was recently chosen to be a coach of the United States national boxing team.
School Supplies for All
Most American children went back to school this week after a long summer break. For weeks, stores have been advertising "back to school" sales, offering everything from clothing and backpacks to pens and notebooks.
Some needy families are not able to buy everything on the long list of required school supplies. But one of the wealthiest areas in America, Fairfax County, Virginia, has a campaign to make sure all local children get what they need.
At a middle school in Reston, Virginia, tens of volunteers are helping in the "Collect for Kids" campaign.
"Organizing and stocking boxes, putting all the supplies each school needs on one table. Then the schools come and get their supplies."
That is Natalie Toma, a 17-year-old volunteer. She says she learned about local poverty through her work with Collect for Kids.
"Personally, I didn't realize how many people are actually in need for supplies that can't afford it."
Susan Ungerer first learned about the problem of poverty many years ago. So the former teacher decided to start collecting and giving out free school supplies. She launched her own non-profit group, Kids R First, in 1998.
"We reached a limit with our organization at this point with a certain number of board members, certain amount of money we were able to raise."
That was when she got the idea to join with other groups to launch one big campaign that could help more students. Jay Garant is with the Fairfax County Public School System. He says county officials help to organize the effort.
"We have about 11 not-for-profits and may five or six for profit companies involved. The goal here is to be more efficient and pay more attention to who is covering what. It's all about communication."
Jennifer Rose operates a non-profit group called Our Daily Bread. She says it asks people to donate money instead of school supplies.
"Quite frankly, donors today are very busy. They don't have time to go shopping. So we're able to stretch the donation dollars better than they could taking advantage of sales."
This year, Collect for Kids helped 19,500 students at 90 schools. Susan Ungerer says the campaign can be complex. But she says each school receives exactly what its students need.
"In the spring every year, we send out an order form to each school that's part of our program and they send in a custom order. So it's all grade appropriate."
Aimee Monticchio is head of the Langston Hughes Middle School.
"Between 7th and 8th grades, we give out over 200 hundred backpacks a year."
Terraset Elementary School principal Lindsay Trout says 40 percent of her students use these supplies. She says the effect is educational and psychological.
"It makes a huge difference in what children and how children are able to learn, when they come in and have what they need in a good condition."
Parents like Ivonee Cedeno are pleased to know they can come to school and get backpacks full of supplies their children need for class.
"As a parent I think it's amazing. It's very helpful to a lot of children."
New Albums from Neko Case and Chelsea Wolfe
Musicians Neko Case and Chelsea Wolfe play very different music. But in their new albums their songs share common ideas. Milagors Ardin tells about each and plays some of the new music.
"The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" is Neko Case's sixth album under her own name. The artist is also a member of the band The New Pornographers. The 42 year old has been in the music industry for almost 20 years.
Neko Case appeared on the show "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" this week and performed "Man." The song is the only single released from the album.
Like Neko Case, Chelsea Wolfe grew up on the west coast. The Californian released her fourth album, "Pain is Beauty," Wednesday.
Wolfe told the online magazine The Fader that "Pain is Beauty" is partly about, in her words, tormented love. She said children are often taught that love is easy and beautiful. But she said there are hardships and confusion in love relationships that people forget.
In "We Hit A Wall" Chelsea Wolfe sings we hit a wall when we were young / we didn't know how to control...I showed you how to hold my hand...I'll show you how to love.
Neko Case has said that her new album is born of a long painful period in her life. She said she became severely depressed after the deaths of some family members, including her grandmother.
The song "Night Still Comes" suggests the seeming endlessness of a deep sadness.
I'm June Simms. Our program was written by Christopher Cruise and Caty Weaver, who was also the producer. Join us again next week for music and more on American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.
************标题：VOA常速英语：Washington Week: Focus on Potential Federal Shutdown
听力内容：
Once again, the U.S. government faces a potential shutdown driven by a politically-divided Congress unable to agree on federal funding. Later this week, the Senate is expected to pass a temporary spending measure incompatible with a House bill approved last week. Unless the two chambers pass identical bills, a limited government shutdown will begin October 1.
Friday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives extended federal spending authority, but defunded President Barack Obama's signature health care law. Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers:
“The House has acted to keep the government open, to control spending, and to protect people from an unworkable law that is making it harder on them,” said McMorris Rodgers.
House Speaker John Boehner sounded triumphant.
“The American people do not want the government shutdown, and they do not want Obamacare. The House has listened to the American people. Now it is time for the Senate to listen to them, as well,” said Boehner.
The jubilant tone did not carry over to the Democratically-controlled Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid:
“Any bill that de-funds Obamacare is dead. Dead. It is a waste of time, as I have said before,” said Reid.
Democrats say they will only vote to authorize spending that includes funding for the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” which seeks to boost the number of Americans with healthcare insurance. Senator Charles Schumer:
“We will not blink [back down]. Do not get it into your heads that we will. We will not!”, said Schumer.
Democratic lawmakers have the full backing of President Obama, who has repeatedly blasted House Republicans and accused them of putting America's economic recovery at risk.
“They would actually plunge this country back into recession - all to deny the basic security of health care to millions of Americans. Well, that is not happening,” said the president.
If the Senate passes a bill funding Obamacare, focus would then shift back to the House - with mere days before the threatened government shutdown begins.
************标题：VOA慢速英语附字幕：世卫组织督促各国完善医疗保障
听力内容：
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
The World Health Organization says everyone should have a right to the health care services they need without risking financial ruin. A new WHO Report is urging countries to provide health care design to meet the special needs of their citizens.
世卫组织称人人有权获得所需医疗服务而不导致破产。一份新的世卫组织报告督促各国完善医疗服务以满足本国公民的特别需求。
In 2005, all 194 members of the World Health Organization set a goal of providing universal health coverage. But very few countries have reached that target, most people must use their own financial resources to pay for the health care they need.
2005年世卫组织194个成员国都制订了覆盖全民的医疗目标。但是极少国家实现了该目标，多数人都需用自己的资金支付所需医疗服务。
Since health needs differ from one country to another, the new report urges every country to create its own system of health coverage. It says the services should include prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reduction of pain, and the health care should involve ommunities, health centers and hospitals.
不同国家的医疗需求也不同，因此新报告督促各国建立适应本国的医疗覆盖体系。该报告称服务应包括预防、治疗、康复和减轻病痛，同时应覆盖社区、医疗中心和医院。
Christopher Dye is head of the WHO's Office of Health Information, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Christopher Dye是世卫组织艾滋病、结核病、疟疾和被忽略的热带病的卫生信息机构负责人。
"Every year approximately 150 million people in the world suffer catastrophic health expenditure. That is they have to pay out of their own pockets for health care to a degree that they cannot possibly afford.So, how do we put in place mechanisms for financial risk protection, which will ensure that catastrophic health expenditures are reduced to a minimum "
“每年全球近1.5亿人经受毁灭性的医疗支出。即他们不得不自掏腰包支付那些无法负担的医疗费用。因此，我们要如何落实财务风险保障机制，使这些毁灭性的医疗支出降到最低？”
The report shows how research can help countries develop a system that makes sure their citizens receive the care they need without suffering financial ruin.
该报告说明了研究能帮助各国制定体制，以确保本国公民获得所需医疗服务而不导致破产。
The WHO says the studies should be done in low- and high-income countries because the poorer countries have special problems they have to work out for themselves.
世卫组织称该研究应同时在低收入国与高收入国进行，因为贫困国有一些需要单独解决的特殊问题。
Dr. Dye said some European countries have continued supporting their social and health services even during this period of financial difficulty. He says that decision is paying off in better health for their people.
Dye医生说，欧洲一些国家即使处于财政困难时期也一直在支持其社会、健康服务，这项决策在改善其医疗服务上取得了成功。
"Saving money on health care is often a false kind of economy. If you save money on health care in the short term, you may end up spending more in the long term. So, cutting the cost of health budgets is not an enlightened policy."
“节省医疗开支通常是一种虚假经济。如果在短期内节省医疗开支，长远看来将花费更多。因此，削减医疗预算不是开明的政策。”
Dr. Dye estimates that the cost of medical care is increasing very quickly. Because of that, he says governments must find ways to pay for health care during good times and bad, and work harder to keep costs under control.
Dye医生估计医疗开支正快速增长。他说，正因为此，不管经济好坏，各国政府都需想办法支付医疗服务，并努力控制其成本。
And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English. To Read, listen and learn English with our stories and activities, go to the VOA Learning English Channel on YouTube and our website . I'm Milagros Ardin.
以上是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。登陆视频网美国之音英语学习频道和，我们的故事和节目让您更好地听、读和学习英语。我是Milagros Ardin。
************标题：VOA常速英语：World Leaders Begin G20 Summit in Russia
听力内容：
Leaders of the world's 20 major economies, both developed and developing, are meeting in the Russian city of St. Petersburg Thursday and Friday to discuss economic and other issues. The eyes of the international community are on these G20 leaders as they discuss, among other issues, how to end Syria's bloody civil war. The world's economy remains the official number one topic at the annual forum.
For days ahead of the G20 summit, President Obama has urged world leaders to support punitive action against Syria for breaking the international ban on the use of chemical weapons. But during a stop in Sweden Wednesday, he made it clear that the economy remains his top priority.
"And as I head into the G-20, I shared my view that here in Europe and around the world, we've got to stay focused on creating jobs and growth," Obama said. "That's going to be critically important not only for our economies but also to maintain stability in many of our democracies that are under severe stress at this point."
Some people see the two issues as inseparable.
"The dampening of growth is really impacted by what's happening in Syria, that's a core G20 agenda, but at the end of the day, G20 has to deliver on the expectations of people in their countries and they're all looking at the utter impotence of the world when it comes to 2 million refugees, a million of them kids, 100,000 dead in Syria. So I think it's inescapable,'' said Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, Australia's largest charity organization.
Russian political analyst Konstantin Eggert said it is unrealistic to expect any practical decisions on global issues from the 20 nations of different and sometimes conflicting interests. He cited the tense relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama.
"President Putin doesn't like, or I would even put it stronger, despises President Obama -- sees him as an inexperienced politician, a person too much focused on his own public relations, who has too much trust in ratings and his spin doctors, a person who has changed his Middle East policies twice in the last two years,'' Eggert said.
The annual G20 gathering is an opportunity for world leaders to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit. But President Obama is not expected to meet with his Russian counterpart. He cancelled a planned state visit to Moscow last month after Russia granted temporary asylum to fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. Mr. Obama is planning instead to meet with a group of Russian rights activists.
President Putin defended his government's human rights record on the eve of the summit.
"This year, the funding from government sources of the NGO [non-governmental organization] activity, including human rights protection, has more than tripled," Putin said. "More than $100 million were allocated to implement socially important projects."
The 20 countries represented at the summit account for two-thirds of the world population and 90 percent of its economic output.
************标题：VOA常速英语：美国在叙利亚的行动将传达伊朗和朝鲜何种讯息？
听力内容：
Part of President Barack Obama's argument for a military strike against Syria is a threat to broader U.S. security concerns in the Middle East and Asia.
奥巴马总统支持军事袭击叙利亚的原因之一是，中东及亚洲同样担忧这项威胁着全美安全的事件。
Secretary of State John Kerry says acting against Syria's use of chemical weapons matters far beyond its borders.
美国国务卿John Kerry称针对叙利亚使用化学武器的行动影响到国际社会。
"It is about whether Iran, which itself has been a victim of chemical weapons attacks, will now feel emboldened, in the absence of action, to obtain nuclear weapons," he said. "It is about Hezbollah, and North Korea, and every other terrorist group or dictator that might ever again contemplate the use of weapons of mass destruction. Will they remember that the Assad regime was stopped from those weapons' current or future use, or will they remember that the world stood aside and created impunity "
他说，“伊朗本身就是化学武器袭击的受害国，如果现在不采取行动，伊朗可能受到鼓舞而设法获取核武器。黎巴嫩真主党、朝鲜及所有其他恐怖组织或独裁者可能再次谋思借助武器进行大规模破坏。他们是记得Assad政权目前或将来被阻止使用武器呢，还是记得各国避开此事而不惩罚该国呢？”
Acting in Syria would not only check President Assad, it would show President Obama's seriousness to Iran and North Korea, says analyst Michael O'Hanlon.
分析人士Michael O'Hanlon称，针对叙利亚的行动不仅能阻止Assad总统，也能显示奥巴马总统对伊朗和朝鲜的决心。
"Several dozen cruise missiles, perhaps, and a day or two of strikes is probably enough to achieve the immediate purpose of restoring deterrents of weapons of mass destruction use and hopefully getting countries like Iran and and North Korea to notice as they pursue, or consider pursuing nuclear ambitions that President Obama's red lines to them still mean something," he said.
“几十枚巡航导弹一至两天的攻击或许足以达到暂时的目的，即恢复对大规模杀伤武器的威慑力，警告类似伊朗和朝鲜等国家的谋思，以及奥巴马总统的底线依然威慑他们追求核武器的野心。”
North Korea has held three nuclear tests and a series of long-range missile launches since international talks on its nuclear program stalled nearly five years ago. Confronting Damascus now is no time to lose sight of Pyongyang, says analyst Michael Auslin.
自5年前就朝鲜核武器计划的国际会谈停止后，朝鲜已进行三次核试验及系列远程导弹发射。Michael Auslin分析人士称目前大马士革的抗议不允许各国忽视朝鲜平壤事件。
"Now that Syria is really heated-up, let us keep your eye on North Korea because they might try to pull something right now when they know all of our attention is focused in one direction, pull something on the undefended side of things," he said.
他说，“目前叙利亚局势非常紧张，所以我们主要关注这个方向。而朝鲜可能试图趁现在完成一些毫无防备的事，因此我们应同时关注朝鲜。”
Syrian troops have reversed earlier gains by anti-Assad rebels with help from Iran and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
在伊朗及伊朗支持的黎巴嫩军队组织真主党的帮助下，反对Assad的叙利亚叛军早时已颠转势力。
Using Syria to send a message to Iran may not work as President Obama intends, says analyst Doug Bandow. "To the extent that Iran feels isolated and threatened, in many ways it's more likely to pursue a nuclear weapon," he said.
利用叙利亚也许无法如奥巴马总统所愿，即传达讯息至伊朗。分析人士Doug Bandow称，“伊朗在某种程度上受到了孤立和威胁，他们更会想方设法得到核武器。”
Bandow says attacking Syria could further convince Iran of its need for a nuclear deterrent. "A lot of people hope if you break Syria you weaken Iran. And to some degree you do. But that does not necessarily help advance your larger objective, which is to encourage Iran to be less defensive and encourage Iran to come into the international community and set aside any nuclear ambitions," he said.
Bandow称袭击叙利亚将进一步使伊朗确信他们需要核武器。他说，“很多人希望袭击叙利亚能削弱伊朗。某种程度上的确是这样。但这不一定助于实现更大的目标，即鼓励伊朗减少防御，加入国际社会及放弃获取核武器的野心。”
Chemical weapons in Syria also threaten U.S. allies in the region, says Secretary Kerry. "It matters to Israel. It matters to our close friends Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, all of whom live just a stiff breeze away from Damascus," he said.
国务卿Kerry称叙利亚使用化学武器同时威胁到美国在该地的同盟。他说，“这影响到以色列及我们的亲友约旦、土耳其和黎巴嫩。这些国家离大马士革很近，甚至只有一阵强风之隔。”
Israel has deployed missile defenses against a possible Syrian attack. But Bandow says striking Israel is too big a gamble for President Assad.
以色列针对潜在的叙利亚袭击部署了导弹防御。但Bandow称袭击以色列对于总统Assad太过冒险。
"The Syrian government understands that Israel has overwhelming military force. So at a time when Syria is engaged in a battle for the regime's life, it can not afford to open a second front with Israel," he said.
他说：“叙利亚政府知晓以色列有强劲的军事力量。而且目前叙利亚正忙于政权生存之战，他们无法再与叙利亚开战。”
Bandow says in many ways the bigger threat for Israel is a win by Syrian rebels because he says those divided opponents would have a far harder time managing state arsenals including chemical weapons.
Bandow称，以色列面对的多重威胁有利于叙利亚叛军，因为分散的反对派需处理包括化学武器的国家军械库，而这将更艰难。
************标题：VOA常速英语：Voyager Carries Gold Record into Interstellar Space
听力内容：
Last weekend, the Voyager spacecraft, launched from Earth in 1977, left the solar system and headed into interstellar space. As it did, the ship carried an unusual calling card, designed to introduce Earth to any alien being that the Voyager might pass.
Traveling now billions of kilometers out in space are the voices and sounds of humans and animals living on Earth in 1977. They are bolted to the side of Voyager 1 in the form of a gold-plated phonograph record containing the sounds of our planet.
Tim Ferris mixed the audio that went on the record.
"The record is a conventional long-playing phonograph record except that it is made of copper and it is covered in gold and then it is put inside a titanium case to protect it,” he said.
Ferris was one of a small group of people who worked to convince NASA to attach the record to Voyager's side. The original idea, according to Annie Druyan, another member of the group, came from astronomer Frank Drake, at the University of California.
“We wanted to convey to the extraterrestrials that we imagined what it was like to be alive in the beautiful Spring of 1977, and it seemed to Frank that at the time that the best way to compress as much information as possible in a very small space was to do it on a phonograph record,” she said.
　
And there's plenty of information there. The record contains greetings in 59 human languages. It has 118 pictures of life on earth, and 27 pieces of music exemplifying the diversity of human creation. Ferris mixed the audio that went on the record.
“There is music on the record from Europe and the United States,” he said. "But also from Africa, the South Pacific and South America... Georgia, Russia, all these places - China, India."
Shortly after American astronauts returned from space in 1968, NASA released a photograph of the Earth rising from behind the Moon. According to Margaret Weitekamp, a curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, that photo deeply touched people like Drake and his partner on the gold record project, the scientist and TV celebrity Carl Sagan.
She said,“Knowing that that picture was taken by a human being I think profoundly changed the thoughts of these people and really made them start thinking about ‘If we are this pale blue dot in this ocean of vastness, then how do we communicate something about who we are '”
It made them think carefully about how they might convey the greetings, the art and the talent of all humanity…not just the nation that sent the spacecraft up.
“The Voyager record represents a step along a long process of humans realizing that we are not at the center of the universe and that our story is probably far from being the only story,” Ferris said
The technology they used may seem archaic today. But actually, Weitekamp says it has advantages over some of today's gadgets.
“It's a really durable technology that has proven to be a great way to record sound," she said. "If you have digital sound, you have to have the right software in order to decode it or it doesn't work.”
And she says, if a spacecraft were launched today with a message for aliens, it might still be a wise technology to use. So that's the medium. As for the message they chose, Ferris says you couldn't have picked anything better.
“You can't say that an Indian raga or a piece by Bach or a Japanese Shakuhachi piece ‘means' something that you can put into words. It is its own end product," he said. "It means really what it is. Similar to things in nature. A flower isn't a way of expressing something else. It is the end product. It is what it is.”
************标题：VOA慢速英语：When Will Americans in Their Twenties Grow Up
听力内容：
Welcome to This Is America from VOA Learning English. I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
And I'm Jim Tedder. This week on our program, we look at changes in the lives of Americans in their 20s.
Young people legally become adults at the age of 18. They can vote and sign contracts. But adulthood is more than a legal definition. Many Americans do not really consider young people "adults" until they move out of their parents' home and start a career.
These days, people in their 20s are often criticized for delaying adulthood. Yet some researchers say this criticism may be misplaced.
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett is a research professor of psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts. He studies people in their 20s — or "20-somethings." Mr. Arnett says 20-somethings today are different than their parents and grandparents were at that age.
"Now that people stay in education longer, they get married later, they have their first child later, the 20s are a period of really trying out different possibilities and moving from one thing to another."
As a result, he says, the 20s are no longer about settling down. Instead they are increasingly about exploring.
The Millennial Generation
Today's 20-somethings are often called "millennials." They grew up around the time of the millennium in the year 2000.
Like other generations, millennials share some things in common. Millennials are staying in school longer and getting married later — the average age is almost 27 for women and almost 29 for men.
Some millennials lack full-time jobs, and many are living at home or getting financial help from their parents.
Are these adults
The law says yes. In the United States and many other countries, 18 is the "age of majority." This means people are considered old enough to be held legally responsible for their actions.
But societies usually have their own definitions of adulthood, their own expectations for what being an adult means. The United Nations defines adulthood as a period of independence and, at the same time, responsibility to a community.
Delayed Adults Or Emerging Adults
Journalists and researchers have been looking for new ways to describe the changes in the lives of the millennial generation. Some say today's 20-somethings are living an "extended adolescence." In other words, they are still like teenagers.
Others say they are having a "delayed adulthood."
The term "boomerang kids" is popular. That means young people leave their parents' house but, like a boomerang thrown through the air, later return.
Research psychologist Jeffrey Arnett says these terms can suggest that many Americans are frustrated with 20-somethings.
"There's a tendency at least in the United States for people to look at this negatively and to deplore it and say what's wrong with them that they won't they grow up "
He calls the 20s a "special decade of life." He says Americans should consider the positive aspects. For example, 20-somethings usually have a series of school and work experiences. They may have several serious romantic relationships. Or they might try living in different cities or even different countries.
"It's the freest time of your life. It's the one time of your life where you can get up and go basically anywhere you want and travel and experience new things, do a service project in some remote part of the world, or just experience the freedom of being on your own in your 20s."
He calls this a time of "emerging adulthood." In other words, 20-somethings are more mature than adolescents but not quite full adults. He says because emerging adults try so many things, they will ultimately make better choices about work, love and home.
Cheryssa Jensen
Cheryssa Jensen might agree.
Cheryssa is 27 years old. She grew up in New Jersey, not far from New York City. She says she expected to get married right after college and to find a job near her parents. Instead, she joined an international exchange program called Up with People.
"We traveled the western part of the U.S. We went to a dozen different cities there. We went to Mexico and the Philippines."
Her job also took her to Taiwan, Sweden and Denmark. After more than a year of traveling, she was not sure what to do.
"So I went back to New Jersey and I moved in with my parents for about nine months."
Eventually, one of Cheryssa's friends invited her to share an apartment in Washington. Cheryssa found a job at another nonprofit group and made new friends. She had a great life, she says. But she was not ready to settle down.
"Something was nagging at me, saying, ‘What else, what else can you do, what else can you do while you're young '"
So Cheryssa and a friend moved to Denver, Colorado, near the Rocky Mountains in the western United States. After almost a year, they decided they wanted to live closer to the ocean. So they moved across the country again, this time to Florida.
Now she is back in Washington. She is looking for a job and living temporarily with friends. She is not sure yet how long she will stay.
"Eventually I would like to have a family, and a more stable professional job long-term, but I don't know, it's really hard when there's so many opportunities, there's so much out there in the world to see and to experience."
Cheryssa says all her exploring has helped her to understand herself better and to know what makes her happy.
Professor Arnett would probably call Cheryssa Jensen an "emerging adult." She calls herself a "grown-up kid."
Julia Shaw
Julia Shaw is 28, just a year older than Cheryssa, but very different in the way she has lived her life so far.
"Do you feel like an adult "
"[Pause] Yes."
After earning a bachelor's degree, Julia moved to Washington and married her 25-year-old boyfriend from college. By that time he was in law school. Julia began her career as a writer and political thinker. She and her husband have stayed in Washington, and have lived in the same small apartment for the last two years.
Julia says many people are surprised that she is married and settled in one place. But she believes she is more free than many other people of her generation.
"I've seen a lot of articles about millennials, where their parents are paying for their phone bills. They're sharing Netflix accounts. A lot of people still are on their parents' insurance. Their parents even supplement their incomes, even people as old as me. That really wasn't an option for us when we got married. We saw each other as the person that we rely on. We're not driving home to see our parents. We're not relying on them for everything."
Yes, the 20s is an unstable decade, she says, because people are doing so many things for the first time. But she says marriage has made her life more stable.
Even though their stories are different, Julia and Cheryssa still have some things in common. Both say their families are proud of them. Both say they do not feel pressured by society to follow a particular path. And both say they are happy with their decisions.
Birth Control, Jobs, and Money
The fact that both are female is probably also significant. Research psychologist Jeffrey Arnett says the decade of the 20s has changed especially for women.
The feminist movement and the introduction of the birth control pill in the 1960s gave young women more choices. Today, for the most part, American society allows women to be as independent as men. That means young women have more freedom to get married and start families if they choose, or continue their education, or begin careers.
Julia Shaw and Cheryssa Jensen have something else in common. They have not made a high-paying career their first priority. The Pew study of millennials found that only 15 percent of women and men say a job that pays a lot of money is most important to them.
Instead, most in the survey said the most important things to them are being good parents, having a successful marriage and helping other people.
Maybe one reason millennials are not so focused on high-paying jobs is because there are not very many available. Sarah Ayers is an economic policy analyst at the Center for American Progress. She says the high unemployment rate for millennials has already hurt them.
"Young Americans today have accumulated less wealth than their parents did at their age. One in four student loan borrowers is delinquent on their loans. And of course most of them can't even think about beginning to save for retirement. So really this economy is not working for this generation."
Sarah Ayers says the slow start for millennials also hurts society.
"When you have people who are not moving out of their parents' home, obviously they are not signing up for cable [TV] packages, or buying new furniture and appliances. When you also have young people who are struggling to pay their student loans as many are, that's money that they're not putting into the economy elsewhere."
30 Is Not the New 20
Psychologist Meg Jay is also worried about the long-term impact of the easygoing lifestyles of many millennials. She gave a TED Talk called "Why 30 Is Not the New 20."
In it, she says taking time to explore during your 20s is fine, but explore with a purpose. She advises millennials not to wait until 30 to try to start a career, choose a partner, have a family and become financially independent all at once.
She says she worries that 10 or 15 years from now, some millennials will find themselves in a midlife crisis.
"It's realizing you can't have that career you now want. It's realizing you can't have that child you now want, or you can't give your child a sibling. Too many 30-somethings and 40-somethings look at themselves and at me, sitting across the room, and say about their 20s, ‘What was I doing ' What was I thinking '"
Meg Jay says American society does not help 20-somethings by telling them they have an extra decade to decide what to do with their lives. She says 20-somethings should instead claim their adulthood and use the decade to build their futures.
Our program was written and produced by Kelly Jean Kelly. Tell us what being an adult means in your society. Post comments at or on our Facebook page, at VOA Learning English.
I'm Jim Tedder.
And I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. Join us again next week for This Is America with VOA Learning English.
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