VOASE0411_The Making of a Nation

11 April 2007

US History: Johnson Wins a Full Term in 1964, Defends His Policies in Vietnam
The president's advisers had told him that the Communists were losing the war.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Doug Johnson.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Phil Murray with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we continue the story of America's thirty-sixth president, Lyndon Johnson.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

After John Kennedy was murdered, Vice President Lyndon Johnson served the last fourteen months of Kennedy's term. He then was elected to his own full term. It began in January, nineteen sixty-five. Much of his time and energy would be taken up by the war in Vietnam.

By early nineteen sixty-four, America had about seventeen thousand troops in Vietnam. The troops were there to advise and train the South Vietnamese military.

VOICE TWO:

Vietnam had gained its independence from France in nineteen fifty-four. The country was divided into North and South. The North had a Communist government led by Ho Chi Minh. The South had an anti-Communist government led by Ngo Dinh Diem.

In nineteen fifty-seven, Communist rebels -- Vietcong -- began a campaign of terrorism in South Vietnam. They were supported by the government of North Vietnam and later by North Vietnamese troops. Their goal was to overthrow the anti-Communist government in the South.

President Johnson believed that the United States had to support South Vietnam. Many other Americans agreed. They believed that without American help, South Vietnam would become Communist. Then, all of Southeast Asia would become Communist, too.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

As Johnson's term began, his military advisers told him the Communists were losing the war. They told him that North Vietnamese troops and Vietcong forces would soon stop fighting.

On February sixth, however, the Vietcong attacked American camps at Pleiku and Qui Phon. The Johnson administration immediately ordered air attacks against military targets in the North.

VOICE TWO:

Some observers in the United States questioned the administration's policy. For example, a leading newspaper writer, James Reston, said President Johnson was carrying out an undeclared and unexplained war in Vietnam.

Johnson defended his policies. He said withdrawal would not bring an end to the conflict. He said the battle would continue in one country, and then another.

VOICE ONE:

In March, nineteen sixty-five, the first American ground troops arrived in South Vietnam. Congress supported the president's actions at that time. However, the number of Americans who opposed the war began to grow. These people said the war was a civil war. They said the United States had no right, or reason, to intervene.

VOICE TWO:

For six days in May, the United States halted air attacks on North Vietnam. The administration hoped this would help get the North Vietnamese government to begin negotiations.

The North refused. And the United States began to build up its forces in the South. By July, one hundred twenty-five thousand Americans were fighting in Vietnam.

VOICE ONE:

Some Americans became angry. Anti-war demonstrations took place in the cities of San Francisco and Chicago. More and more students began to protest. They wanted the war to end quickly.

October 21, 1967: Marchers in Washington protest the Vietnam War

Writer James Reston commented that the anti-war demonstrations were not helping to bring peace to Vietnam. He said they were postponing it. He believed the demonstrations would make Ho Chi Minh think America did not support its troops. And that, he said, would make president Ho continue the war.

VOICE TWO:

In December, nineteen sixty-five, the United States again halted air attacks against North Vietnam. Again, it invited the North Vietnamese government to negotiate an end to the fighting. And again, the North refused.

Ho Chi Minh's conditions for peace were firm. He demanded an end to the bombing and a complete American withdrawal.

Withdrawal would mean defeat for the South. It would mean that all of Vietnam would become Communist. President Johnson would not accept these terms. So he offered his own proposals. The most important was an immediate ceasefire. Neither side would compromise, however. And the fighting went on.

VOICE ONE:

October 26, 1966: President Johnson honors American troops at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam

In nineteen sixty-six, President Johnson renewed the bombing attacks in North Vietnam. He also increased the number of American troops in South Vietnam. He condemned those who opposed his policies. He said: "The American people will stand united until every soldier is brought home safely. They will stand united until the people of South Vietnam can choose their own government."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Local and state elections were held in the United States that year. The war in Vietnam had an effect on those elections. The opposition Republican Party generally supported the president's war efforts. Yet it criticized him and other Democrats for economic problems linked to the war.

The war cost two thousand million dollars every month. The price of many goods in the United States began to rise. The value of the dollar began to drop. The result was inflation. Then economic activity slowed, and the result was recession.

VOICE ONE:

To answer the criticism, administration officials said progress was being made in Vietnam. But some Americans began to suspect that the government was not telling the truth about the war.

Several news writers, for example, said the number of enemy soldiers killed was much lower than the government reported. Opposition to the war and to the administration's war policies led to bigger and bigger anti-war demonstrations.

Studies were done to measure Americans' opinion on the issue. In a study in July, nineteen sixty-seven, a little more than half the people questioned said they did not approve of the president's policies. Yet most Americans believed he would run again for president the next year.

VOICE TWO:

Johnson strongly defended the use of American soldiers in Vietnam. In a speech to a group of lawmakers he said: "Since World War Two, this nation has met and has mastered many challenges -- challenges in Greece and Turkey, in Berlin, in Korea, in Cuba. We met them because brave men were willing to risk their lives for their nation's security. And braver men have never lived than those who carry our colors in Vietnam this very hour."

VOICE ONE:

Then came Tet -- the Vietnamese lunar new year -- in January nineteen-sixty-eight. The Communists launched a major military campaign. They attacked thirty-one of the forty-four provinces of South Vietnam. They even struck at the American embassy in the capital, Saigon.

Fifty thousand Communist soldiers were killed during the Tet offensive. Fourteen thousand South Vietnamese soldiers were killed. And two thousand American soldiers were killed. Thousands of Vietnamese civilians were killed, too.

VOICE TWO:

Many Americans were surprised, even shocked, that the Communists could launch such a major attack against South Vietnam. For several years, they had been told that Communist forces were small and were losing badly. As a result, popular support for the administration fell even more.

Democrats who opposed President Johnson seized this chance. Several ran against him in the primary elections held before the party's presidential nominating convention. These included Senator Robert Kennedy of New York and Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. Kennedy and McCarthy did well in the early primary elections. Johnson did poorly.

VOICE ONE:

March 31, 1968: Johnson announces a bombing halt in Vietnam and his plan not to seek re-election

At the end of March, nineteen sixty-eight, the president spoke to the American people on television. He told of his proposal to end American bombing of North Vietnam. He told of the appointment of a special ambassador to start peace negotiations. And he told of his decision about his own future:

LYNDON JOHNSON: "I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office -- the presidency of your country. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. This is Phil Murray.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Doug Johnson. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

VOASE0411_Education Report

11 April 2007

Doctoral Degrees: Aiming for the Top
Many doctorates in US go to international students.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today we continue our discussion of the academic degrees offered by American colleges and universities. Last week, we talked about the associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.

The highest degree that a student can earn is a doctorate. Some doctorates are professional degrees, as opposed to a degree based on research. Medical students, for example, receive an M.D., from the Latin "medicinae doctor." Future lawyers receive a J.D., for "juris" or "jurum" doctor, meaning a doctor of law or laws.

A PhD graduate from the University of Oklahoma

Someone with a PhD is a "doctor of philosophy." Many people earn a PhD, yet not many are philosophers. The name has survived since the Middle Ages when many areas of study were called philosophy.

Students can receive a PhD in engineering, social work, education, music, history and a lot of other areas. Requirements can differ from one university to another, and from one area of study to another. But the National Science Foundation says American doctoral education is organized around a research experience.

A PhD usually requires at least three years of full-time study after a bachelor's degree. Some people first get a master's degree, other do not.

PhD candidates must also pass special examinations and carry out original research. Students present their findings by writing a dissertation, a long paper that they have to defend before a group of experts.

Every year, the federal government collects information on research doctorates awarded in the United States. More than forty-three thousand students received a research doctorate in two thousand five, the most recent year reported.

Close to one-third of those doctorates went to foreign students in the United States on a temporary visa. The largest numbers came from China, South Korea, India, Taiwan and Canada. Most of them studied engineering, physical science or life science.

The University of Illinois awarded the largest number of doctorates to foreign students. The other universities in the top five were Purdue, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Pennsylvania State.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Our Foreign Student Series continues next week. If you missed any of our reports, you can find them at voaspecialenglish.com. And if you have a question about studying in the United States, send it to special@voanews.com. Please be sure to include your name and country. I'm Steve Ember.

Ban Ki-moon Observes 100 Days as UN Chief

By Peter Heinlein United Nations 10 April 2007

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It has been 100 days since South Korea's Ban Ki-moon took over as secretary-general of the United Nations. In the Korean tradition, 100 days is a significant milestone, and aides say Mr. Ban permitted himself a small celebration of the day. VOA's Peter Heinlein reviews the accomplishments, and the stumbles, of those first three-plus months.

Ban ki-moon, 10 Apr 2007

In some ways, Ban Ki-moon has a tough act to follow. His predecessor, Kofi Annan, achieved "rock star" status during 10 years at the helm of the world body. Though his record of accomplishment may have been spotty, millions viewed Mr. Annan as a beacon of hope in an uncertain world.

In his first 100 days on the job, Mr. Ban has made a number of missteps in what many call "the world's most impossible job," managing an organization of 192 countries, many with sharply contrasting points of view.

He found himself in trouble on his first day in office, when he failed to criticize Iraq for carrying out the death penalty against Saddam Hussein. Human rights activists were outraged at his seeming contradiction of Mr. Annan's staunch opposition to capital punishment. Mr. Ban later issued a statement saying he "encourages the trend" toward abolishing the death penalty.

Several critics also expressed disappointment at his low-key style in tackling challenges on which Mr. Annan had been outspoken, such as the refusal by Sudan's President Omar (Hassan) al-Bashir to allow U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur. Moreover, he was viewed by some as being too close to powerful countries, especially the United States.

But veteran U.N. watcher and Columbia University professor Edward Luck dismisses those early missteps as a normal part of the learning process. Luck gives Mr. Ban high marks for his initial efforts in his new position as the world's diplomat-in-chief.

"He's hardly been simply a behind the scenes actor," said Edward Luck. "He's been quite straightforward, he goes down to Washington in his first trip and tells President Bush he's very concerned about climate change, and it has to be a top priority. That clearly was not the first message that the president wanted to hear. He meets with President al-Bashir when he goes to Addis early on, tells him that the genocide in Darfur is completely unacceptable. He tells the Iranian leadership that denial of the Holocaust is unacceptable; he is willing to go to the Middle East, and as far as he can, butt heads together and gets the Arab League and the Islamic Conference to get energized in trying to do something about Darfur. So I think people sometimes get fooled by the style and ignore the fact that the substance is usually quite assertive, and at points even bold."

To be sure, Mr. Ban is soft-spoken. In a recent conversation with VOA, he laughed when reminded of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, whose motto was "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

The secretary-general acknowledges the international community's frustration at the slow progress on issues such as deploying U.N. peacekeeping troops in Darfur. But he said he would insist that President Bashir allow blue-helmeted U.N. troops to participate in a so-called "hybrid force" that would be strong enough to restore calm to Darfur.

"It was regrettable that President al-Bashir has made several reservations to my proposals to deploy a heavy support package and the hybrid peacekeeping operations," said Ban Ki-moon. "This is something they must accommodate."

Mr. Ban has also been outspoken in criticizing Iran for its defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding a halt to uranium enrichment. Speaking to VOA, he said it is "regrettable" that Iran's leaders have not met the Council's deadlines.

"Even at this time, I would urge that the Iranian authorities engage in a serious negotiation to resolve this issue to the expectation of the international community," he said. "And on the part of Iran, as a responsible member of the United Nations and the international community, they must comply fully with all the resolutions of the Security Council."

Mr. Ban noted that, as secretary-general, he no longer plays an active role in the six-party talks on North Korea, as he did in his previous job as South Korea's foreign minister. But he expressed satisfaction at Pyongyang's apparent willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program in return for fuel and diplomatic incentives. He told VOA he is continuing to play a backstage role in the negotiations.

"I will try my best effort to facilitate at this time this ongoing process, so that the Korean people and the international community will be able to see the realization of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," said Mr. Ban.

Columbia University's Professor Luck argues that despite Mr. Ban's low-key image, he has displayed more energy and willingness to tackle big issues than any other secretary-general at this point in their tenure.

"In terms of his ability to articulate a very clear strategy, people compare him in his early days with Kofi Annan after 10 years in the job, which is not fair," he said. "I think he's every bit as articulate as Kofi Annan was in his early days, and certainly is much more willing to speak out on issues than a number of his predecessors have before that time. People forget that Kofi Annan's fame for being a global spokesperson set him apart from many of his predecessors. He really was unusual in that regard, and Ban is in many ways moving in the same direction."

As for the criticism that Mr. Ban is too close to the United States, Professor Luck notes that Kofi Annan was also perceived as being pro-U.S. in his early days in office. In later years, Mr. Annan was sharply critical of U.S. policies, and openly clashed with the former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.

While Mr. Ban observed his 100 days in office as a milestone, in keeping with South Korean tradition, most U.N. diplomats say it is still too early to tell what impact he will have on world affairs. As one member of Mr. Ban's team explained, "the secretary-general can't define the world. The world really defines the secretary-general."

The official said "Whatever personal characteristics a U.N. chief brings to the job, he or she is faced with trying to get things done in a very difficult, very divided world. Only over the course of many months will we begin to get a feel for how Mr. Ban sees his place in the world, and sees the organization's place."

Bush Calls Democratic Leadership in Congress 'Irresponsible'

By Scott Stearns White House 10 April 2007

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President Bush says he will veto emergency spending for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq because opposition legislators have attached timetables for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition leaders say it is time Iraqi leaders take greater responsibility for their own security.

President Bush stands with veterans as he speaks about the Iraq war supplemental, at the American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, Virginia, 10 Apr 2007

President Bush says Congressional Democrats are pushing legislation that would undercut U.S. troops in Iraq just as he says reinforcements in Baghdad are beginning to reduce sectarian violence.

"I know we have our differences over the best course in Iraq," he said. "These differences should not prevent us from getting our troops the funding they need without withdrawal and without giving our commanders flexibility."

President Bush says the clock is ticking for U.S. troops in the field as the Defense Department will transfer $1.6 billion from other accounts to make up the shortfall. An independent government report last month said the Army has enough money to fund military operations in Iraq through July.

Rep. Harry Reid (16 Feb 2007)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it is not about the money. He says Democrats are holding the president to account for a war that public-opinion polls show a majority of Americans now believe was a mistake.

"Let me be clear," he said. "Democrats are committed to giving our troops the funds they need. The supplemental appropriation bill that we are trying to send to President Bush will provide every dollar our commanders have requested."

President Bush says he will veto any spending bills that include a timetable for withdrawal because that would embolden the enemy.

Close votes in both the House and Senate make it highly unlikely that Democrats could find the two-thirds majority to over-ride that veto.

In a speech to a local chapter of America's largest veterans' association, President Bush said it is irresponsible for Democrats to delay funding for U.S. troops at war.

"Democratic leaders in Congress are bent on using a bill that funds our troops to make a political statement about the war," he said. "They need to do it quickly, and get it to my desk so I can veto it. And then Congress can get down to the business of funding our troops without strings and without further delay."

Reid says Democrats want Iraqi authorities to take greater responsibility for their own security and to force the president to hold them to benchmarks for their performance.

"American troops are putting their lives at risk every single day, but Iraqi leaders are not willing to take the political risk of governing their own country," he said. "That must change. That is what Congress is demanding. That is what the American people by a large majority demand. And the president should be leading us in that direction, not threatening to veto funding for our troops unless we rubber-stamp his flawed plan."

The president invited Congressional leaders from both parties to come to the White House next week to discuss the supplemental funding. Spokeswoman Dana Perino says that is not a negotiation, but a chance for Democrats to explain how they are going to get the president a bill he can sign.

New US Army Chief of Staff Predicts Long Battle Against Terror

By Al Pessin Washington 10 April 2007

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Gen. George Casey

The former coalition commander in Iraq, General George Casey, took over as U.S. Army Chief of Staff at a ceremony rich in tradition Tuesday, during which he predicted that the fight against terrorism will continue for at least a decade. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

The army band and an honor guard performed at the outdoor ceremony Tuesday morning, as the military leadership of the U.S. Army changed hands. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said after a long career, including 30 months in Iraq, General Casey is uniquely qualified for his new job as chief of staff.

"He has seen the face of war in the 21st Century first hand, the complex nature of asymmetric warfare, urban combat, counterinsurgency operations and sustained commitments of a rotational expeditionary army abroad," said Gates. "If George Casey were well qualified to take this position before his tour in Iraq, he is superbly qualified now."

Gen. George Casey turns over command of coalition forces in Iraq to Gen. David Petraeus during a ceremony in the lobby of one of Saddam Hussein's grandest palaces, in Baghdad (File)

General Casey said it will be his responsibility to ensure that the U.S. Army is prepared for the continuing fight against terrorism.

"We are locked today in a war against a global extremist network that is fixed on defeating the United States and destroying our way of life," he said. "This foe will not go away, nor will he give up easily. And the next decade is likely to be one of persistent conflict. We are engaged in a long war."

General Casey said the U.S. Army is prepared to make the "hard sacrifices" needed to win that 'long war.'

The outgoing Army Chief of Staff, General Peter Schoomaker, struck a similar theme, but also said the United States must address terrorism with all its agencies, not just the military.

"I believe that this is the most dangerous period of my lifetime. We're still closer to the beginning than the end of this fight," said General Schoomaker.

The chief of staff of the U.S. Army is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military body in the country, responsible for military policy-making, advising civilian leaders and broad operational issues. The Chiefs, who also head the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, are responsible for recruiting, training and equipping the U.S. military, and providing that force to field commanders around the world.

Suicide Bomber Kills Iraqi Police Recruits

By Margaret Besheer Baghdad 10 April 2007

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Iraqi police say a female suicide bomber attacked a police recruitment center north of Baghdad, killing at least 16 recruits and injuring more than 33 others. Meanwhile, on a visit to Japan, Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, said there is no need to set a timetable for the withdrawal of coalition forces. From Baghdad, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more on the day's developments.

Police say the suicide bomber was a woman, who approached the police recruiting center and then detonated her explosives. The attack took place in Muqdadiya, a mainly Sunni Arab town about 90 kilometers northeast of Baghdad.

There was also violence inside the capital, where security operations are in their eighth week. A bomb exploded near Baghdad University, killing and injuring several people.

Fierce fighting was also reported between U.S. and Iraqi forces and gunmen in the Sunni neighborhood of Fadhil. The U.S. military said two of its helicopters in Baghdad came under small arms fire, but returned safely to base.

The U.S. military also announced the deaths of four more American soldiers killed on Monday. Three died in a roadside bomb blast in Baghdad and the other in the volatile western al-Anbar province. April has been a deadly month for U.S. troops, with nearly 45 killed in the first nine days.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki holds a press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, 10 April 2007

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, says there is no need to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

He told reporters progress on the security situation is being made daily and the Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for it. He said he sees no need for a withdrawal timetable, because the Iraqis are working as fast as they can. He added that what will govern the departure of international forces will be how confident the Iraqis are in the handover process and what accomplishments they make, not a timetable.

Monday, thousands of Iraqis protested the continued presence of U.S. and foreign forces on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The peaceful demonstration, held in the southern Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, was called by anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The cleric is believed to be in hiding in neighboring Iran and did not attend the protest.

While in Tokyo, Mr. Maliki also secured more than $100 billion in loans for reconstruction projects focusing on the oil, agriculture, water and power sectors.

VOASE0410_Health Report

10 April 2007

Looking for Weight-Loss Answers
Many people struggle with losing weight, and keeping it off. But experts say the most successful plans include a well-balanced diet and exercise.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A listener has written from China for advice about how to lose weight. Michael

in Shanghai says he is twenty-six years old and has battled obesity for most of his life.

Doctors say obesity, also known as severe overweight, is a complex condition. A doctor may advise medical interventions in addition to changes in behavior. But experts say the most successful weight-loss plans include a well-balanced diet and exercise.

People who want to avoid weight gain have to balance the number of calories they eat with the number of calories they use. To lose weight, you can reduce the number of calories you take in, or increase the number you use, or both.

Experts at the National Institutes of Health say to lose weight, a person should do an hour of moderate to intensive physical activity most days of the week. This could include fast walking, sports or strength training.

You should also follow a nutritious eating plan and take in fewer calories than your body uses each day.

A recent study looked at four of the most popular dieting plans in the United States. Researchers at Stanford University in California studied more than three hundred overweight women, mostly in their thirties and forties.

Each woman went on one of the four plans: Atkins, The Zone, Ornish or LEARN. The women attended diet classes and received written information about the food plans.

At the end of a year, the women on the Atkins diet had lost the most, more than four and one-half kilograms on average. They also did better on tests including cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Christopher Gardner led the study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He says the Atkins diet may be more successful because of its simple message to lower intake of sugars. Also, he says the advice to increase protein in the diet leads to more satisfying meals.

He says there was not enough money to also study men, but that men would probably have similar results.

But last week, another report suggested that only a small minority of people have long-term success with dieting. The report in the journal American Psychologist was based on thirty-one studies.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, medical school found that most dieters regained their lost weight within five years. And often they gained back even more. But those who kept the weight off generally were the ones who exercised.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I’m Katherine Cole.

VOASE0410_Explorations

10 April 2007

Exploring the Richly Detailed History and Art of Woodworking
Learn about the different methods of working with wood. And meet Phil Brown, a wood turner in Bethesda, Maryland.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Shirley Griffith with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. At a store called

Phil Brown at work turning a bowl on his lathe

Sansar Gallery in Bethesda, Maryland, you might see work by the wood turner Phil Brown. His many wooden bowls and containers have a smooth and modern look.

One tall bowl with a wide opening is made from black cherry wood. It is so perfectly formed it is hard to believe it is handmade. How did Phil Brown make this bowl? We will answer this question as we explore the many artistic traditions of wood.

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VOICE ONE:

People from almost all cultures throughout history have been making objects from wood. Some of the first wooden objects included weapons and tools. Early cultures also learned to make boats, buildings and furniture for the home from this material. However, it is not always easy to say which wooden objects existed during a historical period because they often did not last as long as objects made from clay or metal.

VOICE TWO:

Experts say most current woodworking tools were developed by the beginning of the Bronze Age, about five thousand years ago. These tools include the saw, ax, chisel and drill which are used to cut and shape wood in different ways. The lathe may have been developed as early as two thousand seven hundred years ago.

This tool holds and rotates the wood. As the wood turns, the wood worker uses a sharp tool to slowly and evenly cut pieces from the wood.

VOICE ONE:

There are many methods of woodworking and each culture has its own traditions. Artistic wood creations include architectural decoration on buildings, furniture for the home or even carved animals.

For example, in Thailand, richly detailed carvings from teak and other hard woods are an important part of ancient palaces and religious buildings. Woodcarvers were a very important group of artists. A person needed many years of training with experts to be a wood carver. Wood carvings often include plant forms such as the lotus flower as well as figures taken from Hindu and Buddhist religious stories.

VOICE TWO:

The carvings are very detailed and must be carefully planned. Usually, a carver draws out the patterns and forms on paper. Then the artist cuts holes along the outlines of the design. This paper is placed on the piece of wood then covered with chalk dust.

The white chalk dust goes through the holes in the paper and marks the wood so the carver has a visual guide to begin cutting. Finished woodcarvings are often painted, sometimes with gold to reflect the surrounding light. These expertly made golden carvings give an airy lightness to Thai buildings.

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VOICE ONE:

Some wood working traditions developed more recently. For example, wood artists in

An animal carved by Manuel Jimenez

the state of Oaxaca in Mexico have been carving mask face coverings and toys for hundreds of years. But Manuel Jimenez became one of the most famous carvers in Oaxaca by creating a newer tradition.

In the nineteen fifties, he saw a growing demand for traditional Mexican art that visitors wanted to buy. He decided to experiment with new kinds of wood and forms. He started carving expressive animals such as frogs, coyotes and rabbits out of copal wood.

Soon, his whole family started helping produce these lively, wooden creatures. The Jimenez men carved the creations while the women painted them with bright colors and patterns. Other wood carvers in the area also started making their own kinds of animals. Now, Oaxaca is famous for this special kind of wood art.

VOICE TWO:

Colorful paints are not the only way to finish a wood object. In countries like Japan and China there is a rich tradition of painting wooden bowls, boxes and other objects with lacquer. The first kinds of lacquer were made from resin material taken from special trees. Lacquer paint creates a very hard and smooth surface over the wood and protects it from water. Japanese and Chinese lacquer work is often red or black. Sometimes it can be decorated with pieces of silver or gold metal to create an image.

VOICE ONE:

And, sometimes wood can even decorate wood. Inlay is a way of decorating wood with a pattern or image made out of small pieces of wood. The many small pieces of wood can have different colors or patterns. Some inlay experts in seventeenth century France and Spain added valuable materials like shiny mother-of-pearl or tortoise shell to the detailed wood inlay.

VOICE TWO:

In the United States, the Shaker tradition of furniture making is known for its simplicity of form. The Shakers were a religious community that came to the United States in the eighteenth century from England. They practiced an intense form of spiritual observance and believed strongly in the value of hard work and keeping busy.

An example of a Shaker chair

The Shakers developed their own style of furniture. They designed it very carefully with the idea that making something well was an act of prayer. They made furniture that was as simple and useful as possible because they believed extra details and designs were unnecessary and wrong. But their furniture in its total simplicity became famous for its beauty.

Chairs to sit on are probably the most well known Shaker furniture. The very fine and thin wood pieces give these chairs a clean and graceful look.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Phil Brown is an American artist who creates art with wood in a different way. He lives on a quiet street in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. In his workshop, he turns large pieces of wood into fine containers. Let us meet this expert wood turner whose bowls we talked about earlier and learn how he started his career.

PHIL BROWN:

"I'm Phil Brown. I'm a wood turner. I make bowls out of solid wood. The wood comes from our local trees and I have a shop at my home where I do the work. I've been a wood worker ever since I was a kid. And in the early seventies I wanted to get back to doing some wood work and we saw lots of interesting work in Maine on some trips there and I had a chance to get some apple wood from a friend …what are you going to do with apple wood but maybe turn a bowl out of it. So I bought a used lathe and a book about turning and gradually taught myself to turn a bowl."

VOICE TWO:

A black cherry wood bowl turned by Phil Brown

In the living room of his home Phil Brown has a special area where he shows his finished art. There are bowls of all shapes and sizes. Some are deep and large with reddish brown colored wood. Others are small with yellowish wood that has dark lines and shapes.

Mister Brown can explain exactly where and when he found each tree that he used to make a bowl. And he can show you what all the lines and rings in the wood represent. They are like maps of the tree's life. Some lines are caused by fungus organisms while others show the area where a branch of the tree trunk used to be. But to really understand Mister Brown's wood turning art, you have to visit his workshop downstairs.

VOICE ONE:

The workshop is filled with many tools and machine parts. On one wall there are shelves filled with roughly cut wooden bowls that are drying out. Allowing the wood to dry helps guarantee that it will not change shape later on. Before "turning the bowl thin" Mister Brown puts a layer of epoxy paint material over the roughly cut bowl. This hardens areas of the wood that might be softer or contain fungus. Then, Mister Brown places the bowl on his lathe.

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VOICE TWO:

A bowl made from holly by Phil Brown

The lathe turns the wood quickly. Using a long metal tool called a gouge, Mister Brown slowly cuts away at the wooden form. With great skill he slowly keeps cutting away until the bowl has the right thinness and form.

Then, Mister Brown uses rough sandpaper to smooth the gouge marks in the wood. As the wood becomes smoother, he uses finer and finer kinds of sandpaper. He sometimes fills any holes or cracks with a mixture of epoxy glue, sanding dust, and brown paint. Finished bowls are so smooth and perfect they do not even feel like wood.

VOICE ONE:

Phil Brown shows his beautiful bowls at several fine craft stores and in art shows. He even has a bowl at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Sometimes he sells works directly from his workshop. His turned wood bowls cost hundreds of dollars. Many people have collections of his bowls in their homes.

Mister Brown says he is influenced by the work of sculptors like Henry Moore and Isamu Noguchi. He says he likes to make bowls that have smooth surfaces and that bring out the natural color of wood. His finely made art is a celebration of the life of a tree and the endless possibilities of wood.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m ­­­­­Steve Ember. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

Bush Renews Call for US Immigration Reform

By Paula Wolfson White House 09 April 2007

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President Bush is making a renewed push for big changes in U.S. immigration laws. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports it is one major issue where Mr. Bush believes he can work well with the new Democratic Party majority in Congress.

President George Bush makes remarks on comprehensive immigration reform, 09 Apr 2007, in Yuma, Arizona

The president says now is the time for comprehensive immigration reform.

"This is a matter of national interest and it is a matter of deep conviction for me," he said. "I have been working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to resolve outstanding issues so that Congress can pass a comprehensive bill and I can sign it into law this year."

Mr. Bush spoke in Yuma, Arizona, a town close to the U.S. border with Mexico. It is an area that sees numerous crossings - many of them by illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the United States without getting caught.

The president has said more needs to be done to enhance security on the border. And during his visit - the second to Yuma in less than a year - he saw some of the latest innovations in border enforcement.

He was briefed on the un-manned planes used for aerial surveillance, visited a patrol station, and inspected two layers of fencing recently erected along one segment of the border.

President Bush said enforcement is key.

"Past efforts at reform did not do enough to secure our nation's borders," he said. "As a result, many people have been able to sneak into this country. If you do not man your borders and do not protect your borders, people are going to sneak in and that is what has been happening for a long time."

But the president said enforcement is only part of the answer.

Once again, he stressed the need for a guest worker program, and steps that would enable some illegal immigrants to apply for legal status with strict conditions. Mr. Bush said that will help American employers who have jobs no one else will do, will free up border agents to chase criminals, and will curb abuses by smugglers who ask a high price for passage across the border often under horrific conditions.

"If you want to take the pressure off your border, have a temporary worker program," he said. "It will help reduce not only the number of people coming across the border, but it will do something about the inhumane treatment that these people are subjected to."

President Bush tried and failed to get a comprehensive reform package through Congress in the past legislative session when it was under the control of his Republican Party. It was blocked primarily by conservatives who wanted a focus strictly on tough enforcement measures. They pushed through a bill to fortify the border, which Mr. Bush signed last October.

Democrats have been more open to steps that would help would-be immigrants work in the country legally. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned support among members of her party is not universal. And she has told the president she can not pass comprehensive reform without some Republican votes.

The president told a crowd of border agents and others in Yuma that he remains optimistic.

"We will continue to work with members of both political parties," he said. "I think the atmosphere up there is good right now. I think people generally want to come together and put a good bill together."

But hanging over the debate on immigration is the escalating dispute over funding for the Iraq war.

The dispute has soured relations between the White House and Congress, but Bush administration officials say they believe a good immigration bill is still possible.

A White House spokesman told reporters traveling to Yuma with the president that even though the war dominates the headlines, there is still of a lot of quiet work going on behind the scenes on issues like immigration.

Iran Announces Progress in Nuclear Program

By Gary Thomas Washington 09 April 2007

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks to the media at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, 04 Apr 2007

Iran says it has enhanced its capability to enrich uranium. The announcement sparked quick condemnation from the United States and Europe. But, as VOA Correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Washington, it is not clear just how significant a step it is.

With an atomic symbol superimposed over an Iranian flag as his backdrop, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Iran is capable of enriching uranium on, what he termed, an industrial-level.

But in his announcement, made at the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran, he did not define "industrial-level."

Matthew Bunn, senior researcher at the Managing the Atom Project at Harvard University, says although the statement was vague, the announcement was a clear snub to the U.N. Security Council, which has demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment."

"It is a clear statement of resistance to the Security Council legal requirement that Iran suspend all enrichment activities," he said. "It is a clear statement that they are not going to do that, they are going to move ahead at full speed. What we do not know is how far they have come and how fast they will move forward from here."

The announcement brought swift condemnation from the United States and its European allies. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called it a lost opportunity for Iran to halt its nuclear work and enter negotiations. He said Iran has a credibility problem.

"The problem is with the behavior of the Iranian regime in answering the international system's legitimate questions about its nuclear program," said McCormack. "And quite frankly, we have gotten to the point, now, in the international community where the members of that international community, including the Security Council and the IAEA board of governors do not believe Iranian assurances that their program is peaceful in nature."

The Security Council has imposed limited sanctions on Iran for its nuclear activity. The Security Council and Germany believe Iran is determined to acquire a nuclear weapons capability. Iran denies the charge, saying it is only working to build peaceful nuclear energy for power generation.

Iran has announced a goal of installing 3,000 centrifuges at the Natanz plant. The centrifuges spin at supersonic speed to enrich fuel for nuclear reactors. If Iran has 3,000 operating centrifuges, analysts say it would be a significant step towards building a nuclear bomb.

But Paul Kerr, an analyst at the Arms Control Association, says there is reason to believe Iran's claims of nuclear prowess are exaggerated. He says Iran is believed to currently have only 1,000 operational centrifuges.

"I would say the diplomatic consequences of this are clearer than the technical consequences. And we are just going to have to wait to get some more detail both from the IAEA and from the Iranians," said Kerr. "I think some of their officials, at least in the past, have provided some details about what is going on. So we are really just going to have to wait."

The IAEA, or International Atomic Energy Agency, is due to deliver another report on Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council in late May.

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现在我在找空间上传，我也来学下G宝盘的口吻——

我们正在维护中, 可能还需要几天的时间, 维护的时间比我们预想要长些, 不过我们会加紧工作,争取尽快开通服务. 谢谢大家的耐心和支持.

VOASE0409_Science In the News

09 April 2007

On Its Way to Pluto, Spacecraft Gets a Close Look at Jupiter
Researchers question the usefulness of CT scans in preventing lung cancer deaths. And differences in life expectancy between black and white Americans narrow.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. On our program this week, we will tell about new suggestions for treating heart attack victims. We also tell about a test for lung cancer. But first, we report on new pictures from a far-away planet.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Jupiter's Little Red Spot, seen from 3.5 million kilometers

The New Horizons spacecraft has made some of the most detailed pictures ever taken of the planet Jupiter. Yet the American spacecraft is only passing by the planet. New Horizons is attempting to become the first space vehicle to visit Pluto.

New Horizon's pictures of Jupiter and three of its moons are filled with surprises. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. The planet has a deep, thick atmosphere of clouds made of hydrogen, helium, methane and ammonia.

New Horizons used its Long Range Reconnaissance Imager camera to take pictures of a storm called the Little Red Spot. The pictures will help scientists learn how the storm developed.

VOICE TWO:

New Horizons also made pictures of Jupiter's moon Io. The pictures were taken just as the volcano Tvashtar sent a cloud of dust two hundred ninety kilometers above its surface. At the time, the spacecraft was only two million five hundred thousand kilometers away from the moon.

Scientists say the pictures look like a similar volcanic eruption on Io in nineteen seventy-nine. At that time, the Voyager Two spacecraft captured a picture of the volcano Pele erupting. But New Horizon's pictures of Tvashtar are more detailed.

Another target for the camera was the largest of Jupiter's moons, Ganymede. Pictures show an icy world with ancient dark areas and bright newer areas where space objects struck the surface.

New Horizons also took pictures of Europa, another moon of Jupiter. Europa is believed to have an ocean one hundred kilometers below its frozen surface.

VOICE ONE:

The American space agency launched New Horizons in January of last year. Although smaller than a car, it is the fastest spacecraft ever launched. It has traveled at speeds of over fifty-seven thousand kilometers an hour.

New Horizons is expected to reach Pluto in two thousand fifteen.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other kind of cancer. Smoking is a leading cause of the disease. Signs of lung cancer include chest pain, breathing problems and the sudden expulsion of air from the lungs. The signs may not appear until the disease is fully developed.

Doctors have different ways to find lung cancer. One test is an x-ray imaging process called computed tomography, or CT. A CT test, or scan, can be helpful in finding very small growths on the lung.

Last year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report about CT scans and lung cancer. The report said early discovery of lung cancer with the test followed by an operation could save lives. It estimated that patients whose cancers were found early and then removed had a ten-year survival rate of ninety-two percent.

VOICE ONE:

Now, another report is disputing the findings. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the report. Peter Bach is a lung specialist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He says early CT testing is not only unproven, but can cause great harm to patients. He says some patients died from unnecessary operations. Others suffered heart attacks, infections and even a collapsed lung.

Doctor Bach says CT scans are successful at finding small growths in the lungs. But he says such growths do not always spread quickly or cause serious harm. For that reason, he says, it only seemed in the earlier study that lung cancer deaths were prevented.

VOICE TWO:

Doctor Bach and his team examined information about more than three thousand two hundred people. All of the patients either smoked or were former smokers. They were tested for lung cancer. Doctor Bach says CT scans missed the fast-growing, deadly cancers. He says the tests showed only very small, slow-growing cancers. The CT scans led to a rise in the number of lung cancer operations.

Thirty-eight of the patients died of lung cancer over a five-year period. Doctor Bach says that same number of patients would have died without early CT scans.

Medical experts say the debate on preventing lung cancer deaths through such tests will continue until a larger study is completed.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can save the life of someone whose heart has stopped. The condition is called cardiac arrest. The heart stops pumping blood. The person stops breathing. Without lifesaving measures, the brain starts to die within four to six minutes.

CPR combines breathing into the victim's mouth and repeated presses on the chest. CPR keeps blood and oxygen flowing to the heart and brain.

However, a Japanese study questions the usefulness of mouth-to-mouth breathing. The study was published in the British medical magazine, The Lancet. Doctors in Tokyo examined more than four thousand people who had suffered cardiac arrest. In all the cases, witnesses saw the event happen.

VOICE TWO:

More than one thousand of the victims received some kind of medical assistance from witnesses. Seven hundred and twelve received CPR. Four hundred and thirty-nine received chest presses only. No mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths were given to them.

The researchers say any kind of CPR improved chances of the patient's survival. But, they said those persons treated with only chest presses suffered less brain damage. Twenty-two percent survived with good brain ability. Only ten percent of the victims treated with traditional CPR survived with good brain ability.

VOICE ONE:

The American Heart Association changed its guidance for CPR chest presses in two thousand five. The group said people should increase the number of chest presses from fifteen to thirty for every two breaths given. Gordon Ewy is a heart doctor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. He wrote a report that was published with the study.

Doctor Ewy thinks the CPR guidelines should be changed again. He said the Heart Association should remove rescue breaths from the guidelines. He argues that more witnesses to cardiac arrests would provide treatment if rescue breaths are not a part of CPR. He says this would save lives. Studies show that many people do not want to perform mouth-to-mouth breathing on a stranger for fear of getting a disease.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Life expectancy is the average number of years people are expected to live. In the United States, that average has been increasing since the late eighteen hundreds. But, life expectancy for black Americans has always been lower than that for white Americans. In the nineteen-eighties, the difference in life expectancy rates for blacks and whites increased and later decreased. Until now, these changes had not been explained.

Sam Harper of Canada's McGill University and other researchers decided to investigate. They examined deaths among blacks and whites in the United States between nineteen eighty-three and two thousand three. This meant investigating forty-six million deaths. The results were published in the Journal of American Medicine.

VOICE ONE:

Professor Harper says the study shows that American blacks are living longer. He says their life expectancy is nearly that of whites. In nineteen ninety-three, for example, white men lived an average of eight and one-half years longer than black men. In two thousand three, the difference had narrowed to six and one-half years.

The researchers say the biggest improvement in life expectancy was noted among black males between fifteen and forty nine years of age.

VOICE TWO:

Professor Harper says the changes appear linked to successes in reducing violence linked to the drug crack cocaine. He says increases in the sizes of police forces and economic improvements all appear to have helped young black males live longer.

But, the researcher says additional improvements are needed. He says the disease AIDS and heart disease in African-Americans are also keeping their life expectancy rates less than whites. He says there is also a need to reduce the higher death rates among newborn African-Americans.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Lawan Davis, Mario Ritter and Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0409_Agriculture Report

09 April 2007

Disappearance of Honey Bees a Mystery
Congress hears experts on crisis that could affect billions of dollars in agricultural products and raise food prices.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

What has happened to America's honeybees?

Last fall, beekeepers from states with warm climates began to report a sudden loss of honey bees. Losses were reported in twenty-four states and into Canada. Today, some beekeepers say thirty percent to ninety percent of their honey bees are gone. Food prices could go up as a result.

And some beekeeping businesses have failed.

Many kinds of plants, trees and grasses need bees to pollinate them. Bees gather nectar from flowers during this process. The liquid gives them food and material to make honey. As the bees land on flowers, their bodies pick up and drop off fine particles of pollen. Most flowering plants need pollination to reproduce.

Honey bees can die during the winter. But few dead bees have been found. Instead, the bees seem to have disappeared. Experts call the condition "colony collapse disorder."

Agriculture Department official Caird Rexroad said the collapse threatens about fifteen billion dollars worth of the country's farm economy. Mister Rexroad commented at a hearing of a House of Representatives agriculture subcommittee.

Mister Rexroad said the cause of the sudden loss of bees is not clear. The number of honey bees already had fallen before the colony collapse disorder began.

Experts say the varroa mite is at least partly responsible for the earlier decrease in honeybees. The mite is a tiny creature that feeds on honeybees. It may play a part in colony collapse disorder by carrying bee viruses. Or the problem may be caused by other diseases and weather conditions.

A group of scientists is examining bees from more than one hundred colonies across the country.

The researchers also are studying the pollen, honey, and wax that the bees produce. They are working with the Agriculture Department's Agricultural Research Service.

Diana Cox-Foster of Pennsylvania State University is part of the scientific group. Miz Cox-Foster says the nation needs honeybees that can defend themselves better against disease and insects. The recent mapping of most of the honeybee's genes offers hope of a stronger honeybee some day.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0408_This Is America

08 April 2007

From Bob Marley to Franklin Roosevelt, History in Sound
Some of the 25 newly added recordings to be preserved as part of the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. This week -- some recorded sounds for all time.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., recently added twenty-five sound recordings to its National Recording Registry. Congress established this registry list under a law called the National Recording Preservation Act of Two Thousand.

Recordings are added yearly. They have to be at least ten years old. And they have to be culturally, historically or artistically important.

Members of the public make suggestions online. The library also gathers nominations from experts in music, recorded sound and historic preservation.

VOICE TWO:

The twenty-five new additions chosen by the Librarian of Congress, James Billington, were made between nineteen-oh-four and nineteen eighty-eight. Some are in the library itself. Others are in collections throughout the country. The library is identifying the best existing versions of the recordings. These will be expertly restored, if needed, to protect them for the future.

VOICE ONE:

Rolling Stones

Many of the latest additions to the registry come from popular music. One of them is "Blue Suede Shoes," recorded by Carl Perkins in nineteen fifty-five, a year before the version by Elvis Presley.

Another addition is the nineteen sixty-five hit "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. Also, Paul Simon's nineteen eighty-six album "Graceland," recorded with the South African singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

(MUSIC)

But the list also includes classical pieces like "Il mio tesoro," from "Don Giovanni," sung by tenor John McCormack in nineteen sixteen. And there are spoken word recordings, like one from nineteen sixty by comedian Bob Newhart.

Bob Marley

Social protest is also represented. For example, the album "The Wailers Burnin'" with the reggae singer Bob Marley is from nineteen seventy-three.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

That was "Get Up, Stand Up," from the last album that Bob Marley released under the name "The Wailers."

But let us begin our musical trip back in the nineteen twenties -- the Jazz Age. Jelly Roll Morton was one of the pioneers of jazz. He helped spread its popularity in New Orleans, Chicago and throughout the country.

In this nineteen twenty-six recording, Jelly Roll Morton leads his Red Hot Peppers in "Black Bottom Stomp."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The National Recording Registry honors memorable words as well as music. The latest additions to the list include "The Osage Bank Robbery" from the radio program "The Lone Ranger." The show was heard December seventeenth, nineteen thirty-seven, making it the earliest known recording from that popular series.

VOICE TWO:

Two brothers rob a bank. The criminals try to hide in an old mine. But they should have know that the Lone Ranger would catch them. Listen now as the hero rides off on Silver, his trusty horse.

(SOUND)

"'High-ho Silver! Away!' A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'High-ho Silver!' The Lone Ranger!"

VOICE ONE:

President Roosevelt gives his "Day of Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress, December 8, 1941

Another new addition to the registry is a speech by President Franklin Roosevelt to Congress. Roosevelt was asking Congress for permission to declare war. He made the speech the day after the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

(SOUND)

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT: "Yesterday, December seventh, nineteen forty-one, a date which will live in infamy, the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the empire of Japan."

VOICE TWO:

World War Two ended in nineteen forty-five.

The years after the war became a time of economic growth in the United States. Many people moved out of big cities and into newly developed suburban communities. Birth rates increased. It became known as the Baby Boom.

The nineteen fifties are remembered as a time when lots of Americans were happy with their lives. But not everyone was.

Allen Ginsberg was a poet but also a social activist. Problems like poverty and inequality angered him. In a nineteen fifty-nine recording, he reads from the opening lines of his most famous poem, "Howl."

ALLEN GINSBERG: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked "

(SOUND)

VOICE ONE:

Social activism is also the message of several songs among the newest additions to the National Recording Registry. Fighting racial injustice is the theme of "We Shall Overcome."

Yet Pete Seeger wrote the song as a labor protest. In the first version, he used the line "I shall overcome." But later he changed the word "I" to "we." The song became a theme for the civil rights movement.

Here is Pete Seeger performing "We Shall Overcome" during his concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in June of nineteen sixty-three. People in the audience are singing along.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Some people think the greatest singer of the twentieth century was Sarah Vaughan. Her nineteen seventy-three album "Live in Japan" is now added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

We leave you with Sarah Vaughan singing "Over the Rainbow."

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Library of Congress now has two hundred twenty-five recordings listed in its National Recording Registry. And the library is currently accepting nominations for the two thousand seven registry. The library says it must receive suggestions by July first to be considered for the list.

For a link to the Library of Congress Web site, go to voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts and audio archives of our programs.

VOICE TWO:

Our show was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Shirley Griffith with Steve Ember. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.

VOASE0408_Development Report

08 April 2007

Judging African Leaders by Good Governance
The Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership will be announced in October.

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim believes there is nothing more important for Africa than good leadership. Mister Ibrahim has created the world’s richest prize, worth five million dollars over ten years. The winner also will receive two hundred thousand dollars every year for life. An additional two hundred thousand dollars a year will be made available for good causes supported by the winner.

The Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership will be awarded for the first time in October. Former heads of state and government from African countries south of the Sahara Desert will be considered. Candidates must have left office in the past three years and have shown good political leadership.

Mo Ibrahim (left) meeting with Kofi Annan in Geneva, Switzerland, April 2, 2007

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will lead the committee that will choose the winner. The committee will examine research from a special rating system. The Ibrahim Index for African Governance will measure national progress in several areas. They include economic and social development, peace and security, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The index was developed at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Kofi Annan says good governance is the single most important way to end poverty and support development. He says the idea behind the Mo Ibrahim prize is to produce better leadership and governance in Africa. In a similar way, the Nobel Prize has supported scientists to excel in medicine, physics, chemistry and other areas.

Mister Ibrahim says the prize is not meant to reform dishonest leaders, nor will it end corruption in Africa. And, he says the prize may not be given every year. If no excellent candidate is identified, Mister Ibrahim says the money will be used for other important causes. These include leadership programs or financial assistance for African students.

Mo Ibrahim says he can think of no better way to spend his money than to invest in Africa's future. The Sudanese billionaire started a mobile phone business, Celtel International, nine years ago. It is now one of Africa’s most successful companies.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. You can read scripts and download audio of Special English programs at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Bob Doughty.