VOASE0712_Economics Report

12 July 2007

The Value of Teaching About Money
Young people increasingly need skills in budgeting, saving and investing money.

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Personal finance is an increasingly complex world. There are more ways to invest money, more ways to save it -- and more ways to lose it. Yet many people are more strangers to this world than they might like to admit.

In the United States, there are growing calls to do more to help young people learn skills in financial literacy. Some efforts begin in high school. But more and more information is available on the Internet, not only for young people but also for adults. The goal is to teach about budgeting, saving, investing and using money.

The United States Financial Literacy and Education Commission was established in two thousand three. This government group supervises financial education efforts through nineteen federal agencies.

Information on financial literacy and education can be found at its Web site. The address is MyMoney.gov. It includes links to agencies that deal with banking, buying a home, investing and other areas.

The National Council on Economic Education has found that seventeen states now require high school students to take a class in economics. This number has grown from thirteen in nineteen ninety-eight.

As of three years ago, half of all states required students to take a class in personal finance. Yet that number has fallen, from twenty-five to twenty-two.

The National Council on Economic Education sells textbooks for grades four through twelve. It also offers free materials for teachers. The information is available at ncee.net.

Teachers say parents also need to play a larger part in educating their children about money. A recent study found that seventy percent of college students said they received financial advice mainly from their parents.

Investment companies also offer information. Charles Schwab, for example, has a Web site to help parents teach their kids about money and investing. The address is SchwabMoneyWise.com.

One of the first tastes of financial independence that many young people get is through summer jobs. Junior Achievement is an organization that teaches young people about finance and business. It says almost three-fourths of young people questioned said they planned to have a summer job.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about economics, and download transcripts and audio archives of our reports, at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0712_American Mosaic

12 July 2007

Pull of the 'Big Draw' Brings Drawing and Architecture Alive
A listener in Colombia asks about the Great Lakes. And the music of singer and songwriter Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Faith Lapidus. On our show this week:

We answer a question from a listener about the Great Lakes…

Play music by Bright Eyes…

And report about an event called "The Big Draw."

The Big Draw

HOST:

For more than thirty years, David Macaulay has been creating books about the way buildings are made. His clear and simple architectural drawings have explained the complex mechanics of buildings to generations of readers. Mister Macaulay recently visited the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., for an event called “The Big Draw.” Steve Ember has more.

STEVE EMBER:

David Macaulay

“The Big Draw” started in Britain as a campaign to get people of all ages across the country to draw. “The Big Draw” had its first event in the United States last month at the National Building Museum. There were many events for children and families. Children could have their faces painted or have a drawing lesson from art educators. But the main event was David Macaulay.

He drew architectural forms on a long piece of paper that was laid out on the floor. Children and adults could add their own drawings to it. This community drawing will hang in the museum for everyone to see.

David Macaulay also gave a drawing demonstration. He sat in the large hall of the museum and slowly drew the room around him. A video projected his large piece of paper on a screen so that everyone in the room could watch. Mister Macaulay said that he is a teacher above all else. He said he likes to write and draw about things he finds interesting and does not know a lot about.

His books have taught many people about drawing and architecture. David Macaulay’s first book, “Cathedral,” came out in nineteen seventy-three. He describes in simple language how people in the thirteenth century built a Christian religious building. He explains everything from the tools they used to the way they made the tall windows.

In his book “Unbuilding” he explains how the Empire State Building in New York City could be taken apart and rebuilt. In two thousand three Mister Macaulay published “Mosque.” It tells how an Islamic religious building was made in sixteenth century Turkey. The book explores the architectural details of a mosque as well as its important social role. David Macaulay’s next book will be about the human body and how it works.

The Great Lakes

HOST:

Our VOA Listener question this week comes from Colombia. Jack Ramirez asks about the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes

The five bodies of water known as the Great Lakes are on or near the border between the United States and Canada. Lake Superior holds the most water. Lake Erie holds the least. Lake Michigan is the only one located totally within the United States. The other two are Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. The five Great Lakes are the largest group of fresh water lakes on Earth. Together, they contain about twenty percent of the fresh water in the world. There are about thirty-five thousand islands in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes control much of the weather on the land that surrounds them. In the winter, moisture picked up by winds produces large amounts of snow, especially in the states of Michigan, Ohio and New York.

The lakes also cool the air in the summer, then slowly move the heat over the area in the fall. This makes the area good for producing grapes for wine. The lakes supply drinking water to millions of people living in both the United States and Canada. In the past, industry used the Great Lakes to move products such as iron, coal, stone, grain and salt. But the amount of shipping on the lakes has decreased. Newer, larger ships are too wide for the lakes. But small boats take visitors to many of the islands for vacations.

The United States and Canada work together to improve conditions in the Great Lakes area. Officials are now working to change a treaty about ways to slow or stop the effects of climate change. They say that less ice formation over the lakes in recent years has caused lower water levels.

The areas around the lakes report environmental conditions at a conference every two years. The last one took place in November of last year. The conference report said some conditions are improving while others are worsening. For example, it reported progress in reducing air pollution, but said some poisons in the air are still a concern. It also said some native plants are decreasing while more than three hundred kinds of non-native fish continue to invade the lakes.

Bright Eyes

HOST:

Bright Eyes is a band whose main singer and songwriter is twenty-seven-year-old Conor Oberst. This musician from the state of Nebraska has been making records since he was seventeen years old. The songs on his latest album “Cassadaga” deal with religion, war and love as well as personal stories. Mario Ritter has more.

MARIO RITTER:

Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes

The album was named for Cassadaga, a community in the state of Florida. For more than one hundred years, people have lived in this place to worship together. Conor Oberst uses his music to explore his own beliefs.

Here is the song “I Must Belong Somewhere." Conor Oberst sings about how every person and thing seems to have a place in the world.

(MUSIC)

Conor Oberst may be young, but he has already made more than six records. In two thousand five alone Bright Eyes came out with two records. By two thousand six the singer was tired and cancelled his performance tour to have time to rest and think. “Cassadaga” is the product of this time off.

Critics say that the music of Bright Eyes seems to be growing up. Some have even compared Oberst’s musical skills to the famous American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan. Here is the song “Classic Cars.” It tells about a man who falls in love with an older woman.

(MUSIC)

We leave you with another love song. “Make a Plan to Love Me” tells about a man who wants the busy woman he loves to make more time for him. He notes that life is short and they should be together now.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Faith Lapidus. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Dana Demange and Nancy Steinbach. Caty Weaver was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

Former US First Lady Lady Bird Johnson Dies

By Greg Flakus Houston 12 July 2007

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Former First Lady and environment champion Lady Bird Johnson has died at her home in Texas. The widow of President Lyndon Johnson was 94 and had been in failing health for some time. VOA's Greg Flakus has more about this remarkable woman in this report from our Houston bureau.

Lady Bird Johnson (2002 photo)

Although she came to prominence as the wife of a president, Lady Bird Johnson was regarded as a woman of great influence in her own right. She was a strong advocate for such programs as Headstart, to help underprivileged children succeed in school, and environmental protection. As first lady, she started a program of highway beautification that eliminated billboards from some stretches of federal roadways.

She was born Claudia Alta Taylor and acquired the nickname Lady Bird at birth when a nurse described the infant as pretty as a lady bird. She was considered shy while growing up in the small east-Texas town of Karnack, but she blossomed when she attended the University of Texas in Austin. That is where she met then congressional aide Lyndon Johnson, who proposed to her on their second date as Mrs. Johnson later recalled in a TV interview. "I think we both knew that we were better together than we were, or would be, apart," she said.

Mrs. Johnson helped her husband both morally and financially in his first run for Congress and was at his side in 1960 as he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. He lost that to Massachusetts senator John F Kennedy, who later asked him to run with him in the vice presidential position. Kennedy won the election and Johnson became vice president. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and Mr. Johnson was thrust into the White House. Lady Bird had now become first lady of a land in mourning.

During her time in Washington, Lady Bird Johnson became known as a strong woman with southern charm and a genteel manner. As first lady she developed her own office within the White House, with two news media representatives to help her champion her causes with the public.

President Johnson chose not to run for re-election in 1968, amid growing discord over the Vietnam war. After he left office in January, 1969, he and Lady Bird retired to his family ranch in the Texas hill country, west of Austin.

After President Lyndon Johnson died in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued her advocacy of environmental projects and helped establish a wildflower center in Austin that bears her name.

Lady Bird Johnson is survived by her two daughters, Lynda Bird Robb, wife of former Virginia Senator Chuck Robb, and Luci Baines Turpin, as well as seven grandchildren.

US Food Safety Official: China Takes Problem Seriously

By Stephanie Ho Washington 11 July 2007

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The top U.S. food safety official says he believes the Chinese government is serious about improving the quality of its food products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's David Acheson spoke Wednesday following a series of scandals involving tainted products from China. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.

The safety of a wide range of Chinese products is global headline news these days.

Patients in Panama died from poisonous ingredients in medicines made in China. In the United States, American consumers have contended with tainted pet food, contaminated toothpaste and a U.S. government alert on imports of seafood products from China.

Head of China's food and drug agency, Zheng Xiaoyu, executed for taking bribes (March 4, 2003 photo)

On Tuesday, China executed the head of the its food and drug agency. He was accused of taking bribes to certify fake and substandard drugs.

In an interview in Washington Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's David Acheson says the move shows that Beijing does take the issue of contaminated food and drugs seriously.

"But simply executing somebody typically isn't going to solve the problem," he said. "They [problems] are typically more complex than that. I do not believe it is one person who has messed up here. It is an infrastructure struggle."

This view is supported by Jeffrey Bader, director of the Brookings Institution's China Institute. He says the Chinese government lacks a system of transparency, which has proven to be an obstacle for U.S. officials trying to get more information about contaminated or unsafe products that come from China.

"And the experience of the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture], the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], the U.S. embassy, was pretty similar - that they get essentially no response, or opacity, from the [Chinese] authorities and from the manufacturers," said Bader. "And, now that China is fully integrated into the global production chain, that is not satisfactory."

China Wednesday announced strict new food and drug safety measures that call for the country's estimated 450,000 uncertified food producing operations to be certified by 2012.

The Food and Drug Administration's Acheson says Beijing will have a difficult time regulating so many producers, especially since most of them are small and employ fewer than 10 people. But he said he is convinced China has its own incentives to address the problem.

"They want to fix it," he said. "I think they want to fix it. I mean, what's the driver? I'm sure for China, they're looking at it from an economic perspective, as much as anything else."

Acheson said U.S. concern for the safety of food imports from China is not new. He added that food safety problems are not unique to China and stressed that the U.S. government is not singling out the Asian nation for special attention.

US Senate Republican Opposition to Bush Strategy in Iraq Continues to Grow

By Deborah Tate Capitol Hill 11 July 2007

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U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe is the latest Senate Republican to break with President Bush on his strategy in Iraq. She is cosponsoring legislation calling for a withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by April of next year. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Olympia Snowe (2006 photo)

Senator Snowe, a Maine Republican, says she is backing the legislation because Iraqi leaders have failed to make the necessary compromises toward establishing a unity government.

Under the measure, which has been proposed as an amendment to a defense policy bill, U.S. troops would begin pulling out of Iraq within 120 days.

Several other Republicans have said they would support the measure, including Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on its version of the legislation on Thursday.

Harry Reid (16 Feb 2007)

The Senate's top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, hopes that growing Republican opposition to the unpopular war will help force a change in strategy in Iraq. He is using the defense bill as a vehicle for that change.

"This Department of Defense authorization bill and the amendments that will be offered to it are the next chance we have to chart a responsible new course out of Iraq," he said.

But it remains to be seen whether enough Republicans back the proposed timeline for a troop withdrawal.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, echoing comments made by President Bush a day earlier, urged lawmakers to wait to assess the war until they receive a briefing from the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, in September.

"We should wait for that assessment before rushing to judgment," he said.

McConnell and other Republican leaders are vowing to try to block anti-war amendments from coming to a vote.

On Wednesday, they successfully blocked an amendment sponsored by Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, which called for requiring active-duty troops to spend as much time at home as they do on deployments. Currently, Army soldiers who deploy for 15 months get just 12 months at home.

UN Chief Says Darfur Remains his Highest Priority

By Sonja Pace London 11 July 2007

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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says stopping the killing and finding a political solution in the Darfur region of Sudan remain his highest priorities. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London, the U.N. chief has been meeting with Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair.

Ban Ki-moon at London's Chatham House, 11 Jul 2007

Speaking at London's prestigious Chatham House research center, U.N. chief, Ban Ki-moon described the humanitarian crisis in Darfur as "devastating," and said the world can no longer accept further delays in the peace process.

"The tragic cycle of violence has been allowed to continue for too long," he said. "I think the people in Darfur have suffered too much. The international community has waited too long."

After increasing international pressure, the Sudanese government last month agreed to allow a combined 20,000-strong peacekeeping force, made up of the U.N. and the African Union, into Darfur. Mr. Ban said this was progress.

Condoleezza Rice

Speaking in Washington Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned, however, that the Khartoum government must not be allowed to continue playing what she called a cat and mouse game over ending the violence.

It is estimated that some 200,000 people have died in Darfur's ethnic and political conflict since 2003.

In London, Mr. Ban also met with the new Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair. Mr. Blair has been named the representative of the Middle East Quartet, which is made up of the United States, the European Union, the U.N. and Russia.

Mr. Ban said there is widespread concern about the Palestinian factional fighting and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. He also expressed concern over the divisive political situation in Lebanon and the ongoing violence in Iraq. And he issued a warning.

"However [much] military action may be effective, there is always a limitation unless they are accompanied by political dialogue and reconciliation amongst themselves," he said.

Mr. Ban cited a number of other global issues the U.N. is dealing with, including North Korea, Iran and terrorism. And he cited another problem that, he said, concerns all of mankind - climate change.

"I'm convinced that this challenge and what we do about it will define us, our era and ultimately our global legacy," said Ban.

Mr. Ban cautioned that the U.N. cannot be everywhere and cannot provide all the answers, but he said it can provide a forum for finding solutions.

VOASE0711_Education Report

11 July 2007

Students Do Not Always Like Being Told What to Wear (Duh!)
A look at clothing policies in American schools.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Students in uniform at a Texas middle school

A listener in Fukuoka, Japan, Shinji Abe, would like to know about school uniform policies in the United States.

American schoolchildren often wear uniforms if they attend religious or other private schools. Most public schools do not require uniforms. But over the last ten years or so, more of them have moved in that direction, including high schools.

Students may have to wear a specially purchased uniform. Or they may just have to dress alike -- for example, white shirts and dark colored pants or skirts.

Even schools that do not require uniforms generally have a dress code or other rules about what they consider acceptable. Policies commonly ban clothing that shows offensive images or words, or simply too much skin. Items like hats may be restricted because, for example, different colors may be connected with violent gangs.

Some parents like the idea of uniforms. Some say it means they do not have to spend as much on clothing for their kids. Others, though, argue that uniforms represent an unnecessary cost. There are also debates about whether uniforms or other dress policies violate civil rights.

Students and parents have taken legal action against school dress requirements. Just last week, a judge blocked a middle school in Napa, California, from enforcing a dress code unless families have a way out of it.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California brought the case for the families of several students who were punished. Most attention centered on a girl who wore socks with the Tigger character from Winnie the Pooh.

The school said its clothing policy, including no pictures of any kind, was needed to control a growing problem with gangs. The families argued that the policy violated free speech rights as guaranteed by the United States and California constitutions.

The United States Supreme Court says student expression is protected as long as it does not harm the work and discipline of a school.

Americans value individual freedom. But some educators believe dressing alike helps improve student learning. They believe that uniforms help create a sense of unity and reduce the risk of fights. They also say uniforms make it easier for security reasons to tell if someone belongs at the school or not.

But just how effective are school uniform policies? Studies have found mixed results. That will be our subject next week.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0711_The Making of a Nation

11 July 2007

US History: George Herbert Walker Bush Is Elected President in 1988
For a time after the party conventions, it appeared that a majority of Americans would vote for Michael Dukakis. But then he began to lose popularity. Bush succeeded in making him look weak on crime and defense.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE TWO:

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

(MUSIC)

Today, we tell the story about the presidential election of nineteen eighty-eight.

VOICE ONE:

America's fortieth president, Ronald Reagan, was one of the most popular. During his eight years in office, many Americans did well financially. Many felt more secure about the future of the nation and the world. The threat of nuclear war did not seem so strong or frightening.

American law does not permit presidents to serve more than two terms. So, in nineteen eighty-eight, the country prepared to elect a new one.

VOICE TWO:

There were three main candidates for the Republican Party nomination. They were George Bush, Robert Dole, and Pat Robertson. Bush had just served eight years as vice-president. Dole was the top Republican in the Senate. Robertson was a very conservative Christian who had a nation-wide television program.

George Bush gained from Ronald Reagan's popularity. Reagan's successes were seen as Bush's successes, too. Neither Robert Dole nor Pat Robertson won enough votes in local primary elections to threaten Bush. He was nominated on the first vote at the party convention. The delegates accepted his choice for vice president, Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana.

VOICE ONE:

Eight candidates competed for the Democratic Party's nomination. One was Michael Dukakis. He was governor of Massachusetts. Another was Jesse Jackson. He was a Protestant clergyman and a long-time human rights activist. He had competed for the nomination four years earlier.

In nineteen eighty-eight, Jesse Jackson received about twenty-five percent of the votes in local primary elections. But he did not win his party's nomination. Delegates at the convention chose Governor Dukakis, instead. For vice president, they chose Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Vice President Bush debates Michael Dukakis

For a time after the party conventions, public opinion studies showed that a majority of Americans would vote for Dukakis. Then, however, Dukakis began to lose popularity. Political observers said he campaigned too long in his home area before starting the national campaign.

Dukakis also suffered from criticism from George Bush. Bush attacked his record as governor. He said Dukakis had not been severe enough with criminals. He said Dukakis would weaken America’s military power and he accused Dukakis of not protecting the environment.

VOICE ONE:

Governor Dukakis made charges of his own. He accused Bush of not telling the truth about his part in what was called the Iran-Contra case. He said Bush knew that the government had sold weapons to Iran in exchange for Iran's support in winning the release of American hostages in Lebanon. And he said Bush knew that the money received for the weapons was being used illegally to aid Contra rebels in Nicaragua. He also criticized Bush for being part of an administration that reduced social services to poor people and old people.

VOICE TWO:

Television played a large part in the campaign of nineteen eighty-eight. Each candidate made a number of short television films. Some of these political advertisements were strong, bitter attacks on the other candidate. Sometimes it seemed the candidates spent as much time on negative campaign advertisements as they did on advertisements that made themselves look good.

In the end, Bush's campaign was more effective. He succeeded in making Dukakis look weak on crime and military issues. He succeeded in making himself look stronger and more decisive.

On Election Day in November, Bush defeated Dukakis by almost seven million popular votes.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

George Herbert Walker Bush is sworn into office. His wife, Barbara, is beside him.

George Bush was sworn-in on January twentieth, nineteen eighty-nine. In his inaugural speech he said:

BUSH: "No president, no government can teach us to remember what is best in what we are. But if the man you have chosen to lead this government can help make a difference, if he can celebrate the quieter, deeper successes that are made -- not of gold and silk, but of better hearts and finer souls -- if he can do these things, then he must ... We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world. My friends, we have work to do."

VOICE TWO:

George Bush had led a life that prepared him for public service and leadership. His father had served as a United States senator.

When America entered World War Two, George decided to join the Navy. He became a pilot of bomber planes. He was just eighteen years old -- at that time the youngest pilot the Navy ever had. He fought against the Japanese in the Pacific battle area. He completed many dangerous bombing raids. He was shot down once and was rescued by an American submarine.

VOICE ONE:

George came home from the war as a hero. He became a university student and got married. He and his wife, Barbara, then moved to Texas where he worked in the oil business. He ran for the United States Senate in nineteen sixty-four, and lost. Two years later, he was elected to the House of Representatives.

He ran for the Senate again in nineteen seventy, and lost again. But by that time, he had gained recognition. Over the next eight years, he was appointed to a series of government positions. He was ambassador to the United Nations. He was chairman of the Republican National Committee. He was America's representative in China before the two countries had diplomatic relations. And he was head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen eighty, Bush competed against Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination for president. He lost. But the party chose him to be its vice presidential candidate. Bush gained more power in the position than many earlier vice presidents. After two terms, he felt ready to lead the nation.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The new president took seven foreign trips during his first year in office. Observers said his visit to Europe in the spring was especially successful. President Bush met with the leaders of the other countries in NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He proposed a major agreement on reducing troops and non-nuclear weapons in Europe. The Soviet Union called this proposal a serious and important step in the right direction.

VOICE TWO:

In June, the government of China crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing. President Bush ordered some restrictions against China to protest the situation. Many critics, however, felt that this action was not strong enough.

Unlike in China, communist governments in central and eastern Europe were not able to prevent the coming of democracy. Since nineteen eighty-seven, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had permitted members of the Warsaw Alliance to experiment with political and economic reforms. Reforms were not enough, however. One after the other, these countries rejected communism. Communist governments were removed from office in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

VOICE ONE:

In the middle of the summer, President Bush visited Hungary and Poland. Both nations were trying to reform their economies. Both were suffering from severe problems as they changed from a centrally controlled economy to an economy controlled by free market forces. President Bush promised America's advice and financial help. For almost fifty years, the United States had led the struggle against communism around the world. Now, many of its former enemies needed help.

VOICE TWO:

In the autumn of nineteen eighty-nine, there was a dramatic expression of the changes taking place in the world.

On November ninth, East Germany opened the wall that had divided it from the West since nineteen sixty-one. Within days, citizens and soldiers began tearing it down. The fall of the Berlin Wall ended almost fifty years of fear and tension between democratic nations and the Soviet Union. All over the world, people renewed their hopes and dreams of living in peace. And former enemies looked to the United States to lead the way.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

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

Russia Mulls EU Peacekeeping Proposal for Palestinian Territories

By Peter Fedynsky Moscow 10 July 2007

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Russia says it is prepared to consider a proposal by a group of European Union foreign ministers to send peacekeepers to the Palestinian territories. The Moscow response comes as Russian citizens evacuated from recent violence in Gaza returned home. VOA correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report from the Russian capital.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin told Ekho Moskvy Radio in Moscow that his country is prepared to consider a European Union proposal to send peacekeepers into the Palestinian territories. But Kamynin added that it would be impossible to develop the proposal without the approval of the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

Russia, along with the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, is a member of the Quartet on the Middle East, whose goal is to mediate the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The proposal for peacekeepers was made by 10 foreign ministers from the EU's Mediterranean countries during a meeting in Slovenia last week. They published it in the French newspaper Le Monde as an open letter to new Middle East envoy Tony Blair. The peacekeeping proposal was initially advanced by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

Retired Russian General Leonid Ivashov, 10 July 2007

Speaking at a Moscow news conference, retired Russian General Leonid Ivashov, former information director for the Russian Army General Staff, said the population density in the Palestinian territories makes it unlikely that Israel can maintain peace in Gaza through military force.

Ivashov, now a military analyst, says Israeli actions in Gaza will mostly likely consist of police and special forces operations. He says army units would only be used for support, to make precision strikes or in blocking actions.

Russian evacuees from Gaza arrive at Domodedevo Airport in Moscow, 10 July 2007

Meanwhile, 22 Russian, Ukrainian, and Kazakh citizens evacuated from Gaza this week arrived in Moscow Tuesday sharing impressions of the fighting between Hamas and Fatah factions. Sarah, an 18-year-old Russian student, returned home with a deep sense of relief.

Sarah says it was "very frightening. Everybody worried about what would happen, would it be war, or what? It was very frightening, but for us it's over."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was in the Palestinian territories in late June. He met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his trip and underscored the need for agreement among Palestinians themselves.

Bush Says His Iraq Policy Needs More Time to Work

By Paula Wolfson White House 10 July 2007

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President Bush is urging Congress and the American people to give his Iraq policy time to work - this as a new poll shows opposition to the war remains high. We have more on the story from VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson.

Days before the president is due to send an interim report on Iraq to Congress, he made an appeal for patience.

"I fully understand as we are watching the violence on TV every night, people are saying: 'Is it worth it? Can we accomplish an objective?' Well, first I want to tell you yes, we can accomplish and win this fight in Iraq. And secondly, I want to tell you we must," he said.

President Bush speaks during his visit to GrafTech International Ltd. in Parma, Ohio, 10 July 2007

During an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Bush urged Congress to look beyond the interim report, which is due on Capitol Hill by Sunday, July 15. He said lawmakers should wait until September, when the U.S. Commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, issues his final report on the situation following the deployment of 30,000 additional troops.

"I believe that it is in this nation's interest to give the commander a chance to fully implement his operations," he said. "And I believe Congress ought to wait for General Petraeus to come back and give an assessment of the strategy that he is putting in place before they make any decisions."

But many members of the House and Senate are running out of patience. They are attaching amendments dealing with the Iraq war to legislation making its way through Congress that authorizes defense spending.

Sen. Carl Levin, (l), discusses legislation to change course of the war in Iraq during a news conference on Capitol Hill, 10 July 2007

Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wants a firm timetable for a draw-down of U.S. troops.

"Without setting a date to begin a phased reduction of troops and a phased redeployment of troops there is much too little pressure on the Iraqi leaders to do what only they can do: which is to work out a political settlement," he said.

Republican leaders in the Senate have vowed to block the Levin amendment. But a growing number of Republican Senators have doubts about the president's strategy.

Perhaps the most prominent is Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. He stunned Washington with a recent speech on the Senate floor in which he questioned the president's war policy and spoke about the split the unpopular conflict has created in the Congress and in America.

Senator Richard Lugar (file photo)

"Unless we recalibrate our strategy in Iraq to fit our domestic political conditions and the broader needs of United States national security, we risk foreign policy failures that could greatly diminish our influence in the region and the world," he said.

All this comes as a new poll shows more than 70 percent of Americans favor removing almost all U.S. troops from Iraq by April.

The poll by the USA Today newspaper and the Gallup polling organization surveyed more than one thousand Americans last weekend. The poll also puts the president's approval rating at 29 percent.

VOASE0710_Health Report

10 July 2007

The ABCs of Allergies
A brief explanation of allergic reactions and the treatments available.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

An allergy is an unusually strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen. Trees usually produce pollen in the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall as part of their reproductive process.

Other causes include organisms such as dust mites and molds. Chemicals, plants and dead skin particles from dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some foods.

The most common kind of allergic reaction is itchy, watery eyes and a blocked or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-threatening -- for example, when breathing passages become blocked.

Avoiding whatever causes an allergy may not always be easy. Antihistamine drugs may offer an effective treatment. Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy. A patient is injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance to the allergen.

In the United States, experts estimate that up to four percent of adults and up to eight percent of young children have food allergies. Every year these allergies cause about thirty thousand cases of anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that requires immediate treatment.

It can result in trouble breathing and in some cases death. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says one hundred to two hundred people die. It says most of the reactions are caused by peanuts and tree nuts such as walnuts.

People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says about five to ten percent of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In other words, a person's immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The most common reactions include skin rashes, itching, breathing problems and swelling in areas such as the face.

But the academy estimates that allergic reactions to drugs cause one hundred six thousand deaths each year in the United States alone. It says antibiotics such as penicillin are among the drugs more likely than others to produce allergic reactions. So are anticonvulsants and hormones such as insulin. Other kinds include some anesthesia medicines, vaccines and biotechnology-produced proteins.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Mario Ritter and Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0710_Explorations

10 July 2007

New Seven Wonders of the World Are Announced After Voting Campaign
And the winners are: Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, Petra, the Colosseum and the Taj Mahal.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Two thousand five hundred years ago, the Greek historian Herodotus is believed to have made a list of what he thought were the most extraordinary structures in the world. His list became known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. People all over the world recently voted to create a new list. Join us as we explore the New Seven Wonders of the World.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

There was nothing wrong with the list of ancient wonders that Herodotus made. The list included places such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in what is now Iraq. This was a huge system of gardens with trees and flowers. The Colossus of Rhodes is also on the list. It was a thirty-seven meter tall metal statue of the Greek sun god Helios. The statue was built on the Greek island of Rhodes.

VOICE TWO:

But this wondrous list only included structures near the Mediterranean Sea. This was the only area of the world known to the ancient Greeks. Only one of the seven places still exists today. The Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt were built about four thousand five hundred years ago as a burial place for an ancient ruler. For thousands of years, they were the tallest structures in the world.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Swiss explorer Bernard Weber decided the list of seven wonders needed updating. But he says he did not want one person to decide on the new list. He wanted everyone to vote for the world's cultural treasures. He knew that with the modern technologies of the Internet and cell phones everyone in the world could vote.

In two thousand one Mister Weber started an organization called the New Seven Wonders Foundation. He later invited people around the world to vote on places they thought belonged on the new list. A group of building experts later reduced the list to twenty-one places. These experts included Japanese architect Tadao Ando and Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid.

VOICE TWO:

From two thousand six until last Friday, people around the world voted on their favorite places by using the Internet and cell phones. The group says it received about one hundred million votes. But the group admits it did not check for repeat voting. The results were announced on July seventh in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. Here is the new list of world wonders.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a temple city built by the Mayans over one thousand years ago in what is now Mexico. Its name means “at the mouth of the well of the Itza people.” The many large stone structures at Chichen Itza were built during different periods with different styles. One holy building is a triangular shaped step pyramid called the Temple of Kukulcan. This huge structure has a staircase on each of the four sides that leads to the religious altar at the top. There are many other temples and even a large court area where the Mayans played ball games.

VOICE TWO:

Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer is a large religious statue on a hill overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Catholic religious leaders in the city started planning the project in the nineteen twenties. This thirty-eight meter statue of Jesus was completed in nineteen thirty-one. It is made of concrete and soapstone materials. Christ the Redeemer was designed by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and the French sculptor Paul Landowski.

VOICE ONE:

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the largest building projects ever carried out. This wall extends for over seven thousand kilometers and was built to defend against foreign invaders. The oldest parts of the wall were built over two thousand six hundred years ago. More recent parts were built about five hundred years ago. The ruler Qin Shi Huang Ti created the first unified China about two thousand two hundred years ago. This ruler connected the many different parts of the wall into one huge system.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Machu Picchu

The ancient ruins of Machu Picchu sit high in the Andes Mountains of what is now Peru, eighty kilometers northeast of Cuzco. Experts believe the many stone buildings were built around the middle of the fifteenth century by the Incan ruler Pachacutec Yupanqui. The buildings include homes, burial places, religious centers, storage areas, and watch towers. In one area is the famous Intihuatana, or the “Hitching Post of the Sun.” This ancient stone sun clock shows astronomical events such as the spring and fall equinox when night and day are equal length. Experts do not know the exact role of the ancient city of Machu Picchu. It might have been built for ceremonial reasons or as a home for the Incan ruler.

VOICE ONE:

Petra was another ancient city built about two thousand years ago in what is now

Petra

Jordan. It was the capital of ancient Nabataea and was famous for its trade industry and water engineering systems. The area is also famous for the beautiful buildings carved into huge walls of solid red sandstone rock. "Petra” means rock in Greek. The monuments, burial places and religious buildings at Petra combine ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian styles of building. One of the most well known buildings is called al-Khazneh which is Arabic for “the treasury.” The building was really a burial place for a ruling family. But long ago some people falsely believed treasures were stored inside.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

The Colosseum

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy was built about two thousand years ago by the Flavian rulers. This huge circular stone and concrete building could hold about fifty thousand people. For hundreds of years, people gathered there to watch games. They included fights between professional gladiator soldiers and naval battles between ships. Each of the first three levels of the Colosseum has eighty large rounded arch openings. The Colosseum was badly damaged over the centuries by a fire and a series of earthquakes. Starting in the thirteenth century, fallen stones from the Colosseum were taken to be used for other building projects. But the building has since been carefully repaired. The circular form of this building has influenced many modern sports buildings.

VOICE ONE:

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India was built by the Mogul ruler Shah Jahan in the

The Taj Mahal

seventeenth century. The building is famous for its beautiful white marble surface inlaid with small pieces of colorful stones. It is also a symbol of Shah Jahan’s love for his wife. He built this monument as a burial place for her. She is said to have asked him to build a monument in her memory. More than twenty thousand workers built the Taj Mahal. It beautifully combines the styles of Indian, Persian and Islamic building.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Fourteen other buildings did not make the list of the new seven wonders of the world. These include Angkor Wat in Cambodia; the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. They also include the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia; the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

This new list of wonders has its critics. The Egyptian antiquities expert Zahi Hawass says the list has no value because masses of people do not write history. The Egyptian government expressed its anger when the New Seven Wonders voting began. Egypt believed its pyramids should not need to be voted on since they have always been listed as a world wonder. The New Seven Wonders group gave the pyramids an honorary position on the list. So there are actually now eight wonders of the world.

VOICE ONE:

The United Nation’s cultural program UNESCO released a statement on the subject this week. UNESCO made it very clear that it had no link with the New Seven Wonders group. The statement says Bernard Weber wanted to work with UNESCO, but the group refused. UNESCO has said its goal is to protect places of cultural value and simply making a new list does not help their aim.

UNESCO added that the new list of wonders shows the opinions of some people who have Internet and not the opinion of the entire world.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Steve Ember. You can see pictures of these world wonders at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts and audio archives of our programs. Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English.

这个月来的晚了些。。。

6月合辑制作完毕，包括2007年6月的全部内容，Words and Their Stories的内容也收录其中。
源的地址（需安装 eMule，复制到地址栏）是：
ed2k://|file|VOASE0706.iso|335904768|A5AC0D832269F81984713311A39AC3FD|h=7BZMKHYHTIZHEFOYSROO3KSTXOGT6QUT|/

可能下载贴很快就会给VeryCD贴出来，还在老地方
http://lib.verycd.com/2007/02/07/0000138789.html

注意我换了Server 现在多数时间是在 BiG BanG 3 > Razorback > DonkeyServer No2

很抱歉，这次的合辑发布晚了点，都是为了等VOA官网迟迟没有刊登的几期Words and Their Stories，既然是做合辑，等到了也觉得圆满了，我强迫症又犯了。。。