VOASE0301_Education Report

01 March 2007

Studying in the US: Rules About Alcohol
Policies on college drinking are the subject of Part 26 of our Foreign Student Series.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

The legal age for drinking alcohol in the United States is twenty-one. Underage drinking is a crime but also a common part of college social life. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we look at alcohol policies at American colleges and universities.

Never too young: A drunk-driving accident is acted out at a high school north of Los Angeles as part of alcohol education efforts

These policies differ from school to school, as do enforcement efforts. But many schools have been moving to strengthen their rules.

The United States has more than seventeen million students in higher education. Each year, one thousand seven hundred of them age eighteen to twenty-four die from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries.

Six hundred thousand more are injured while under the influence of alcohol. And almost seven hundred thousand are attacked by another student who has been drinking.

These numbers, from a two thousand five report, are on a government Web site: collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

One behavior that college officials are trying to prevent is binge drinking, having four or five drinks or more in a short period of time. Some researchers have found that students who think binge drinking is normal often overestimate how much other students really drink. A person can die of alcohol poisoning.

At the University of Oklahoma, new policies went into effect after a nineteen-year-old student died in two thousand four. He had been drinking heavily at a fraternity party.

Now alcohol is banned from all fraternity and sorority houses and university housing. Student organizations can serve alcohol at events but only on Friday and Saturday nights. And they must provide for transportation to and from off-campus parties. Other new requirements include an alcohol education program that first-year students take online.

The policies govern behavior on campus and off. With a first violation, students pay seventy-five dollars and their parents are told. They must also take an alcohol education class. For a second "strike," they have to pay one hundred fifty dollars. A third strike means a suspension for at least one semester.

Since January of two thousand five, six hundred thirty-three students have had a first strike. Thirty have had a second strike -- and one has been suspended. An official at Oklahoma tells us the aim is not just to punish but to change behavior and the culture at the university.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Transcripts and audio files of our Foreign Student Series are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

Italian Government Survives Confidence Vote by Slim Margin

By Sabina Castelfranco Rome 28 February 2007

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Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi won a confidence vote in the Senate on Wednesday, exactly one week after he submitted his resignation. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome for VOA that the vote ensured the survival of his nine-month-old center-left government, at least for the moment.

Senate speaker Franco Marini read out the result of the much-waited confidence vote. He said there were 320 senators who were present in the upper house for the vote. The majority needed was 160 and the result of the vote was 162 votes in favor and 157 against.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi after winning a confidence vote in the Senate

The government of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi survived the vote, which had been in question right until the very end. Prodi resigned last week after a defeat in the Senate on the government's foreign policy.

Following consultations with the country's party leaders, the Italian president had asked Mr. Prodi to stay on and put his Cabinet to new confidence votes in parliament. On Friday, the prime minister will submit his nine-month government to a vote in the lower house, where he has a comfortable majority.

Pointing to Mr. Prodi's two vote margin of victory in the Senate, many opposition leaders say the government will not be able to stay afloat for long.

Electoral law in Italy favors broad coalitions, such as Mr. Prodi's bickering Catholic-to-communist alliance, rather than strong majorities. The law is widely blamed for the country's political instability, which has given Italy 61 governments since World War II. Mr. Prodi has promised electoral reform if confirmed in his job.

Mr. Prodi said before the vote that there was general agreement that the electoral law must be changed - that an electoral law must be found that would guarantee governance in Italy.

The government's five-year mandate expires in 2011 but its future stability, with such a tiny majority in the Senate, is doubtful.

In a sign of the continuing difficulties facing Mr. Prodi, some coalition senators said Wednesday that while they supported the government in the confidence vote, they continued to be opposed to the country's military presence in Afghanistan and would vote against an upcoming measure to refinance the mission there.

US Investigator Says Iraqis Steadily Taking Over Reconstruction

By Gary Thomas Washington 28 February 2007

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Last month the U.S. Special Inspector-General for Iraq Reconstruction issued a blistering report on waste and abuse in U.S.-funded reconstruction programs in Iraq. Speaking to VOA, Stuart Bowen now says improved mechanisms are in place to monitor how money is being spent as the burden for reconstruction shifts from the United States to the Iraqi government. VOA Correspondent Gary Thomas talked to the investigator.

Stuart Bowen (Jan 2007 photo)

Speaking to VOA by telephone from Baghdad, Special Inspector-General Stuart Bowen says the time has come for Iraq to shoulder the financial burden of its reconstruction.

"The theme, and why this theme is such an important watershed moment, is that it marks the end of the phase wherein the United States will bear the preponderant financial burden for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq," said Stuart Bowen. "That burden has now in earnest shifted to the Iraqis and the Iraqi government."

Congress created a $21-billion Iraq Reconstruction Fund in 2003, but those funds have all been used. Bowen says the United States will continue to have a financial role to play in Iraq, but it will be along more traditional lines.

"It signals the evolution, the beginning of the evolution, of the U.S. role in Iraq to a support role, and it will continue to evolve into a traditional relief and support role," he said. "But I call the current phase 'foreign aid plus-plus,' which means there is still a significant and continuing role for the United States to play in financially and otherwise supporting Iraq."

At the end of January, Bowen's office issued a report that outlined cases of corruption and waste in reconstruction programs, including among some U.S. contractors. Some cases are under examination by the U.S. Justice Department for possible criminal charges.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came under grueling examination Tuesday from senators on the Appropriations Committee about wasteful spending in Iraq. Rice admitted there had been what she termed problems with some contractors, but denied there has been widespread abuse of U.S. reconstruction funds.

"In terms of the funding that was provided by the Congress under the Iraqi Reconstruction Fund, I think that there have been some problems with some particular contracts; a particular contract, for instance, for health clinics and health services," said Condoleezza Rice. "But I do not believe that there has been a claim of widespread - of abuse of the funding that was provided under the IRF [Iraq Reconstruction Fund]."

Bowen said he found in this, his 15th trip to Iraq, that new both U.S. and Iraqi mechanisms are in place to try bring corruption under control and transparency to contracting.

Bowen adds that, under Congressional mandate, his office will soon begin a detailed, year-long audit of all reconstruction programs.

"A forensic audit is really a stem to stern review of the capital investment in Iraq, namely, the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund," he said. "That will answer a lot of the questions that many have about what was wasted and what worked."

The Inspector-General report also said the security situation has greatly hampered reconstruction efforts, especially in Baghdad, and caused some reconstruction funds to be redirected to security issues. Electricity in the capital, for example, remained at pre-war levels in the last quarter of the year.

Bowen says power facilities are under constant attack, and crews who might repair them are in great danger.

"Infrastructure security is a problem," noted Stuart Bowen. "The Baghdad ring, as it is called, the electric lines and towers that provide electricity to the capital city, has been subject over the last nine to 12 months to incessant attacks."

The Bush Administration has asked for an additional $1.2 billion for reconstruction and expects the international community to step into the financial breach. But Bowen said the response has been disappointing, with $13 billion in reconstruction aid pledged by donor countries, but only $3 billion received.

US: No Direct Talks with Iran, Syria at Iraq Meetings

By Paula Wolfson White House 28 February 2007

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The Bush administration says there will be no direct talks with representatives of Iran and Syria at two upcoming conferences on Iraq. VOA's Paula Wolfson has details at the White House.

The White House has been under pressure in recent months to hold bilateral negotiations with both Iran and Syria on Iraq and other issues.

Tony Snow

Officials from Washington, Tehran and Damascus are all expected to take part in conferences on Iraq. But even though they will be in the same room, White House Spokesman Tony Snow says he expects no direct discussions on the sidelines.

"There will not be bilateral talks between the United States and Iran or the United States and Syria within the context of these meetings," said Tony Snow. "These are organized by the Iraqis and these are on issues that are pertinent to Iraq."

At a briefing for White House reporters, Snow said the decision to attend the two Iraqi conferences does not mean there has been a shift in Bush administration policy. And he noted that this is not the first time that the three countries have all attended a multilateral meeting.

The United States has diplomatic relations with Syria, although ties have been strained by what the Bush administration sees as Syrian meddling in Lebanon and unwillingness to take strong action to stop foreign fighters from crossing its border into Iraq.

The U.S. severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979, and the Bush administration has made clear any improvement is contingent on a decision by Tehran to end its nuclear enrichment program.

Snow said that position has not changed.

"It is important that people understand that this administration is serious when it comes to the Iranians about a precondition for bilateral negotiations and also for diplomatic relations, which is they can't be working toward a nuclear weapon," he said.

Snow stressed the United States has long supported the idea of an international conference organized by the Iraqi government. An initial meeting of envoys from world and regional powers will be held in Baghdad on March 10. A follow-up gathering at the ministerial level is expected to take place in the first half of April somewhere in the region.

VOASE0228_The Making of a Nation

28 February 2007

History Series: A Freeze Hits US-Soviet Relations After World War Two
The Cold War was a major force in world politics during much of the 20th century.

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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 tell about the period known as the Cold War.

VOICE ONE:

The Cold War began after World War Two. The main enemies were the United States and the Soviet Union.

The Cold War got its name because both sides were afraid of fighting each other directly. In such a "hot war," nuclear weapons might destroy everything. So, instead, they fought each other indirectly. They supported conflicts in different parts of the world. They also used words as weapons. They threatened and denounced each other. Or they tried to make each other look foolish.

VOICE TWO:

Over the years, leaders on both sides changed. Yet the Cold War continued. It was the major force in world politics for most of the second half of the twentieth century.

Historians disagree about how long the Cold War lasted. Some believe it ended when the United States and the Soviet Union improved relations during the nineteen sixties and early nineteen seventies. Others believe it ended when the Berlin Wall was torn down in nineteen eighty-nine.

VOICE ONE:

The Cold War world was separated into three groups. The United States led the West. This group included countries with democratic political systems. The Soviet Union led the East. This group included countries with communist political systems. The Non-Aligned group included countries that did not want to be tied to either the West or the East.

Harry Truman

VOICE TWO:

Harry Truman was the first American president to fight the Cold War. He used several policies. One was the Truman Doctrine. This was a plan to give money and military aid to countries threatened by communism. The Truman Doctrine effectively stopped communists from taking control of Greece and Turkey.

Another policy was the Marshall Plan. This strengthened the economies and governments of countries in Western Europe.

VOICE ONE:

C-47s unloading at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.

A major event in the Cold War was the Berlin Airlift. In June nineteen forty-eight, the Soviets blocked all ways into the western part of Berlin, Germany. President Truman quickly ordered military planes to fly coal, food, and medicine to the city.

The planes kept coming, sometimes landing every few minutes, for more than a year. The United States received help from Britain and France. Together, they provided almost two and one-half million tons of supplies on about two hundred-eighty thousand flights.

VOICE TWO:

The United States also led the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in nineteen forty-nine. NATO was a joint military group. Its purpose was to defend against Soviet forces in Europe. The first members of NATO were Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States.

The Soviet Union and its east European allies formed their own joint military group -- the Warsaw Pact -- six years later.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen fifty-three, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin died. His death gave the new American president, Dwight Eisenhower, a chance to deal with new Soviet leaders.

In July, nineteen fifty-five, Eisenhower and Nikolai Bulganin met in Geneva, Switzerland. The leaders of Britain and France also attended.

Eisenhower proposed that the Americans and Soviets agree to let their military bases be inspected by air by the other side. The Soviets later rejected the proposal. Yet the meeting in Geneva was not considered a failure. After all, the leaders of the world's most powerful nations had shaken hands.

VOICE TWO:

Cold War tensions increased, then eased, then increased again over the years. The changes came as both sides actively tried to influence political and economic developments around the world.

For example, the Soviet Union provided military, economic, and technical aid to communist governments in Asia. The United States then helped eight Asian nations fight communism by establishing the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

In the middle nineteen fifties, the United States began sending military advisers to help south Vietnam defend itself against communist North Vietnam. That aid would later expand into a long and bloody period of American involvement in Vietnam.

VOICE ONE:

The Cold War also affected the Middle East. In the nineteen fifties, both East and West offered aid to Egypt to build the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. The West cancelled its offer, however, after Egypt bought weapons from the communist government of Czechoslovakia.

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser then seized control of the company that operated the Suez Canal. A few months later, Israel invaded Egypt. France and Britain joined the invasion.

VOICE TWO:

For once, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed on a major issue. Both supported a United Nations resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The Suez crisis was a political victory for the Soviets. When the Soviet Union supported Egypt, it gained new friends in the Arab world.

VOICE ONE:

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, left, with President Dwight Eisenhower

In nineteen fifty-nine, Cold War tensions eased a little. The new Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, visited Dwight Eisenhower at his holiday home near Washington. The meeting was very friendly. But the next year, relations got worse again.

An American military plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Eisenhower admitted that such planes had been spying on the Soviets for four years. In a speech at the United Nations, Khrushchev got so angry that he took off his shoe and beat it on a table.

VOICE TWO:

John Kennedy followed Eisenhower as president in nineteen sixty-one. During his early days in office, Cuban exiles invaded Cuba. They wanted to oust the communist government of Fidel Castro. The exiles had been trained by America's Central Intelligence Agency. The United States failed to send military planes to protect them during the invasion. As a result, almost all were killed or taken prisoner.

In Europe, tens of thousands of East Germans had fled to the West. East Germany's communist government decided to stop them. It built a wall separating the eastern and western parts of the city of Berlin. Guards shot at anyone who tried to flee by climbing over.

VOICE ONE:

During Kennedy's second year in office, American intelligence reports discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba. The Soviet Union denied they were there. American photographs proved they were.

The Cuban missile crisis easily could have resulted in a nuclear war. But it ended after a week. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles if the United States agreed not to interfere in Cuba.

VOICE TWO:

Some progress was made in easing Cold War tensions when Kennedy was president. In nineteen sixty-three, the two sides reached a major arms control agreement. They agreed to ban tests of nuclear weapons above ground, under water, and in space. They also established a direct telephone line between the White House and the Kremlin.

Relations between East and West also improved when Richard Nixon was president. He and Leonid Brezhnev met several times. They reached several arms control agreements. One reduced the number of missiles used to shoot down enemy nuclear weapons. It also banned the testing and deployment of long-distance missiles for five years.

VOICE ONE:

A major change in the Cold War took place in nineteen eighty-five. That is when Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev held four meetings with President Ronald Reagan. He withdrew Soviet forces from Afghanistan. And he signed an agreement with the United States to destroy all middle-distance and short-distance nuclear missiles.

VOICE TWO:

By nineteen eighty-nine, there was widespread unrest in eastern Europe. Gorbachev did not intervene as these countries cut their ties with the Soviet Union.

The Berlin Wall, the major symbol of communist oppression, was torn down in November. In less than a year, East and West Germany became one nation again. A few months after that, the Warsaw Pact was dissolved. The Cold War was over.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

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

VOICE TWO:

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

Man Accused of Spying for Israel Returns to Egyptian Court

By Leslie Boctor Cairo 28 February 2007

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An Egyptian Canadian man accused of spying for Israel appeared in an Egyptian court where he denied many of the allegations that have swirled around the unusual case. Leslie Boctor has more for VOA from Cairo.

Mohamed Essam Ghoneim El Attar flashes the victory sign while being escorted to speak with State Court Judge Sayed al-Gohari (R) during his second day in court in Cairo, 28 Feb 2007

From his heavily guarded prison cage, Mohamed El Attar shouted his innocence to the judge, and told journalists that a police officer had beaten and used electric shocks on him while in solitary confinement for four weeks and forced him to drink his own urine.

El Attar has been charged with spying on behalf of Israel, but the court proceedings focused heavily on his denial that he is a convert to Christianity or a homosexual. Shaking his head vigorously, El Attar denied he had converted to Christianity, as he previously confessed, saying that he is a believing Muslim.

The trial of Mohamad El Attar has come to be referred to as simply "el Ghesous il ginz", or the sex spy. But today at his second court appearance, El Attar denied the strange allegations surrounding his case, including those of homosexuality.

Egyptian authorities have charged Mohamad El Attar with working as a low-level agent for Israeli intelligence while living in Canada and Turkey. The 300-page court file outlines a confession that El Attar has now said he was coerced into giving.

His confession states that he had sought asylum in 2003 in Canada on the basis of his homosexuality. He claimed to have converted from Islam to Christianity. He said that he used his position at a Toronto bank to track financial transactions within the Arab community, and had recruited 20 Arab Canadians to work for Israeli intelligence.

The lively court proceedings were repeatedly interrupted by journalists and the accused shouting out questions and commentary to the judge. At one point during the proceedings, the judge asked him to approach the bench to inspect his ears to determine if one of them was pierced, and declared there was no pierced ear.

His last lawyer, who dropped the case after the first court appearance, said that when he visited El Attar in prison, he had dyed red hair and was wearing an earring. He also stated El Attar had been cut off by his family because of the charges brought against him.

Current El Attar lawyer, Ibrahim Bassoyouni, said that his family had not abandoned him and had been visiting him in jail. He said that El Attar had originally pleaded guilty to the charges because of the advice of his first lawyer and that he told Bassoyouni his alleged testimony was false.

"Mohamad El Attar told me the reports of his confession that were attributed to him during his interrogation were not true and that he did not say any of the claims that were being made in his name," Bassoyouni said.

Bassyouni also added he was confident El Attar would be found innocent. El Attar was arrested in Cairo at the beginning of January while on a trip to visit his family.

Egyptian police have also issued warrants for three Israelis who have been charged as part of the alleged spy ring. The Egyptian authorities said El-Attar came to Canada in 2003 with the help of his Israeli handlers.

Iran, Sudan Hold Talks in Khartoum

By Cathy Majtenyi Nairobi 28 February 2007

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in Sudan for two days of meetings with his Sudanese counterpart and other officials. The talks are expected to cover the situation in Darfur, Iran's controversial nuclear program, and economic and cultural projects between the two countries. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir, right, chats with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad before their talks in Khartoum, 28 Feb 2007

Ministry of Information advisor Rabie Abdul Atti tells VOA that discussions on Darfur and Iran's nuclear program are expected to top the agenda Mr. Ahmadinejad's visit.

Atti says Iran may also offer support to the cash strapped African Union troops who are in Darfur to monitor a ceasefire between the government and a rebel group.

"What will be discussed between the two presidents will be, I think, the help that Iran provides to Sudan - financial help - to ensure security and to resolve this crisis in Darfur, and to assist and support [the] Sudan government in the humanitarian issues: the return of the displaced to their villages, and also to establish security in the area that is witnessing conflicts between the rebels and the government," he said.

Regarding Iran's nuclear program, Atti says President Bashir will likely encourage his counterpart to pursue peaceful ends.

"I think the stance of Sudan regarding nuclear projects is very clear: that nuclear projects should be used only for peaceful means and not to be used for destructive weapons. I think that Sudan will boost Iran in this direction and not in the direction of making nuclear projects for manufacturing destructive weapons," he said.

Both Iran and Sudan are being heavily criticized by the United Nations Security Council and others in the West: Iran for its uranium enrichment program; and Sudan for its failure to stop the bloodshed in Darfur, which is considered one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis and one the United States has labeled genocide.

The U.N. Security Council is discussing expanding its sanctions on Iran for it's nuclear program.

Sudan has resisted efforts to allow a United Nations peacekeeping force to enter Darfur, where the four-year-old conflict has killed some 200,000 people and displaced more than two million, arguing that such a move would undermine Sudan's sovereignty.

Sudan is also resisting efforts by the International Criminal Court to find and prosecute people suspected of committing war crimes in the volatile area. The court named two suspects Tuesday, but the Sudanese government vowed not to hand them over.

The Iranian president is scheduled to be in Sudan for two days.

Ministry of Information advisor Atti says the two countries are expected to review past agreements and discuss new projects in the areas of agriculture, electricity, gas, and others.

VOASE0227_Health Report

27 February 2007

Circumcision May Lower Men's HIV Risk by More Than First Reported
New results show that circumcised men could lower their risk of infection by as much as 60 percent.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

In December, we told you about two important studies of circumcision and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Scientists had reported that circumcised men in Africa reduced their risk of HIV infection from sex with women by about half.

Now, researchers are saying the reduction in risk may be greater than that.

The studies took place in Kenya and Uganda. The National Institutes of Health in the United States halted the work early. Officials said the results were so clear, it would have been wrong not to offer circumcision to all the men in the study groups.

Last week, the British medical magazine The Lancet published the final results of the two studies. The report also included findings from another study that took place earlier in South Africa. The researchers say the new results showed that circumcision could lower a man's HIV risk by as much as sixty percent.

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the penis. Researchers have noted that HIV rates are generally lower in areas of the world where circumcision is common in babies or young boys. This fact alone does not prove anything. The studies were an attempt to confirm a direct link between circumcision and a reduced risk of HIV.

But how might circumcision reduce the risk? The experts at the National Institutes of Health say no one knows for sure, but there are several theories.

First, defensive cells on the surface of the foreskin may be less able to resist an attack by HIV than other cells. Also, the foreskin may serve as a barrier that prevents expulsion of HIV. And the environment of the foreskin may provide good conditions for the virus to spread.

Health experts involved in the studies say they hope circumcision will become one of the basic ways to fight AIDS. But they say it may be difficult to get men to have it done, especially if circumcision conflicts with their cultural beliefs. Other issues are cost and the availability of high-quality medical care. Since HIV can be passed through blood, unclean medical conditions might spread the virus.

Health experts also warn that while circumcision may reduce the risk of HIV, it does not offer complete protection.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. Our reports are online at voaspecialenglish.com and our e-mail address is special@voanews.com. Please be sure to include your name and country. I'm Mario Ritter.

VOASE0227_Explorations

27 February 2007

Hoover Dam: Controlling the Colorado River and Sending Power to Millions
The dam was the largest and most difficult structure of its kind when work started in 1931.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about Hoover Dam.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Our report today about Hoover Dam must begin with the Colorado River. This river made the dam necessary. The Colorado River begins high in the Rocky Mountains. It begins slowly, during the dark months of winter. Heavy snow falls on the Rocky Mountains.

The snow is so deep in some areas that it will stay on the ground well into the hot days of summer. But the snow does melt. Ice cold water travels down the mountains and forms several rivers -- the Gila River, the Green River, the Little Colorado, the San Juan, the Virgin and the Gunnison Rivers. These rivers link together and form the beginnings of the Colorado River. The Colorado River flows through, or provides water for, the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. Then it crosses the border into Mexico.

VOICE TWO:

The Colorado River has always been extremely powerful. The river created the huge Grand Canyon. The violent water cut hundreds of meters deep into the desert floor of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is proof of the power of this great river.

The Grand Canyon was cut into the desert floor beginning thousands of years ago. But the power of this river has been demonstrated in more modern times.

Between nineteen-oh-five and nineteen-oh-seven, the Colorado River caused great amounts of flooding in parts of Arizona and California. Huge amounts of water ran into a low area in the dry, waterless desert that had once been an ancient lake. In two years of flooding, the Colorado River filled the ancient lake. That lake is called the Salton Sea. Today, it is about fifty-six kilometers long by twenty-five kilometers wide. It is even larger in years of heavy rain.

VOICE ONE:

The flooding that created the Salton Sea also flooded homes, towns and farming areas. Many people were forced to flee their homes. Government leaders knew they had to do something to prevent such floods in the future. In nineteen eighteen, a man named Arthur Davis proposed building a dam to control the Colorado River. Mister Davis was a government engineer. He said the dam should be built in an area called Boulder Canyon on the border between the states of Arizona and Nevada.

VOICE TWO:

Building the dam would not be a simple matter. The people of seven states and the people of Mexico needed and used the water of the Colorado River. Much of that area is desert land. Water is extremely important. Without water from the Colorado River, farming is not possible. Without water, life in the desert is not possible.

On November twenty-fourth, nineteen twenty-two, officials signed a document in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That document is called the Colorado River Compact. The document tells how the seven states would share the water of the Colorado River. It was agreed this could be more easily done with the aid of a dam. Later an agreement was signed with Mexico to supply it with water from the Colorado River.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The area chosen for the dam was called Black Canyon. The walls of Black Canyon rise almost two hundred forty-three meters above the river. An ancient volcano formed the rock in Black Canyon. Engineers decided the rock would provide a good strong support for the proposed dam.

However, the area also presented problems. The nearest railroad was sixty kilometers away. There was no electric power. And, in the summer, the temperature in the desert in Black Canyon could reach as high as forty-eight degrees Celsius.

A great deal of work was done before operations started on the dam. Workers built a town called Boulder City to house employees working on the dam. They built a large road from Boulder City to the area of the dam. They built a railroad from a main line in Las Vegas, Nevada to Boulder City. They built another railroad from Boulder City to the dam area. And they built a three hundred fifty kilometer power line from San Bernadino, California. This provided electric power to the area where the dam was being built.

VOICE TWO:

The work on the dam began in April of nineteen thirty-one. Workers called “high scalers” were some of the first to begin building the dam. They were suspended from ropes as they used heavy air-powered hammers to break any loose rock away from the face of the canyon walls. When they could not use hammers, they used dynamite. One high scaler became very famous. His name was Arnold Parks. He caught another worker who had fallen off the top of the canyon.

Mister Parks held the worker to the wall of the canyon until others came to help. Today, visitors can see a statue of the men who worked as high scalers to build Hoover Dam.

The high scalers worked on the sides of the canyon. Other workers dug huge tunnels deep in the floor of the canyon. This was done to permit the Colorado River to flow away from the construction area. This had to be done so the floor of the dam could be built.

On June sixth, nineteen thirty-three, workers poured the first load of a building material called concrete. Men in two special factories worked day and night to make the concrete building material for the dam.

Huge equipment moved millions of tons of rock and sand. In the summer months, the terrible desert heat slowed the work but did not stop it. Men who worked at night on the dam suffered less, but the heat was still as high as thirty degrees Celsius.

VOICE ONE:

Slowly the great dam began to rise from the floor of the canyon. From the canyon floor it reaches two hundred twenty-one meters high. Workers poured the last of the concrete on May twenty-ninth, nineteen thirty-five. They had used almost four million cubic meters of concrete in the dam. Workers also used more than twenty million kilograms of steel to strengthen the concrete in the dam.

VOICE TWO:

The work was dangerous for the more than five thousand men who worked on the structure. The extreme temperatures, falling objects and heavy equipment caused accidents. The workers were provided with medical care and two emergency vehicles to take them to a new hospital in Boulder City. However, ninety-six men lost their lives during the building of the great dam.

The companies building the dam had been given seven years to complete the work. They did it in only five. The dam was finished on March first, nineteen thirty-six.

Other work now began. This work would make the dam into one of the largest producers of electric power ever built. The dam was built to control the powerful Colorado River. But it was also meant to use the river to produce large amounts of electric power.

Today, seventeen huge machines use the river’s power to produce electric power. The states of Arizona and Nevada share the power. So do many cities in California, including Los Angeles, Burbank, and Pasadena.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

When the Hoover Dam was finished in nineteen thirty-six, it was the largest dam in the world. It was also the tallest. And it was the largest power producer that used water power to make electricity. Today this is no longer true. Taller dams, larger dams and a few that produce more power have been created. But Hoover Dam is still a huge and interesting place.

Visitors to Hoover Dam drive on a small road that passes Lake Mead. They enter a special visitors' center to learn about the dam and the men who built it. They ride high-speed elevators that go deep inside the dam. They see the huge machines that produce electric power.

Many visitors say they thought the name of the huge structure was Boulder Dam. They are told that Hoover Dam is often called Boulder Dam. However, it is named after former President Herbert Hoover.

Before he was president, Mister Hoover worked for many years to make the construction of the dam possible. It was officially named to honor him in nineteen forty-seven.

Visitors leave the great dam with an understanding of how difficult the project was. They learn that it still safely controls the great Colorado River. And it also provides water and electric power to millions of people in the American southwest.

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced by Mario Ritter. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program in VOA Special English.

Scorsese, 'The Departed', Earn Key Oscars

By Mike O'Sullivan Los Angeles 26 February 2007

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Veteran director Martin Scorsese and his crime tale The Departed were big winners at the 79th annual Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, California. The drama won four of the movie industry honors. Mike O'Sullivan reports, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker earned key acting awards.

Best Director winner, Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese was named best director for The Departed, a crime thriller set in Boston. The Departed also earned the key Oscar for best picture, and awards for its adapted screenplay and film editing.

Scorsese was a six-time directing nominee, but this was his first Oscar. He was favored to win this year, but seemed surprised.

"Thank you. Please, please. Thank you, thank you. Could you double check the envelope?" Scorsese said.

Best Actress winner, Helen Miren

Helen Mirren was named best actress for her role as Britain's Queen Elizabeth in The Queen. The film looks at the royal family after the death of Princess Diana.

Accepting the award, Mirren paid tribute to the woman she emulated.

"And I salute her courage and her consistency, and I thank her because if it wasn't for her, I most certainly would not be here. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Queen!" she said.

Best Actor winner, Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was named best actor for his role as Idi Amin, the former Ugandan dictator, in The Last King of Scotland.

The actor said he has come a long way since his youth in rural Texas and inner-city Los Angeles.

"It is possible for a kid from East Texas raised in South-Central L.A. and Carson who believes in his dreams, commits himself to them with his heart, to touch them and have them happen," Whitaker said.

Best Supporting Actress winner, Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson was named best supporting actress for her role as a rhythm and blues singer in the musical Dreamgirls. The Chicago native found fame on the talent show American Idol. Like Whitaker, Hudson is African American, and said she had opportunities denied to her grandmother, who was her inspiration.

"She was a singer and she had the passion for it, but she never had the chance," she said. "And that was the thing that pushed me forward to continue."

Alan Arkin received the Oscar for best supporting actor for the comedy Little Miss Sunshine. The film also won an award for its original screenplay.

The documentary An Inconvenient Truth earned an Oscar for its producers. The film features former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and focuses on his crusade against global warming. Gore said the issue of climate warming is a moral, not a political, issue.

"People all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It is not a political issue, it is a moral issue," Gore said. "We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That is a renewable resource. Let us renew it."

Pan's Labyrinth, a fantasy from Mexico won three Oscars, for its art direction, makeup and cinematography. But the Oscar for best foreign-language picture went to a German film called The Lives of Others.

Israeli Troops Continue Raids in West Bank

By Robert Berger Jerusalem 26 February 2007

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A major Israeli raid in the West Bank town of Nablus is in its second day. One armed Palestinian has been killed. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel describes the operation as a counter-terrorism measure, while the Palestinians say it is a provocation that raises regional tensions.

Israeli soldiers stand in an alley during a military operation in the West Bank town of Nablus, 26 Feb 2007

Hundreds of Israeli troops are conducting house to house searches in the West Bank town of Nablus. The raid is focusing on the densely populated alleyways of the Casbah or Old City.

There have been sporadic exchanges of fire between soldiers and Palestinians militants. The army says it is searching for seven top fugitives, wanted for planning suicide bombings and other attacks.

Troops broke into transmissions of local radio and TV stations, and broadcast the names of the men, all residents of the Casbah.

Some 50,000 Palestinians are under curfew.

A Nablus resident said Israeli troops have taken over many homes and buildings, causing enormous suffering to the people.

During the searches, soldiers uncovered two bomb factories, and from Israel's point of view, that is sufficient justification for the raid.

Israeli spokeswoman Miri Eisen said, "We have to give security; we have to give defense for all of our Israeli citizens."

Palestinian officials say the incursion harms efforts by moderate President Mahmoud Abbas to revive peace talks with Israel. But Israel says that until Mr. Abbas curbs terrorism, there is little hope of advancing the peace process.

VOASE0227_Science In the News

27 February 2007

Polar Research to Look for Answers About Climate Change and the Environment
Scientists prepare for explorations during the International Polar Year. Also, the Virgin Earth Challenge. How hypothermia kills. And the risk of heart disease from air pollution.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

Crabeater seals lying on the ice in Paradise Bay, Antarctica, in a 2005 photo

And I'm Faith Lapidus. This week, an American study shows a link between air pollution and heart disease. We will tell you about it. We also will tell about preparations for the International Polar Year. And, we tell about a competition to fight climate change.

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VOICE ONE:

A new study shows that air pollution may be more of a risk for heart disease than scientists have thought. The research involved more than sixty-five thousand women in the United States.

Kristin Miller was the lead writer of the study. She says the study showed that disease risk was linked not just to which city a woman lived in, but also where in a city.

The study found that estimates of the effects of air pollution were often larger within cities than between cities. Yet averages between cities have served as the main measure of the long-term effects of pollutants.

The findings lead some experts to suggest that current pollution limits may not be strong enough.

VOICE TWO:

The research team examined rates of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular events in women with long-term exposure to air pollution. The cardiovascular system is the heart and all of the passages that carry blood throughout the body.

The study involved women who had no sign of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research. All of the women were more than fifty years of age. The study followed them for as long as nine years to see how many developed cardiovascular problems.

The researchers used information from a government project, the Women's Health Initiative.

VOICE ONE:

The researchers also examined levels of fine particles in the air in thirty-six areas across the country. That information came from the Environmental Protection Agency. The small particles come from industrial smoke and traffic. They also come from things like wood-burning fireplaces in homes.

In the study, every ten-microgram increase in pollution was linked to a twenty-four percent increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event. But it was linked to a seventy-six percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

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VOICE TWO:

Winter has brought severe weather to parts of the United States. The weather has already resulted in several deaths. One of the major concerns during cold weather is hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition that happens when the body’s inner temperature drops below thirty-five degrees Celsius. The lowered body temperature leads to loss of mental and physical abilities.

Hypothermia can also lead to death. The condition kills hundreds of Americans each year. Late last year, a thirty-five year-old father of two died of hypothermia in the state of Oregon. James Kim died while attempting to find help for his family after their car became stuck in a mountain snowstorm. Weeks later, three Oregon mountain climbers were caught in a severe snowstorm. Only one man’s body was recovered. The other men are believed dead.

VOICE ONE:

There are two kinds of hypothermia. The first kind is called primary hypothermia. It happens when cold air, water or wind causes harm to a healthy, but unprotected individual during an extended period.

The second kind of hypothermia is called secondary hypothermia. This happens when existing conditions interfere with the body’s natural ability to stay warm. Two such conditions are drug use and lack of food. Health problems that have been linked to hypothermia include infection, diabetes, spinal cord injury or stroke.

The first signs of hypothermia are usually cold, light-colored skin and shaking. Other signs include unclear thinking, tiredness, slowed speaking, and slowed reactions.

VOICE TWO:

Babies and older adults are at risk of hypothermia because their bodies can lose heat and drop in temperature quicker. Others at risk are people who take part in outdoor activities like hiking, fishing and climbing. If clothing becomes wet, hypothermia can result even in mild temperatures.

Anyone who appears to be suffering from hypothermia should receive medical help immediately. Hypothermia victims must be slowly warmed. It is important to move the person out of the cold and remove any wet clothing.

Medical experts advise covering the person with dry, warm clothing. Sharing body heat by lying next to the person can help if warm clothing is not found. Experts say hot objects should not be used on a hypothermia victim. Keep the victim awake and avoid moving them. If possible, give the victim something warm to drink. Do not give the person drinks containing alcohol or caffeine. Such drinks can increase heat loss.

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VOICE ONE:

America's National Academies has announced plans for more than two hundred scientific explorations in the Arctic and Antarctic. The explorations are to be part of the International Polar Year, which begins in March.

The National Academies represents the National Academy of Sciences and three other organizations. They give advice on scientific issues to the American public and federal government.

The National Academies says the polar research is expected to answer important questions about climate change and the environment. They say scientists from more than sixty nations will cooperate on many research activities.

VOICE TWO:

The scientists will examine many physical, biological and social research issues. They include studying changes in the permanently frozen ground and observing sea life near the North and South Poles.

Many public education and information programs are also being planned. The coming International Polar Year will be the fourth in history. Other polar years took place in eighteen eighty-two, nineteen thirty-two and nineteen fifty-seven.

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VOICE ONE:

British businessman Richard Branson and former American vice president Al Gore recently announced a competition. They are seeking a way to remove at least one billion tons of carbon dioxide each year from Earth's atmosphere. Mister Branson is offering twenty-five million dollars to the developer of such a technology.

Last year, he offered to invest three billion dollars to fight climate change. The money would come from profits from his companies, including Virgin Atlantic Airlines.

The new competition is called the Virgin Earth Challenge. The winner of the contest must develop a plan to remove industrial gases from the atmosphere without causing harm. The first five million dollars would be paid to the winner immediately. The rest of the money would be paid only after the prize-winning technology had worked successfully for ten years.

VOICE TWO:

Mister Branson and Mister Gore announced the contest in London earlier this month. They said that some scientists are working on technologies to capture carbon dioxide at power stations and other industrial centers. But no one has developed a way to remove industrial gases already released into the atmosphere. Many scientists say those gases are causing an increase in temperatures around the world. They say continued warming will have serious results in the future.

Mister Branson said the warming caused by industrial gases is threatening the existence of human beings. He said he believes that people are able to find answers to problems that they have created.

VOICE ONE:

The former vice president said people are facing an emergency. Last year, Mister Gore made a documentary film about climate change. The film has helped him become one of the world's leading experts on climate change issues.

Mister Gore and Mister Branson noted a report released last month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The group included hundreds of scientists from more than one hundred countries.

The report said that human activity is warming the Earth at a dangerous rate. It said Earth's temperatures could increase by as much as six degrees centigrade by the end of this century. This could result in sea levels around the world rising by five meters.

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VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS program was written by Brianna Blake, Shelley Gollust and Caty Weaver. Brianna Blake was our producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Listen again next week at this time for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

VOASE0227_Agriculture Report

27 February 2007

Wind Farming Spreads in US
Some farmers earn money by providing land to turbine owners, or by becoming energy producers themselves.

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This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

For centuries, farmers have used windmills to pump water, crush grain and perform other tasks. Today, farmers can earn money with high-powered wind turbines that produce electricity. Wind power has become big business, especially in Europe.

Wind turbines in California

In the United States, less than one percent of electricity is produced from wind energy. But production increased one hundred sixty percent between two thousand and two thousand five. So says Keith Collins, the chief economist at the Department of Agriculture, in a statement he prepared for a Senate committee last month.

An even greater increase is expected between two thousand five and two thousand ten. Farmers and ranchers are providing land to turbine owners or, in some cases, owning the equipment themselves.

Mister Collins says one reason for the increase is high prices for natural gas. Another is a federal tax credit for wind production. The credit is almost two cents per kilowatt hour for the first ten years of production for a project.

The production tax credit for renewable forms of energy was supposed to end this December. But Congress has extended it through two thousand eight.

Other reasons for the expansion include improved turbine technology and lower production costs. They also include policies that make it easier for wind power producers to sell their electricity. And they include the growth of markets for "green power" -- energy that does not create pollution.

California is the leading state for wind power. But Mister Collins says production is also growing in Minnesota and other Midwestern states, all the way down to Texas. And he says many states in the West and Midwest have the wind resources to produce much more wind power.

Wind power offers farmers a way to earn money for use of their land or, if they want, to operate their own turbines. Wind is free, of course. Not only that, the land under the turbines can usually be farmed. And farmers may be able to earn extra money by charging visitors to see their wind farm.

But wind farms are not perfect. Keep in mind that there has to be enough wind to earn a profit. Also, the turbines can kill birds. And people sometimes object to the development of wind farms. They consider them ugly and noisy.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOASE0226_Development Report

26 February 2007

How to Help Foods Keep Their Cool

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Before refrigerators, homes usually had ice boxes. But another way to keep food cool without the need for electricity is to use an evaporative cooler. This is easy to make and does not even use ice.

A common design is a tall box with food placed on several shelves inside. The shelves are pieces of metal with many small holes through them. The sides of the box are covered with pieces of thick cloth.

Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.

Put the cooler in the open air but not in the sun. Air will pass through the wet cloth. The inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside air temperature. And this may be cool enough to keep foods fresh at least for a short time.

Cold storage in a freezer, however, can keep foods in good condition for months after the growing season. Yet foods can be damaged if they are kept too cold.

The British development group Practical Action says the best way to prepare foods for storage is at harvest time while still in the field. Use a sharp knife to avoid damage.

Place the harvested items on a clean surface or directly into storage containers. Do not put them on the ground.

Use clean water to remove dirt, and keep the water clean. Usually it is better not to remove outer leaves from fruits and vegetables before storage. Without the leaves, food can become dry.

Fruits and vegetables must be cool from field heat before they are put into storage. If they are placed in cool water, however, it can spread fungus throughout the food. A better idea is to harvest foods either early or late in the day, then leave them to cool naturally.

Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius. Any colder, and they might be damaged. Others need four to eight degrees. And still others must be stored above eight degrees.

Wet the fruits and vegetables so they do not become too dry. The best time to do this is before storage. Cover the items in plastic once they reach the right "critical temperature" for storage. Most fruits and vegetables need the relative humidity in storage to be kept between eighty-five and ninety-five percent.

Finally, leave space between the food containers and the walls of the storage area so air can flow. Keep the space clean. And try not to open the doors too often.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0225_This Is America

25 February 2007

In Charleston, South Carolina, Southern Friendliness Meets American History
A beautiful city with a most interesting story. The Civil War began at its waterfront.

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VOICE ONE:

Houses along South Battery Street in Charleston

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember with Shirley Griffith. This week, come along to one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the United States - Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War began at its waterfront.

Charleston is on a piece of land in the southeastern United States that points like a finger to the Atlantic Ocean. Rivers flow by either side of the city. They are the Ashley and the Cooper rivers. The people of Charleston will smile and tell you the Ashley and the Cooper rivers join to form the Atlantic Ocean.

They know this is not true, but they like to tell the story anyway. It shows how proud the people of Charleston are of their city.

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Charleston has a very rich history. It is the only city in the United States that can claim to have defended itself from American Indians, fierce pirates, Spanish ships, French soldiers, and British forces. It was first in many things. Charleston had the first continual train service in the United States. It built the first museum and the first public flower garden in America.

And the first battle of the American Civil War took place on a very small but important island in its port. Charleston has some of the most beautiful and unusual homes in America. One critic has called Charleston the most friendly city in the United States. Charleston is all of these things and much more.

VOICE TWO:

Plan your visit to Charleston for early spring, late autumn or the winter months. The citizens of Charleston will tell you their lovely city is not fun in the summer. It is extremely hot. The summer heat is important to the history of Charleston.

Early settlers owned huge farms called plantations. In the seventeen hundreds, these farms produced a plant called indigo which is used to make cloth the color blue. Many plantation owners forced slaves to do the work needed to grow indigo in the extreme heat. Slavery became important to the economy of Charleston. The plantations, indigo and slavery are part of the history of the city.

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VOICE ONE:

At least three Indian tribes were living in the area that became Charleston when Spanish explorers arrived in fifteen twenty-one.The Spanish explorers, and later, French explorers tried to establish settlements near that area but none lasted. English settlers first came to the area in sixteen seventy. They established a town.

They called it Charles Town in honor of the English King, Charles the Second. The people of the city changed its name to Charleston in seventeen eighty-three.

VOICE TWO:

Historic picture of South Battery

Many people came to live in Charleston because it produced indigo and had a good port. The people who settled the area were hard working and independent. They considered themselves citizens of England. Still, they did not like some of the laws declared by the English government.

The colonists successfully defended their city many times in the early seventeen hundreds. They defended it against both French and Spanish forces, and against raids by Yamasee Indians and by pirates. In seventeen nineteen, the citizens of Charleston rebelled against the group of English men who controlled their colony.

They wanted more self-government. Britain's King George agreed. This change gave the people of Charleston a feeling of independence.

VOICE ONE:

Charleston is still proud of its part in the war for independence. The city provided several political and military leaders during the American Revolution. British forces attacked it two times, but were defeated by the people of Charleston. The third time, the British captured the city and held it for more than a year.

Charleston continued to grow after the American colonists had won their independence from England. The new federal government knew that the city was important. Workers began building a strong base to guard Charleston in eighteen twenty-eight. This base was on a small island in Charleston Harbor.

It was named Fort Sumter. It was designed to guard the city from any future enemy.

VOICE TWO:

There were no thoughts of war or future enemies while Fort Sumter was being built. The plantations near Charleston had began to plant new crops like rice and cotton. With the help of slave labor, cotton became extremely important to the economy of Charleston and much of the South.

Many people in the northern United States began to think that slavery was very wrong, however. Slave owners in the South wanted things to remain as they had always been. They believed the federal government had no right to tell them what they could or could not do.

VOICE ONE:

A national crisis began when Abraham Lincoln was elected president in eighteen sixty. The people of South Carolina believed he would try to end slavery by force. They voted to leave the United States. They were quickly followed by other southern states.

These southern states soon created the government of the Confederate States of America. Federal troops controlled Fort Sumter when South Carolina voted to leave the Union. The people of Charleston demanded the federal troops leave.

The Union commander refused. On the morning of April twelfth, eighteen sixty-one, a cannon was fired at Fort Sumter. It was the first shot of America's long Civil War.

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VOICE TWO:

Charleston suffered a lot of damage during the Civil War. Several major battles were fought there. Late in the war another battle for control of Fort Sumter continued for almost two years. Much of Charleston had been destroyed by the time the war ended.

Rebuilding the city was a long and slow process. The people of Charleston tried to save the historic buildings from the seventeen hundreds. They wanted to keep those buildings they felt were an important part of their city.

The huge plantations near Charleston were also in need of rebuilding. Many owners failed in their efforts because they could no longer use slave labor. Their farms became much smaller.

VOICE ONE:

The historic buildings of Charleston were affected by weather as well as wars. Through the years, ocean storms have severely damaged the city. A major storm struck Charleston in September nineteen-eighty-nine. It killed eighteen people and caused more than three-thousand-million dollars in damage.

The huge storm had winds of more than two hundred seventeen kilometers an hour. It caused high waves that severely flooded city streets.

VOICE TWO:

Headquarters of the Preservation Society of Charleston

The federal, state and city governments and individual citizens have spent millions of dollars to rebuild and repair historic areas. So in some places, Charleston looks a lot like it has for several hundred years.

In the center of the city are stores in small one-hundred year old buildings. The same family has owned one of the stores for almost one hundred fifty years.

Fine eating places throughout the city serve southern food. The people of Charleston will tell you they have some of the best eating places in the United States. Many visitors agree.

VOICE ONE:

Beautiful, old buildings are a major reason thousands of people visit Charleston each year. One of the famous buildings is the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. It was built in the early seventeen hundreds. It was a jail that held the famous English pirate Stede Bonnet and his crew before they were hanged.

Several of the old plantation farms near Charleston also are open to visitors. One is called Boone Hall Plantation. It is still a working farm. Boone Hall Plantation looks much like it did before the American Civil War. It has been used as the setting for a number of movies and television programs about the American South and the Civil War.

VOICE TWO:

From almost anywhere along the waterfront in Charleston, you can see a large American flag flying over the small island that still holds Fort Sumter. Most visitors go to the historic fort during their time in Charleston.

Several companies provide boat rides to the fort. Much of the fort was destroyed during the Civil War. But what remains of Fort Sumter is protected by the National Park Service. Park workers meet each boat and explain about the battles that took place.

VOICE ONE:

Charleston has many interesting places to visit. However the people who live in the city really make it special. They are extremely friendly in a way that is part of the culture of the American south.

The people of Charleston continue to keep their city beautiful using modern technology to protect their historic past.

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Our program was written by Paul Thompson and produced by Lawan Davis. Internet users can read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. With Shirley Griffith, I'm Steve Ember. Listen again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA SpecialEnglish.