Potatoes Could Be Grown on Mars

In the 2015 film The Martian, Matt Damons character is a scientist left behind on Mars. He has limited food supplies and not much water. He tries to figure out how to survive so he can be rescued. Luckily, he knows how to grow things. And one of the

Sears, Other American Store Chains Are Downsizing

Well known businesses across the United States are facing hard decisions about keeping their stores open. Experts say Americans are changing the way they buy clothing and other products. They say people are making more purchases over the Internet and

It’s a Boy! April the Giraffe’s Baby Is Born

This is Whats Trending Today. Millions of people have been eagerly waiting for April, a giraffe living at a zoo in New York State, to have her baby. Viewers were rewarded on Saturday: at about 10 a.m. April gave birth to a male calf. The birth was fi

伊朗裔美国人使用科学技术展示成功故事

Pirooz Parvarandeh has been an executive in the technology industry for many years. He is also an Iranian American. But Paravarandeh believes Iranian Americans are subject to many negative stereotypes. A stereotype is a widely held but often wrong or

VOA慢速英语2017--特朗普主持白宫复活节彩蛋活动

President Donald Trump returned to Washington, DC on Monday for a very important event. It was not for a meeting with an international leader. And it was not for a joint session of Congress. No, on this day, Trump greeted thousands of children. They

你的衣服会造成污染吗?

Very small pieces of plastic, called microfibers, are polluting rivers and oceans. The source of these microfibers may surprise you: your clothes. Clothes worn for outdoor activities and exercise are often made of synthetic material, like polyester o

VOA慢速英语--William Henry Harrison: Short-Lived

VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. Today we are talking about William Henry Harrison. Although he was elected in 1840, many Americans still remember his catchy campaign slogan: Tippecanoe and Tyler, too. Tyler referred to John Tyler,

Study: Prehistoric Humans Were Not Very Nutritious

Prehistoric people may have hunted and killed other members of their own species and eaten them, but probably not for food. That is what a new study written by James Cole of the University of Brighton in England says. Cole says compared to large anim

Long Now Foundation Thinks 10,000 Years Ahead

The non-profit Long Now Foundation works to solve problems like climate change, disease and the loss of languages. But it recently started an unusual project that could help support all its causes. Inside a mountain cave in Texas, the group is buildi

Youth Groups in Minnesota Reach Out to Somali-Americans

Too often young Somali-Americans have made news for all the wrong reasons. Some young people have fallen victim to drug abuse or the appeal of gang violence. Others have turned to extremist ideology. But youth organizations in the American state of M

VOA慢速英语2017--Teaching American Students About US Founding Documents

Should American high school students know at least as much about their countrys historic documents as immigrants seeking citizenship? Many states and schools are asking that question. People who want to become American citizens must know about the De

Humans to Mars Official NASA Goal, But What About Radiation?

Human exploration of Mars is now an official goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill to increase NASAs budget. The law sets spending at $19.5 billion for the 12-month per

VOA慢速英语2017--Martin Van Buren: Just OK

VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. Today we are talking about Martin Van Buren. He was sworn in as the eighth president of the United States in 1837. Van Buren had already been working for the White House for several years. He had bee

飓风马修已过半年 海地人仍在山洞度日

Roland Despeines looks for shelter inside a mountain cave when heavy rains fall in southwestern Haiti. Despeines and many other Haitians have been taking shelter from storms in the cave since October 4. On that day, Hurricane Matthew destroyed their

世界第五高楼在韩国首尔开幕

The fifth-tallest building in the world, the Lotte World Tower, has opened in Seoul, South Korea. The event was celebrated in a ceremony with a fireworks display that lit up the building and the sky. The 123-story glass and steel structure is South K

VOA慢速英语--西尔斯百货等其他美国连锁商店相继裁员

Well known businesses across the United States are facing hard decisions about keeping their stores open. Experts say Americans are changing the way they buy clothing and other products. They say people are making more purchases over the Internet and

报告显示全球假冒商品销售数量上升

A new report predicts a rise in counterfeiting and pirated goods over the next ten years. The report says China has been at the center of copying goods, from clothes to electronic devices, and medicines to beauty products. It says governments and bus

VOA慢速英语--河马菲奥娜3个月大了

This is Whats Trending Today It has been a much happier spring season at Ohios Cincinnati Zoo than last spring. Last May, zoo officials there shot and killed one of their gorillas, after a young child fell into its cage. Officials feared the animal w

美国宇航员佩吉·惠特森打破NASA空间轨道记录

U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson broke the record Monday for the most total time spent in orbit by an American. Commander Whitson, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), has been in space a total of 534 days during her career. U.S

VOA慢速英语2017 新轮状病毒疫苗有望挽救成千上万儿童的性命

Researchers in the African country of Niger have introduced a new vaccine that protects against the diarrheal disease called rotavirus. 非洲国家尼日尔的研究人员推出了一种新型疫苗，可以预防轮状病毒腹泻。 A scientific t