Artist Christo’s Floating Barrels on a Lake

The ducks and geese at a lake in Londons Hyde Park have a new neighbor: a floating structure of 7,506 barrels in the colors of red, mauve and blue. The floating structure, called The London Mastaba, is the latest creation of Christo. He is the Bulgar

Norwegian Study: IQ Scores Dropped for Decades

A major study carried out in Norway suggests IQ scores among men there have been falling since the mid-1970s. The study involved more than 700,000 men born to Norwegian couples between 1962 and 1991. The research was carried out by Oslos Ragnar Frisc

Germany, Brazil Struggle in Opening World Cup Matches

Germany and Brazil joined the list of top teams struggling to win their opening matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in Russia. 一些顶级球队在2018年俄罗斯世界杯足球赛上都难以取得开门红，德国和巴西也加入

Deadly Earthquake Hits Near Osaka, Japan

A deadly earthquake struck near Osaka, Japan early Monday, causing hundreds of casualties, damaging buildings and leaving many homes without water or gas. The epicenter of the 6.1-magnitude earthquake was just north of Osaka at a depth of 13 kilomete

South Korea Discusses Suspending Joint Military Exercises

South Korean officials are reacting carefully to the expected suspension of large U.S.-South Korea military exercises. An announcement could come this week to suspend the major joint military exercises, South Koreas Yonhap news agency reports. Those

'Incredibles 2' Sets Record in Opening Weekend

'Incredibles 2' Sets Record in Opening Weekend This is Whats Trending Today The opening weekend of the animated film Incredibles 2 was incredible. The Disney-Pixar movie recorded a North American opener of $180 million. That is the best of all time f

Americans Divided over Family Separation Policy

The policy of separating children from parents illegally seeking entry at the United States border is dividing Americans. More Republicans spoke out against the policy as Democrats called for changes. In April, the administration of President Donald

A Threatened Way of Life: the Van Gujjars of Northern India

American writer and photographer Michael Benanav has traveled around the world studying the cultures of nomadic people. His work has taken him to places from Mali to Jordan to Mongolia. Benanav writes about people who are threatened, endangered or ch

Mother of Boko Haram Leader Speaks Out

A woman who claims to be the mother of a militant leader says she does not know if her son is alive or dead. Abubakar Shekau is the head of the Boko Haram militant group. Boko Haram launched its campaign against Nigerias government in 2009. Nigerian

VOA慢速英语2018--Builders Turn to Italy’s White Gold

There is no end to demand for Italys white gold. For many people, that white gold is not metal but marble from the town of Carrara in Tuscany. The marble mining work in Carrara is ancient. Workers first began removing stone from the mountains of Tusc

Paris Eateries Seek UN Recognition as a Cultural Treasure

Owners of small restaurants in Paris known as bistros or cafes want the United Nations to recognize their importance to the French capital. They also are concerned that what they bring to the culture of Paris could disappear. The restaurant owners ha

VOA慢速英语--团体与大学帮助往届生完成大学学业

Groups, Colleges to Help Former Students Finish Their Studies Redding, California, is a city with few choices for students interested in higher education. For generations, the local economy has been mostly based on sales of natural resources, such as

As Elections Near, Singapore Considers New Media Laws

The ruling party in Singapore has named a likely replacement to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Lee is 66 years old and has said he will step down at age 70. He is the son of Singapores founder, Lee Kuan Yew. Late last week, Singapores 57-year-old fi

VOA慢速英语2018 美国出现首位米其林三星女厨

Michelin Guide Awards First US Female Chef with Three Stars Dominique Crenn has become the first woman in the United States to receive Michelin Guides highest honor of three stars. 多米尼克是美国第一位获得米其林指南三星最高荣誉的

VOA慢速英语--词汇典故：“像金丝雀一样歌唱”

Time to 'Sing Like a Canary' Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories. There are thousands of different kinds of birds. They come in all sizes and colors. And they each make their own sound. That was a robin singing. Here is a ni

VOA慢速英语2018--George H.W. Bush: Cautious

VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents. Today we are talking about George Herbert Walker Bush. Before he became president in 1989, Bush had a lot of experience in government. He spent four years in the United States House of Representative

VOA慢速英语--音乐理论教授从奥斯维辛集中营寻找囚犯之音

Professor Finds Prisoners' Music from Auschwitz Two years ago, music theory professor Patricia Hall traveled to Polands Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. She hoped to learn about the music performed by prisoners in World War II death camps. Hall, who teache

VOA慢速英语2018 雷鬼音乐加入联合国文化遗产名录

UNESCO Names Reggae International Cultural Treasure This week, the cultural agency of the United Nations UNESCO added reggae music to its list of international cultural treasures. The purpose of the list is to teach about and protect many internation

VOA慢速英语2018 美国宇航局:私人公司即将登月

NASA: Private Companies to Make Next Moon Landing The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has announced that private companies will make Americas next moon landing. 美国宇航局宣布私营公司将完成美国的下一次登

加沙唯一大钢琴10年来首次亮相演出

Gaza's Only Grand Piano Makes Public Comeback The only grand piano in the Palestinian territory of Gaza was played in public this week for the first time in 10 years. Palestinian and Japanese musicians played the piano for 300 people at a November 25