World Leaders Offer Sympathy, Assistance to Quake-Ravaged Ja

Many world leaders are expressing shock and sympathy following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and are offering to assist the country as it struggles to recover from the disaster. U.S. President Barack Obama pledged assistance for wh

VOA标准英语2011--Homeless Students Pushed to Succeed

At least one million children in the United States experience homelessness each year, putting them at increased risk for problems with their health, safety and education. Without a fixed address and with their family facing financial problems, homele

VOA标准英语2011--Accused Russian Arms Dealer Appears in N

Viktor Bout, a former Soviet military officer accused by the United States of offering to sell weapons to terrorist groups, appeared in federal court in New York on Thursday. Bout's lawyer asked the government to provide his client with better prison

VOA标准英语2011--Students Earn Debt-Free College Degree

The Friday afternoon computer science class at Berea College looks much like similar classes on campuses all over America. But there's one big difference. While a four-year undergraduate degree at Berea costs nearly $100,000, these students will neve

VOA标准英语2011--Do You Keep a Horse in a Bathtub?

If you're planning a trip to the United States, be very careful. You could easily break one of our laws and not know it. We're not talking about obvious illegal behavior, like punching your taxi driver or throwing a chair through your hotel window. N

VOA标准英语2011--'Rubber Soulive' Pays Tribute to The Bea

Paying tribute to The Beatles is a time-honored tradition for many of today's pop and rock artists. But one recent tribute comes from a band which specializes in jazz and funk. New York trio Soulive, featuring Neal Evans on Hammond B-3 organ, his bro

Obama Speech Buoys Residents in Rebel-Held Eastern Libya

Residents of eastern Libya under the control of opponents of leader Moammar Gadhafi are reacting with approval to President Barack Obama's remarks Monday night on the international coalition's role in their country's conflict. But many say they wish

VOA标准英语2011--US Girl Helps Other Children in Need

Helping others is probably not a top priority for most American 12 year olds. But that's not the case with Ashlee Smith of Reno, Nevada, who's been making a difference in the lives of other children since she was just eight. Several years ago, when f

Uganda AIDS Programs at Risk from Proposed US Budget Cuts

Uganda was one of the first sub-Saharan African countries to address the HIV/AIDS crisis early on. Over the years, it's come to rely heavily on U.S. support for its prevention and treatment programs. But Congress is considering cutting hundreds of mi

VOA标准英语2011--Libyan Rebels Move on Gadhafi's Hometown

Libyan opposition forces are fighting for control of Sirte, the hometown of their avowed enemy, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The rebels have taken swift advantage of a U.N.-backed military campaign that is now under NATO command. Government forces

VOA标准英语2011--President Obama's Speech on Libya

Explaining his decision to authorize the use of U.S. military force as part of international operations in Libya, President Barack Obama said Monday night that the United States must act when its interests and values are threatened. The president rul

VOA标准英语2011--Does a Fortune Await You?

Each year in the United States, hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of unclaimed property - especially stock certificates, jewelry left in safe-deposit boxes, and seemingly forgotten money in checking accounts - are turned over to state government

VOA标准英语2011--Community Gardens Thrive in Urban Jungle

Community Gardens Thrive in Urban Jungle Friday, April 22, is Earth Day, a time set aside to appreciate nature and to dedicate ourselves to protecting and sustaining it. New York City, a place many think of as an urban jungle, is home to more than 50

Fighting Poverty with Better Nutrition for Women

Hunger and poverty continue to be major obstacles to the well-being of millions of women and children around the world. The Bread for the World Institute says those problems can be reversed by improving the social, economic and political status of ru

VOA标准英语2011--Americans Avoid Being the 'Middle' Man

Americans Avoid Being the 'Middle' Man You probably missed The New York Times photograph that showed a revealing picture of New Yorkers' rides into work on commuter trains. The photographer stood behind a long series of rows, three seats to a row. In

VOA标准英语2011--It's Time for New Orleans Jazz Fest

It's Time for New Orleans Jazz Fest The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is back for its 42nd season (4/29-5/1 and 5/5-5/8), and the word is come early and stay late. The good news is Jazz Fest 2011 is not sold out. Matter of fact, Jazz Fest ne

VOA标准英语2011--New York Bay Cleanup Focuses on Hindu Ri

New York Bay Cleanup Focuses on Hindu Ritual Items The sound of gentle waves and the call of wild shorebirds are normally all you can hear on the shores of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, an oasis of nature just a few kilometers from the bustling urban

VOA标准英语2011--China Hopes Trade Deficit Will Slow Call

China Hopes Trade Deficit Will Slow Calls for Weaker Currency China hopes its first quarterly trade deficit in seven years will quiet calls for it to revalue its currency, which Western nations say is artificially low and gives Chinese companies a tr

VOA标准英语2011--Biblical Bad Girls Get a Makeover

Biblical Bad Girls Get a Makeover Men in the Bible - like Abraham, Moses, King David - are often well-developed characters playing a central role in complex stories. But, more and more authors are focusing on the women of the Bible - developing their

VOA标准英语2011--Child Soldiers Return to Congolese Wars

Child Soldiers Return to Congolese Wars Since 2003, tens of thousands of children have been removed from warring militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Boys and girls return from the bush traumatized, isolated, uneducated and too old to go bac