VOA标准英语2011--Mega-Fires Pose Threat to Environment, E

Mega-Fires Pose Threat to Environment, Economy Experts gathered this week in Sun City, South Africa, to discuss wildfires. But a new report also focused on a growing phenomenon called mega-fires. The report describes mega-fires as extraordinary confl

VOA标准英语2011--Microbe Could Help Battle Malaria

Microbe Could Help Battle Malaria Researchers have discovered a bacterium in the gut of the Anopheles mosquito which may someday be used to destroy and, therefore, prevent the spread of the disease-causing parasite. The World Health Organization esti

VOA标准英语2011--African Gays Under Attack as HIV/AIDS Ep

African Gays Under Attack as HIV/AIDS Epidemic Turns 30 Thirty years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, stigma and discrimination continue to slow efforts to prevent and treat the disease. And more and more, gay men are becoming the targets in sub-Saharan A

VOA标准英语2011--US Role in Afghanistan Questioned After

US Role in Afghanistan Questioned After bin Laden Death Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, U.S. involvement in Afghanistan faces greater scrutiny. Some lawmakers, and analysts, in Washington, D.C., want President Barack Obama to do more than begin the

VOA标准英语2011--Senegal Quranic School Puts Children Fir

Senegal Quranic School Puts Children First Quranic schools in Senegal gained much unwanted attention last year with a damning report by Human Rights Watch that said many schools were enslaving their students to beg for money. One Quranic school that

VOA标准英语2011--SIV Vaccine Holds Promise for AIDS

SIV Vaccine Holds Promise for AIDS Researchers are excited about a vaccine they have developed that protects rhesus monkeys from infection with a primate version of the AIDS virus. They hope to use what they've learned to develop an agent that preven

VOA标准英语2011--Indian Tribe Enlists 'Twilight' Fans' Ai

Indian Tribe Enlists 'Twilight' Fans' Aid in Move to Higher Ground Several Pacific Northwest Indian tribes want to move their coastal villages to higher ground. This comes after the March earthquake off the coast of Japan underscored the dangers of l

VOA标准英语2011--NASA Probe Proves Einstein Right

NASA Probe Proves Einstein Right Albert Einstein was right. The U.S. Space Agency (NASA) released data this week from its Gravity Probe B spacecraft, whose primary mission while in Earth's orbit was to test Einstein's 1916 Theory of Relativity. While

VOA标准英语2011--Obama's Pledge of Aid Welcomed in Mideas

Obama's Pledge of Aid Welcomed in Mideast, Politics Less So Reaction to President Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East has prompted some initial mixed reactions in Egypt. While plans for economic and development aid are being welcomed, hopes for

VOA标准英语2011--Sense of Smell Jumpstarted Brain Evoluti

Sense of Smell Jumpstarted Brain Evolution Mammals have much bigger brains than other animals. Scientists aren't sure exactly why, but new research published this week in the journal Science suggests it might have something to do with mammals' acute

VOA标准英语2011--Mississippi Flooding Harms Agriculture i

Mississippi Flooding Harms Agriculture in Several US States Flooding along the Mississippi River has ruined crops, damaged farmland and delayed barge traffic in parts of the southern United States. Officials say diversion of some of the water through

VOA标准英语2011--Syrian President Concedes 'Mistakes' in

Syrian President Concedes 'Mistakes' in Handling Protests Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the authorities have made some mistakes in their handling of anti-government protests since mid-March. Assad told a group of dignitaries that most of

VOA标准英语2011--Assad Family Grip on Syria Hampers Refor

Assad Family Grip on Syria Hampers Reform Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on anti-government protesters has been leavened with at least verbal concessions to reform. But given the history of the country, the government and his family, so

VOA标准英语2011--Students Build Homes for Needy Families

Students Build Homes for Needy Families On a sandy lot in the small, growing city of Delray Beach, Florida, seven teenagers are hammering and shoveling in the hot mid-day sun. The Atlantic High students are members of the school's Eagle Nest Construc

VOA标准英语2011--Company Founders Reveal Secrets of Succe

Company Founders Reveal Secrets of Success The recent worldwide economic slowdown, plus some spectacular business failures and criminal scams, have made investors cautious. But every day, entrepreneurs still come up with new ideas that get funded, of

VOA标准英语2011--Americans Rank Priceless Paper Documents

Americans Rank Priceless Paper Documents Although the National Archives in Washington, D.C., is rapidly adjusting to the computer age, it is best known as the home of America's priceless paper documents. The magazine U.S. News World Report invited ci

VOA标准英语2011--Boney James Makes Joyous Return with 'Co

Boney James Makes Joyous Return with 'Contact' Saxophonist Boney James couldn't be happier about the release of his new album, Contact. The album marks his return to the studio after a car crash that nearly claimed his life. Boney James is fully reco

VOA标准英语2011--Trade Barriers Impede Food Security

Trade Barriers Impede Food Security When the food crisis began several years ago, with soaring prices and supply shortages, governments agreed to invest much more in agriculture. And with predictions of a global population of nine billion by 2050, th

VOA标准英语2011--Israeli Troops Clash with Protesters Alo

Israeli Troops Clash with Protesters Along Borders Israeli troops shot at Palestinian protesters along the border of Syria, Lebanon and Gaza Sunday killing at least 15 people as demonstrators marked the anniversary of Israel's creation. Witnesses and

VOA标准英语2011--N. African Migrants Risk Lives to Reach

N. African Migrants Risk Lives to Reach Italian Island More than 30,000 migrants have arrived from north Africa on the tiny southern Italian island of Lampedusa, so far, this year. Most of the migrants leave the coasts of Tunisia and Libya onboard ri