VOA标准英语2013--US Offers $10 Billion Weapons Package to Counter Iran Threats

US Offers $10 Billion Weapons Package to Counter Iran Threats Secretary Hagel's visit to Israel could have been awkward. He was accused of being anti-Israel during his nomination hearing. But he got a warm welcome as did the weapons package he took w

VOA标准英语2013--India's Tourism Industry Thrives on Largest Slum

India's Tourism Industry Thrives on Largest Slum With a million people crammed into less than three square kilometers - Dharavi is one of the worlds most densely populated slums. Life-long resident Niyamath Khan, 70, recalled the transformation of wh

VOA标准英语2013--US Budget Impasse Causes Flight Delays

US Budget Impasse Causes Flight Delays At some of America's busiest airports, flight delays and cancelations are mounting. Travelers are frustrated. Flight delays are becoming more common since government budget cuts reduced staffing at airport contr

VOA标准英语2013--Thanks to Volunteers, Elderly Can Age in Place

Thanks to Volunteers, Elderly Can Age in Place Phyllis Ramberg, 85, lives alone in Hyattsville, Maryland, in the same house her parents lived in for many decades. Children keep asking me, When are you going to move to one of those retirement villages

VOA标准英语2013--Crops of the Past Make a Comeback

Crops of the Past Make a Comeback Farmers are among the first to feel the effects of climate change. For many in developing countries, the crops they relied on year after year no longer grow in abundance. As a result, farmers are not only looking for

VOA标准英语2013--Progress Has Been Made In Containing Malaria, More Needs To Be Done

Progress Has Been Made In Containing Malaria, More Needs To Be Done For every minute that goes by, a child under five years of age dies of malaria. Malaria has been diagnosed on every continent, but sub-Saharan Africa is the region most afflicted. Dr

VOA标准英语2013--Urbanization Helps Curb Poverty, Says World Bank

Urbanization Helps Curb Poverty, Says World Bank It says countries and regions with a high rate of urbanization lead in the effort to reach their Millennium Development Goals (or MDGs). For example, countries with large population centers in East Asi

VOA标准英语2013--Comic Book Convention Brings Superheroes and Super Fans

Comic Book Convention Brings Superheroes and Super Fans Acting like superheroes or super-villains, or just showing off, comic fans dressed up as their favorite characters are having a good time at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Some enjo

VOA标准英语2013--Boston Bombing Sparks Surveillance Camera Debate

Boston Bombing Sparks Surveillance Camera Debate The FBI released color surveillance camera footage of the Boston bombing suspects three days after the attacks took place. The video shows two men walking with rucksacks moments before the explosions.

VOA标准英语2013--Changes in US Town Reflect Easing of Anger Over Illegal Immigration

Changes in US Town Reflect Easing of Anger Over Illegal Immigration Undocumented day laborers from Central America still gather at the 7/11 convenience store in Herndon, Virginia, hoping for work. But since 2006, their numbers have decreased. Back th

VOA标准英语2013--Africa's First Ladies Promote Women's, Children's Health

Africa's First Ladies Promote Women's, Children's Health The risk of death from childbirth is still very real for women in countries throughout Africa. Whether their children will reach adulthood is another worry. The first ladies of Guinea, Mali, Mo

VOA标准英语2013--Budget Cuts Hit US Foreign Aid Programs

Budget Cuts Hit US Foreign Aid Programs Mandatory federal cuts Like other federal agencies, the U. S. Agency for International Development has to cut its budget as a result of sequestration. The four-percent USAID must cut will reduce its foreign ass

VOA标准英语2013--US, S. Korea Ready to Counter N. Korean Aggression

US, S. Korea Ready to Counter N. Korean Aggression With North Korean troops training for what Pyongyang calls a state of war with South Korea, Secretary Kerry says Washington and its allies will not be caught off guard. The United States will do what

VOA标准英语--West of Memphis Movie Sparks Murder Debate

West of Memphis Movie Sparks Murder Debate Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Charles Jason Baldwin were accused of the crime. Their conviction, it turned out, was based on questionable evidence and false testimonies. The widely publicized trials a

VOA标准英语2013--Kidnappers Target Refugees in Sudan

Kidnappers Target Refugees in Sudan Amnesty International says refugees and asylum seekers are being kidnapped in Sudan and held for ransom in Egypts Sinai desert. Most of those abducted are Eritrean and many have been beaten, raped or killed. The hu

VOA标准英语2013--Iran, World Powers to Meet Again on Nuclear Stalemate

Iran, World Powers to Meet Again on Nuclear Stalemate As the West and Israel say Iran is creeping closer to being able to produce a nuclear weapon, Western officials hope Tehran will react positively to their latest offer. The question -- as negotiat

VOA标准英语2013--Study Finds More Women in Independent Films

Study Finds More Women in Independent Films Ava DuVernay loves making movies, especially from the perspective of a black woman. She has directed three documentaries and two features also known as narrative films, all independently produced. She says

VOA标准英语2013--Russia’s Winter Olympics to Break Spending Records

Russias Winter Olympics to Break Spending Records It is the largest construction site in Europe: 100,000 men and 500 companies are working around the clock. They are building hotels, skating rinks and ski jumps for next years Winter Olympics in Sochi

VOA标准英语2013--US Considers Sanctions Against Pakistan for Iran Pipeline

US Considers Sanctions Against Pakistan for Iran Pipeline After nearly 20 years, there is considerable progress on the Iran-to-Pakistan peace pipeline, with Iranian contractors starting work on Pakistani sections of the project, having finished nearl

VOA标准英语2013--When a Smoker Lights Up May Increase Risk

When a Smoker Lights Up May Increase Risk The health risks of cigarette smoking are well known, such as cancer, emphysema and cardiovascular disease. But new research shows that when you smoke can make it even more risky. Tobacco remains the leading