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http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… Copyright www.voanews.com, Collected by www.epangsoft.com http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio Science 2006: The Year in Medicine, Space and the Environment Transcript of radio broadcast: 02 January 2007 VOICE ONE: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I’m Mario Ritter. Concerns about climate change grew in 2006 as scientists reported that ice was melting at the North and South Pole VOICE TWO: And I’m Bob Doughty. This week, we talk about last year. VOICE ONE: We tell about some important science stories of two thousand six discoveries in medicine, space and the environment. (MUSIC) VOICE TWO: Some of the biggest science stories last year were in health and medicine. And two of them came late in two thousand six. First is a major finding about the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In December, AIDS researchers announced findings about adult male circumcision. Two studies in Africa found that circumcised men had about half the risk of getting HIV from sex with women as uncircumcised men had. The studies took place in Kenya and Uganda. HIV rates are generally lower in areas of the world where the removal of the foreskin from the penis is common in babies or young boys. The findings of the African studies were so clear that the United States National Institutes of Health decided to end both studies early. All the men involved now are being offered circumcision. The researchers said male circumcision could also lead to fewer infections in women where HIV is spread through heterosexual sex. Health experts say they hope circumcision will become one of the basic tools to fight HIV and AIDS. But they expect some cultural and economic barriers. Some people have also expressed another concern about circumcision. They say it might make men think they do not need to do anything else to prevent HIV infection. (MUSIC) VOICE ONE: Another major health story last month concerned breast cancer. The news came from cancer researchers at the University of Texas in Houston. They had found a sharp decrease in newly found breast cancer rates between two thousand two and two thousand three. It was the first such drop in http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… seventy years. And it followed a huge decrease in the number of older women treated with female hormones to ease conditions caused by a natural decrease in such hormones. For years doctors treated these conditions of menopause with the hormones estrogen and progesterone. But in two thousand two a large study showed hormone replacement therapy seemed to increase the risk of breast cancer. The use of hormone replacement therapy then dropped by fifty percent. The researchers at the University of Texas say overall rates of new breast cancers dropped seven percent the next year. And they said breast cancer that is linked to estrogen decreased by at least twelve percent. However, health experts say the findings do not prove that hormone replacement therapy causes breast cancer. VOICE TWO: There was also news about a new vaccine to prevent another cancer in women cervical cancer. United Nations health officials called for the wide use of the vaccine against the human papilloma virus, or H.P.V. H.P.V. causes seventy percent of all cervical cancers. It is a leading cause of cancer deaths in women in developing countries. The vaccine could prevent more than two-thirds of deaths from cervical cancer around the world. Officials say the vaccine is safe and effective for females between the ages of nine and twenty-six. (MUSIC) VOICE ONE: Not all the science news last year was medical. In August, more than two thousand members of the International Astronomical Union met in the Czech capital, Prague. They agreed to a new definition of planet. They also agreed that Pluto did not meet the terms of the new definition. So, now the solar system has eight planets instead of nine. But do not cry for the former ninth planet. The astronomical union says we should not think we have lost a planet but that we have gained a new kind of space object: the dwarf planet, Pluto. VOICE TWO: Astronomers and physicists were also interested in some information provided by the Hubble Space Telescope last year. It provided some light on the mysterious force known as dark energy. The Hubble examined stars that exploded billions of years ago. The findings: dark energy has been present for most of the history of the universe. Dark energy is a mysterious force that causes the universe to expand at an increasing rate. Scientists do not know much about dark energy. But they say it makes up about seventy percent of the energy in the universe. It appears to balance the force of gravity. Most physicists consider dark energy to be the force that Albert Einstein called the cosmological constant. It prevents gravity from pulling all matter together in a cosmic crush. This latest study shows dark energy was present in the universe as long as nine billion years ago. Over the next four billion years the power of dark energy grew. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… The expansion rate of the universe began speeding up about five billion years ago. That is when scientists believe that dark energy's force overtook gravity. Adam Reiss of the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland led this research. (MUSIC) VOICE ONE: Hubble also got some good news of its own last year. NASA announced it would fly a shuttle crew to the space telescope to make repairs and add new equipment. The telescope orbits six hundred kilometers above the Earth. The shuttle crew is expected to make the trip in May of next year. They hope to fix Hubble so it can continue operating until two thousand thirteen. In other news from last year, the American space agency, NASA, returned to space. Three successful launches of the space shuttle visited the International Space Station. NASA's two Mars vehicles, Spirit and Opportunity, continued their exploration of the red planet. They found signs of recently flowing water on the planet. An orbiting spacecraft gave the world extraordinary images of the planet Saturn and its rings. NASA also announced important plans for the future. It will update the design of the space shuttles. And it is planning an international permanent base on the moon by the year twenty twenty. (MUSIC) VOICE TWO: Global warming remained a hot subject of earth science last year. Scientists declared that the ice at both the North and South Poles was melting. A long-term study showed that Greenland lost one hundred billion metric tons of ice between two thousand three and two thousand five. Antarctica at the South Pole contains almost seventy percent of the world’s fresh water. The continent is almost all ice. In some areas that ice is close to two thousand meters thick. Scientists said the Antarctic ice sheet is losing as much as one hundred fifty-two cubic kilometers of ice every year. One study suggests that melting ice from both poles could cause sea levels in the world to rise by several meters by the end of this century. As a result, low-lying areas of land could be under water. (MUSIC) VOICE ONE: Some international ecology scientists and economists gave a serious warning about the future for fish. They reported that seafood supplies from the world's oceans could be almost gone within fifty years because of overfishing. The researchers reported their findings in Science magazine in November. They said there had already been a collapse in wild populations of almost one-third of currently fished seafoods. The study says that means the catch has fallen by ninety percent from the highest levels. The scientists said that species have recently been disappearing from oceans at increasing speed. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… The scientists said it is not too late to repair the damage done to the oceans from overfishing, climate change and other forces. They said governments and industries must work together to establish shared fishing, pollution and species protection controls. (MUSIC) VOICE TWO: SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver and produced by Brianna Blake. I'm Bob Doughty. VOICE ONE: And I'm Mario Ritter. For more science news, MP3 files and transcripts of our programs, go to voaspecialenglish.com. And join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… Ever Wonder Where Seedless Fruits Come From? An explanation of grafting. Transcript of radio broadcast: 02 January 2007 Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. These days, if we hear about two different plants being combined, the first thing we think of is modern biotechnology. But the low-technology process of grafting remains an extremely important form of genetic engineering in agriculture. Many kinds of plants are grown not from seeds but from pieces cut from existing plants. Farmers cut branches or buds, young growths, from one plant and place them on a related kind of plant. The branch or bud that is grafted is called a scion [pronounced SY-uhn]. The plant that accepts the graft is called the root stock. Over time, the parts from the two plants grow together. The grafted plant begins to produce the leaves and fruit of the scion, not the root stock. A graft can be cut in several ways. A cleft graft, for example, requires a scion with several buds on it. The bottom of the scion is cut in the shape of the letter V. A place is cut in the root stock to accept the scion. The scion is then securely placed into the cut on the root stock. Material called a growth medium is put on the joint to keep it wet and help the growth. Grafting still holds an important place even in an age of high-tech agriculture Grafting can join scions with desirable qualities to root stock that is strong and resists disease and insects. Smaller trees can be grafted with older scions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency says producing stronger plants by grafting can reduce the need to use pesticides. Agriculture could not exist as we know it without grafting. Many fruits and nuts have been improved through this method. Some common fruit trees such as sweet cherries and McIntosh apples have to be grafted. Bing cherries, for example, are one of the most popular kinds of cherries. But a Bing cherry tree is not grown from seed. Branches that produce Bing cherries must be grafted onto root stock. All sweet cherries on the market are grown this way. And then there are seedless fruits like navel oranges and seedless watermelons. Have you ever wondered how farmers grow them? Through grafting. The grapefruit tree is another plant that depends on grafting to reproduce. Grapes, apples, pears and also flowers can be improved through grafting. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… In an age of high-technology agriculture, grafting still holds an important place. And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about agriculture, and download MP3 files and transcripts of our reports, at voaspecialenglish.com. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… A Musical Exploration of Time We present some popular songs about time. Transcript of radio broadcast: 01 January 2007 Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio (MUSIC) ANNOUNCER: This is Shirley Griffith with a Special English program for the New Year. We present fifteen minutes of music about . . . time. (SOUND) ANNOUNCER: We celebrate the New Year with a few examples of music about time. You just heard a song called "Syncopated Clock." American music writer Leroy Anderson wrote it in the nineteen forties. In nineteen fifty-four, the group Bill Haley and His Comets provided musical proof that any time on the clock is a good time to dance. (MUSIC) In nineteen sixty-five, a group named the Byrds recorded a song that seemed modern. But the words are old. They are from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible. (MUSIC) Countless songs have been written about time. Many songs are also about two other forces that seem just as unstoppable love and desire. This song by Jim Croce captures these emotions. (MUSIC) Jim Croce did not have much time to live. The singer died in an airplane crash in nineteen seventy- three. He was thirty years old. Another song about love and time is sung by one of the most famous groups of our time, the Rolling Stones. In this song, time is an ally. (MUSIC) Americans sing a traditional Scottish song at New Year's celebrations. It is "Auld Lang Syne." Eighteen century Poet Robert Burns wrote the words. It is about keeping alive the memory of old friends. A bandleader named Guy Lombardo helped make "Auld Lang Syne" a modern tradition. The song has become a well- known signal of the beginning of another year. (MUSIC) http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… This Special English program was written by Avi Arditti and produced by Caty Weaver. I'm Shirley Griffith wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish .etc… The New Year Begins With Some Resolutions Two popular ones are to lose weight or stop smoking. Transcript of radio broadcast: 01 January 2007 Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio (MUSIC) Now, a VOA Special English holiday program. (MUSIC) January first. The beginning of a new year. As far back in history as we can tell, people have celebrated the start of a new year. The people of ancient Egypt began their new year in summer. That is when the Nile River flooded its banks, bringing water and fertility to the land. Today, most people celebrate New Year’s Day on January first. People observe the New Year’s holiday in many different ways. The ancient Babylonians celebrated by forcing their king to give up his crown and royal clothing. They made him get down on his knees and admit all the mistakes he had made during the past year. The idea of admitting mistakes and finishing the business of the old year is found in many cultures at New Year’s. So is the idea of making New Year’s resolutions. A resolution is a promise to change or do something different in the coming year. Making New Year’s resolutions is a common American tradition. Today, popular resolutions might include the promise to lose weight, stop smoking, or be more productive at work. Some of our Special English writers and announcers offered New Year’s resolutions of their own. One person decided to get a new cat to replace a beloved one that recently died. Another promised to stop telling stories about other people. And another staff member promised to spend more time with his family. Other people use New Year’s resolutions to make major changes in their lives. One such resolution might be to “stop and smell the flowers.” This means to take time to enjoy simple pleasures instead of always being too busy and in a hurry. Another resolution might be “don’t sweat the small stuff.” This means not to worry or get angry about unimportant things. Another resolution might be to be happy now and to forget about bad things that happened in the past. Or, to be thankful for the most important things in life, like family and friends. Our resolution is to wish all of our listeners a happy, healthy and productive New Year! I'm Mario Ritter for VOA Special English. [...]... go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com Send your questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com Please include your full name and mailing address Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., twozero-two-three-seven, U.S.A Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA s radio magazine in Special English And Happy New Year from all of us in Special English! http://www.epangsoft.com... rebels and government forces has killed more than two hundred thousand people IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English, was written by Brianna Blake Our reports can be found on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com I’m Steve Ember http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… The Housing Market Slows,... download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… For his work, he received the Nobel Prize in Economics in nineteen seventy-six He died in November at age ninety-four And that's the VOA Special English ECONOMICS REPORT I'm Mario Ritter http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese,... Dana Demange I’m Steve Ember VOICE TWO: And I’m Barbara Klein You can read and listen to this report on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com Join us again next week for People in America in VOA Special English http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… War in Iraq Voted Top News Story of 2006... the Internet with MP3 files and transcripts at voaspecialenglish.com http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… And foreign students can get information from the State Department at educationusa.state.gov And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach... Demange I’m Barbara Klein VOICE ONE: And I’m Steve Ember You can read this program and download audio on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com Join us again next week for Explorations in VOA Special English http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… Healthier Eating in New York Hard For Some... download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… From Clay to Art: Exploring the World of Ceramics Meet ceramic artist William Wilhelmi Transcript of radio broadcast: 26 December 2006 Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio VOICE ONE: I’m Steve Ember VOICE TWO: And I'm Barbara Klein with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English At the Smithsonian... Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… College Costs in US: Tuition, Housing and Health Care Schools want to know that all of their students can pay for their medical needs Transcript of radio broadcast: 28 December 2006 Download Audio - MP3 Listen in RealAudio This is the VOA Special English Education Report We... attack on freedom of choice They say food inspectors should worry more about dangers like E coli bacteria And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Jill Moss I'm Shirley Griffith http://www.epangsoft.com – Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… Biotech Foods Continue to Produce Mixed Feelings... Review and download languages learning software Free: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish etc… Thirty-seven percent of the people said family and friends were their most trusted sources of information about biotech foods Farmers were second, then scientists Five years ago, the top answer was the F.D.A Now it is fourth And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report,