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No.1
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Researchers Say Indonesian Cave Art is Earliest Known Record of ‘Storytelling’
December 18, 2019
A cave painting found on an Indonesian island appears to be the earliest known record of storytelling through pictures.
A team of Indonesian and Australian researchers say the work dates back nearly 44,000 years. That is several thousand years older than European examples of cave art that appear to tell a story.
The painting was found in a limestone cave on the island of Sulawesi in 2017. It shows eight human-like beings hunting six animals. Among the animals are native species such as buffaloes and warty pigs.
The researchers say the painting suggests a “game drive, a communal hunt.”
The human-like creatures appear to be carrying ropes and spears. This, the researchers say, shows that the Sulawesi hunters at that time may have attempted to capture live adult pigs and buffaloes.
The Indonesian cave painting also provides some of the earliest evidence of human spirituality, said Adam Brumm. He is an archaeologist at Australia’s Griffith University, which carried out the research. Brumm was a co-writer of a report on the study.
The report said the eight creatures seen carrying out the hunt have some human-like qualities and some qualities of animals. Researchers call these creatures “therianthropes.”
Brumm said that therianthropes appear in stories and myths across cultures. They are seen as “gods, spirits, or ancestral beings in many religions worldwide,” he added.
The Griffith researchers said cave art on Sulawesi was first discovered in the 1950s. At least 242 caves and shelters containing such imagery have been found in the years since. The island was once known as Celebes.
Some of the caves have seen damaged. This could threaten the art, said Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian expert on rock art. He is a Griffith University doctoral student who was involved in the research. He pointed to threats from salt, dust, smoke and microorganisms.
Oktaviana added that, “It would be a tragedy if these exceptional old artworks should disappear in our own lifetime, but it is happening.”
A paper on the research appeared this month in the scientific publication Nature.
I’m Ashley Thompson.
The Reuters news agency reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted the story for VOA Learning English with additional information from the study. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
cave - n. a large hole that was formed by natural processes in the side of a cliff or hill or under the ground
species - n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants
spear - n. a weapon that has a long straight handle and a sharp point
myth - n. an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true
No.2
HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
Asthma Attacks in Pregnancy Tied to Health Problems
December 18, 2019
A pregnant woman, in the last trimester of her pregnancy, poses in this illustration photo in Sete, South France, March 26, 2016. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
A new study from Canada says asthma attacks during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of health problems for mothers and their babies.
Researchers looked at data on more than 100,000 pregnancies from nearly 60,000 women. The women had given birth in Ontario, Canada from 2003 to 2012.
All of the women in the study had asthma, but only some had asthma attacks during pregnancy. Asthma is a physical condition that makes breathing difficult.
The women who had asthma attacks during pregnancy were 17 percent more likely to have hypertension. They were also 30 percent more likely to have dangerously high blood pressure known as preeclampsia, the study found.
They also more often had babies with low weight, preterm babies or babies with birth defects.
“Nearly 40 percent of pregnant women decrease or stop taking asthma medication because they are worried that it could be harmful to their unborn babies,” said Teresa To in a statement. To is the lead writer of the study. She is with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa.
She said the study shows that severe asthma symptoms “present a greater risk to mother and baby.”
The study was not designed to prove whether or how asthma attacks during pregnancy might cause complications for mothers or babies. But it is possible asthma attacks reduce oxygen supplies for both women and their developing babies, To said.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease during pregnancy, happening in up to 13 percent of pregnancies, To and others from the research team wrote in the European Respiratory Journal.
In about one in three pregnant women, asthma worsens during pregnancy, earlier research had found.
For the current study, researchers looked at data on women through pregnancy, as well as data on their babies for up to five years. They found that children were 23 percent more likely to develop asthma in early childhood when mothers had asthma attacks during pregnancy. These children were also 12 percent more likely to have pneumonia during the first five years of life.
In addition, pregnant women who had asthma attacks were more likely to be older, and more likely to smoke or to have limited income or insecure housing, the study found.
Researchers note that one limitation of the study is that it might not always correctly identify women with uncontrolled symptoms. Some women with five or more doctor visits for asthma symptoms during pregnancy could be controlling their illness well.
Even so, the results confirm the importance of carefully watching asthma during pregnancy, Professor Jorgen Vestbo said in a statement. He leads the European Respiratory Society’s Advocacy Council and is a researcher at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
I’m Alice Bryant.
Reuters Health wrote this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
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Words in This Story
associate – v. to group an item or person with others by some common factor
data – n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something
preterm – adj. born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed.
(birth) defect – n. a problem with how baby's organs or body parts form, how they work, or how the body turns food into energy.
symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a condition or disease is present
chronic – adj. continuing or happening again and again for a long time
income – n. money that is earned from work, investments or business
No.3
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Top Google Searches 2019: Cricket, Cameron Boyce, iPhone 11
December 18, 2019
England's captain Eoin Morgan raises the trophy after winning the Cricket World Cup final match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, July 14, 2019. England won after a super over after the scores were tied after 50
The most popular Google searches in 2019 included cricket competitions, the death of actor Cameron Boyce and the iPhone 11.
Google recently released its yearly ranking of worldwide search terms that had the highest growth compared to the year before.
Three of the top 10 searches related to international cricket competition, including “India vs South Africa,” which was number one. At number 4 was “Bangladesh vs India,” while “ICC Cricket World Cup” came in 10th.
Searches about the Copa America soccer competition – which decides the champion of South America - came in at number 3.
The second-highest search on the list was the name Cameron Boyce, a 20-year-old American actor who died in July. The Disney Channel star’s death was connected to the disease epilepsy.
Apple’s release of the iPhone 11 placed fifth in Google’s worldwide search rankings.
The next three searches were related to American-produced entertainment. The highly successful HBO television series Game of Thrones was the sixth most popular search on Google. Next was the superhero movie Avengers: Endgame, followed by the long-awaited film Joker.
The other search term to make Google’s top ten list was “Notre Dame.” It demonstrated great international interest after a fire in April severely damaged the famed Roman Catholic cathedral in Paris, France.
Google also released a video with the rankings. The video centers on the year’s searches for different kinds of heroes in entertainment, sports and news. “Throughout history, in times of uncertainty,” the video says, “the world looks for heroes.” The video continues: “In 2019, searches for heroes soared.”
In the United States, the most popular 2019 search term was “Disney Plus.” Disney Plus is a video streaming service launched last month. It is seen as a direct push by Disney to compete with existing services like Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV Plus.
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Other top U.S. searches included Hurricane Dorian, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Women’s World Cup soccer championship. Americans also searched for information about a gathering near the U.S. military base known as Area 51. Area 51 is known in popular culture as a research center for government studies of creatures from outer space and alien spaceships.
Many of the search terms remained common across different parts of the world. For example, it was no surprise that the top searches in Britain involved Rugby and Cricket. This was also the case in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia.
The top vacation searches worldwide sought information about Maldives, Mexico, Japan, Bora Bora and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Under the subject “babies” Google reported that Baby Yoda and Baby Shark ranked ahead of royal baby, a search for information about the birth of a real baby to Britain’s Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle.
In many nations, environmental activist Greta Thunberg topped the search list.
In France, searches related to Notre Dame Cathedral were the most popular, followed by news about the country’s elections.
In Germany, the most popular searches included news about the death of designer Karl Lagerfeld and the European Parliament election.
In Canada, a top search question was, “Who should I vote for?”
While in South Africa, a top question searched was, “Why were cornflakes invented?”
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on information from Google. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in This Story
cricket – n. a game in which two teams of eleven people try to score points by hitting a ball and running between two wickets
vs – prep. a written abbreviation for versus used to say that one team or person is competing against another)
cathedral – n. the largest and most important church in a particular area
entertainment – n. shows, films, television, or other performances or activities that entertain people
uncertainty – n. not sure or not able to decide about something
soar – v. to increase to a high level very quickly
stream – n. listen or watch something on a computer or device
cornflakes – n. a food made from corn and usually eaten with milk for breakfast