20180504VoaLeb:
【1】Vanuatu to Evacuate an Entire Island
【2】New NASA Mars Mission Will Study Deep Under Planet’s Surface
【3】EVERYDAY GRAMMAR Can You Find the Clauses?
【4】The Making of a Nation(no transcript)
(1)
AS IT IS
Vanuatu to Evacuate an Entire Island
May 03, 2018
FILE - This Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 photo provided by GeoHazards Divison, Vanuatu Meteorological and GeoHazards Department, shows an aerial view of the volcanic cone that has formed in Lake Vui near the summit of Ambae Island, Vanuatu. (Brad Scott/GeoHazards Divison, VMGD via AP)
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu is preparing to permanently evacuate the entire population of one of its islands.
Thick ash from a volcano kills crops, dirties water, and pollutes the air for the 10,000 people who live on Ambae Island. Some are eager to leave, but others are resisting losing their land and culture.
Most people on Ambae live by farming and fishing. Hundreds of people have already created temporary homes on parts of the island that are not so affected by the ash.
Ambae is one of about 65 inhabited islands in Vanuatu, an island country of 280,000 people. The country is on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” -- an area where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.
The people who lived on Ambae Island were temporarily evacuated last September when the volcano erupted. This time, authorities are planning a permanent move.
Countries including France, New Zealand and Australia provided aid and financial help for the earlier evacuation. On Thursday, Australia announced it was providing 300,000 Australian dollars (about $226,000 US) to help with the island’s permanent evacuation.
Government spokesman Hilaire Bule told The Associated Press that he expects the move to be approved by next week. He said officials still had to organize many details, including providing schools for students and homes for people.
Bule said the population will be offered places on two neighboring islands, Maewo and Pentecost. Many people from Ambae have close family and spiritual ties to the two islands.
Traditional religion says that the three islands are part of a family - Pentecost the mother, Maewo the father and Ambae the son.
When asked if the islanders might be able to move back some day, Bule said that was not a question for him.
He added, “You’ll have to ask the volcano.”
I'm Jonathan Evans.
Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on the AP news reports. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
evacuate - v. to remove (someone) from a dangerous place
inhabit - v. to live in a place
erupt - v. to send out rock, ash, lava, etc.. from a volcano
2】科技New NASA Mars Mission Will Study Deep Under Planet’s Surface
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
New NASA Mars Mission Will Study Deep Under Planet’s Surface
May 03, 2018
This August 2015 artist's rendering provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech depicts the InSight Mars lander studying the interior of Mars.
NASA, the American space agency, is sending a robotic scientist to Mars. It will dig deeper than ever before to study the planet’s geological activity.
The Mars InSight spacecraft launches May 5. On Mars, the spacecraft will use scientific instruments to take the first measurements of “marsquakes,” or quakes on Mars. It will also measure the circular movement of Mars on its axis to better understand the size and makeup of its core.
The spacecraft’s instruments will permit scientists “to stare down deep into the planet,” said Bruce Banerdt. He is with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the mission’s chief scientist.
The $1-billion, joint U.S.-European mission marks the first study of the inside of Mars. Scientists hope the research will help them understand how Mars formed 4.5 billion years ago.
Mars is smaller and less geologically active than Earth. On Earth, geological movements over time have changed the planet’s original makeup.
Mars, though, has more evidence of its early development, Banerdt said.
During the launch, InSight will also take two small satellites with it. After liftoff, the satellites will break free and then follow the spacecraft for six months as it travels to Mars. The satellites will not stop at Mars, though. Instead, they will fly past the planet.
Scientists call the two satellites CubeSats. Their purpose is to test whether they can provide a communication link with InSight as it lands on Mars on November 26.
InSight will launch from central California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. It will be the first time that NASA has launched a mission to another planet from somewhere other than Florida’s Cape Canaveral.
A difficult trip
The trip to Mars will be difficult. Only 40 percent of spacecraft that have tried to reach the red planet have made it. The United States is the only country to have successfully landed and operated spacecraft on Mars.
The first time was in 1976, with the Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft. The most recent landing was in 2012, by the Curiosity rover. A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet.
The InSight will use a parachute and engine firings to lower itself to Mars. Scientists predict it will take seven minutes for the spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Mars and then land on the planet.
However, Banerdt says landing on Mars with a spacecraft that is not much bigger than two office desks will not be easy.
Digging deeper than ever before
Once on the surface, InSight will dig almost five meters into the planet’s surface. At the same time, a robotic arm will place a scientific instrument that measure quakes on Mars’ surface. It will detect the planet’s vibrations.
InSight stands for “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.” It weighs 694 kilograms. It has three legs, and will not be able to move around.
InSight’s scientific mission is similar to NASA’s Apollo program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, Apollo astronauts dug over two meters into the moon’s surface so that scientists back home could measure the moon’s underground flow of heat.
Earlier Mars missions have dug just below the surface to research the red planet’s rocks, minerals, atmosphere and magnetic fields. But Banerdt says scientists have never examined any deeper into the surface.
“Mars is still a pretty mysterious planet,” Banerdt said. “Even with all the studying that we’ve done, it could throw us a curveball.”
I’m Phil Dierking.
Marcia Dunn reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted her story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
What do you think they will learn about Mars? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
axis - n. the imaginary straight line that something (such as the Earth) turns around
briefcase - n. a flat case that is used for carrying papers or books
core - n. the central part of a fruit (such as an apple) that contains the seeds
curveball - n. a pitch that is thrown with spin so that the ball curves in the air
desk - n. a piece of furniture that is like a table and often has drawers
dig - v. to move soil, sand, snow, etc., in order to create a hole
geological - adj. a science that studies rocks, layers of soil, etc., in order to learn about the history of the Earth and its life
mission - n. a task or job that someone is given to do
spacecraft - n. a vehicle that is used for travel in outer space
vibration - n. a continuous slight shaking movement
(3)
EVERYDAY GRAMMAR
Can You Find the Clauses?
May 03, 2018
Imagine we are having a conversation about dance. Suddenly I say, “Because I love to dance!”
You might learn something about me: that I love dancing. But you might also look at me strangely since I told you only a reason for something, but I didn’t tell you anything else about it. If my remark does not seem like a complete sentence, that is because it is not!
The words “because I love to dance” are something called a clause: a group of words that contain a subject and a verb. You might remember the definition of a clause from a past Everyday Grammar program. Today, we will show you the difference between dependent and independent clauses.
In the example about dance, the subject is “I” and the verb is “love.” But “because I love to dance” does not express a complete thought; it is a dependent clause.
English has three common types of dependent clauses: noun clauses, relative clauses and adverb clauses. It would be unusual to write a paragraph or talk for a few minutes without using at least one of these. In fact, in my first few paragraphs alone, I have used at least two of these types of clauses.
Ultimately, understanding how clauses work will help you identify and avoid incomplete or structurally unsound sentences. And this will strengthen your speaking skills – and especially your writing skills.
What is a clause?
As I just said, a clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. But that structure alone does not guarantee a complete sentence. Clauses can be dependent, or incomplete, or independent or complete.
Every complete sentence in English contains at least one clause; many sentences have two or more clauses.
So, let’s return to our example about dance. If I said to you, “I never miss Samantha’s class because I love to dance,” I would be expressing myself in a complete sentence.
The sentence has two clauses: “I never miss Samantha’s class” and “because I love to dance.”
Independent clauses
Independent clauses contain the main subject and main verb of a sentence. They express clear thoughts and can stand alone as sentences. In our example, “I never miss Samantha’s class” is an independent clause. It is a complete sentence on its own and does not need “because I love to dance” to express a complete thought.
In sentences containing more than one clause, independent clauses are usually called “main clauses.”
Dependent clauses
Now, let’s talk about dependent clauses, also called “subordinate clauses.” Remember, the clause “because I love to dance” contains a subject and verb, but it is stilldependent. It leaves you feeling like something is missing. Another good indication that this clause is dependent is that the word “because” signals an adverb clause. But, it only contains one subject and one verb. So, the other part of the sentence – the independent clause -- is missing.
Dependent clauses depend on – or need – independent clauses to express complete thoughts.
Listen to more examples of dependent clauses and decide for yourself: does it seem like something is missing? Listen:
If my aunt arrives by 3pm. That’s an adverb clause.
Who lives in the building. That’s a relative clause.
What you did last summer. That’s a noun clause.
Again: All of these are dependent clauses: They leave you knowing that you need more information to get the complete idea. Words like if, because, who, what, thatand other words often – but not always -- signal dependent clauses.
Now, let’s listen to complete sentences for each example:
We can still see the monuments today if my aunt arrives by 3pm.
My friend who lives in the building is away this weekend.
I know what you did last summer.
You may recognize this third sentence as the title of a 1997 American horror film, adapted from a book of the same title.
Each of the examples contains two clauses: a dependent clause connected to an independent clause.
Remember – independent clauses express complete thoughts by themselves. So, “We can still see the monuments today”; “My friend is away this weekend”; and even “I know” are all independent clauses – they are complete sentences on their own. However, their dependent clauses provide more information.
Is it a sentence?
Ok, so we learned that some clauses are complete sentences and some are not. Now, let’s practice a bit.
Listen to some examples. Are they complete sentences? Can you locate the dependent clauses? The independent clauses?
Listen:
After we visited the French Market on Saturday.
Who is crossing Broad Street.
She works with a computer that is older than she is.
I wish that I could live by the beach all summer.
The box that is near the elevator.
Write your answers in the comments section.
Being able to recognize independent and dependent clauses lays the foundation for understanding the three main types of clauses: noun clauses, adverb clauses and relative clauses. And, this is a skill that will go a very long way in helping you make progress on your English speaking and writing.
Join us again soon when we will tell you about adverb clauses.
I’m Alice Bryant.
Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.
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Words in This Story
remark – n. something that someone says or writes to express an opinion or idea
unsound – adj. poorly built or in bad condition
monument – n. a building or statue that honors a person or event
title – n. the name given to something, such as a book, song, or movie, to identify or describe it
practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it
foundation – n. something, such as an idea, a principle, or a fact, that provides support for something
go a long way – expression. to be helpful in achieving some goal
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