【166-170】Koko, the Gorilla Who Knew Sign Language, Dies

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*【166】AS IT IS

Koko, the Gorilla Who Knew Sign Language, Dies

June 21, 2018

In this photo taken on May 13, 2008, Koko enjoys a day in the springtime sun at the Gorilla Foundation in California's Santa Cruz Mountains. (Photo: Ron Cohn for the Gorilla Foundation)

Koko, the gorilla who became famous for learning sign language, has died in the United States.

The California-based Gorilla Foundation that kept and studied Koko announced that she had passed away in her sleep on Tuesday. She was 46 years old.

“Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy,” the foundation said in a statement. “She was beloved and will be deeply missed.”

Koko was a western lowland gorilla born on July 4, 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo. The very next year, Koko began working with Dr. Francine Patterson, who taught her American Sign Language. Her keepers said Koko also understood some spoken English.

The teaching experiment became part of a larger project at California’s Stanford University in 1974. The Stanford project later expanded to include another western lowland gorilla, named Michael, who also learned sign language.

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Five years later, the Gorilla Foundation was created in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco. The two gorillas were moved there. Michael died in 2000.

Another gorilla named Ndume lived with Koko at the foundation. Researchers say he does not have the same sign language abilities as Koko and Michael.

Koko appeared in many films and television documentaries. She appeared twice in the magazine National Geographic. Her 1978 cover showed a photograph Koko had taken of herself in a mirror.

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The second issue, in 1985, included the story of Koko and her pet cat, named All Ball. The story led to the popular book “Koko’s Kitten,” which can be found in many schools worldwide.

Koko adopted two kittens on her 44th birthday — Ms. Gray and Ms. Black. She nurtured and protected them as if they were her own babies. (Gorilla Foundation)

In 1998, Koko appeared on the internet in what researchers called the first “interspecies chat.” The gorilla used the event to communicate through an interpreter to directly answer questions from fans.

In 2001, Koko got publicity again when actor Robin Williams went to visit her and talked about how moved he was by the experience. “We shared something extraordinary – laughter,” the late actor said at the time.

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Western lowland gorillas are threatened in their native environment of central Africa.

The Gorilla Foundation says it will continue to honor Koko by continuing to carry out ongoing projects. These include conservation efforts in Africa and expanding the Maui Great Ape Sanctuary in Hawaii.

In addition, the foundation says it plans to create a sign language computer appincluding Koko that is designed to help gorillas and children alike.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press and Reuters. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

icon – n. a widely known person or symbol

interspecies – adj. arising or occurring between species

empathy – adj. the ability to understand and share another person's experiences and emotions

mirror – n. piece of glass with a shiny material on one side that produces an image of anything that is in front of it

interpreter – n. someone whose job is to change what someone else is saying into another language

extraordinary – adj. very special, unusual, or strange

conservation – n. the protection of nature

app – n. a computer program designed to do a specific task or set of related or connected tasks

*【167】AS IT IS

US Patent and Trademark Office Issues 10-Millionth Patent

June 21, 2018

Partial view of Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent drawing from March 7, 1876.

The United States has issued its 10 millionth patent. President George Washington signed the first almost 228 years ago.

A patent is an official document that gives an individual or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, issued the newest patent Tuesday to the defense services company, Raytheon. The patent is for a system known as LADAR, which improves laser detection and ranging. The inventor, Joseph Marron, is an engineer for the Raytheon Company.

Patent officials say LADAR can be used in connection with self-driving vehicles, medical imaging devices, military defense systems and space and undersea exploration. Raytheon says the system uses a laser radar to send real-time data to a receiver.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross released a statement in honor of the issuance of the 10 millionth patent. He said the importance of the U.S. patent system “has never been greater.”

He added, “We know that it will not take another 228 years to achieve the next 10-million-patent milestone.”

The real deal

USPTO spokesman Paul Fucito told VOA that issuing the 10 millionth patent is a very important event in U.S. history.

He said, "It is a timely and relevant opportunity to promote the importance of innovation… as well as the history of America’s patent system.”

Inventor Marron compared winning the 10 millionth patent to a person who plays the lottery every month.

"Eventually, it hits," he said.

Back in March, at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, patent officials presented a new cover design to mark the issuance of the new patent.

Among the 10 million patents are inventions by Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Apple founder Steve Jobs. For every well-known inventor, however, there are many other, less recognizable people whose inventions have greatly influenced our world.

Fifteen of those men and women recently were honored for their important contributions, in a special ceremony at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria, Virginia.

On July 31, 1790, President Washington signed the first patent. The patent office said the document was issued for "a process of making potash, an ingredient used in fertilizer."

I’m Phil Dierking.

Candice Williams reported this story for VOANews. Phil Dierking adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Have you ever invented anything new? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

achieve - v. to get or reach (something) by working hard

detect - v. to discover or notice the presence of something

ingredient - n. one of the things that are used to make a food, product, etc.

promote - v. to change the rank or position of (someone) to a higher or more important one

range - v. to include everything between specified limits

relevant - adj. relating to a subject in an appropriate way

opportunity - n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

innovation - n. a new idea, device, or method

eventually - adv. at some later time

*【168】AS IT IS

China and the Philippines Discussing Possible Joint Fishing Deal

June 21, 2018

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2015, file photo, Chinese Coast Guard members approach Filipino fishermen as they confront each other off Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

China and the Philippines are discussing a joint fishing agreement they hope will ease a longtime sea territory dispute.

Philippine media said that the talks began after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met in April.

Fabrizio Bozzato is with the Taiwan Strategy Research Association in Taipei. He said if the agreement is reached, signed and put into effect, it would represent "a significant step forward in the relations between the two countries."

“Sharing resources is not a light matter, light issue.”

The Philippine government has often disputed China’s use of the South China Sea within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. This includes movement of Chinese fishing, coast guard and navy ships.

But in 2016, the countries’ two leaders met to build a stronger relationship. China agreed to invest $24 billion in development aid to the Philippines. The relationship-building effort has eased tensions over their South China Sea dispute.

Dispute behind them?

China uses historical maps to claim about 90 percent of the sea. However, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim control of parts of that 90 percent.

Duterte Xi 20161020

Between 2012 and 2016 tensions rose between the Philippines and China over the fishing-rich area of the Scarborough Shoal. Over time, the more powerful China took control.

Duterte visited China in October of 2016 to negotiate a solution. Soon after, China's Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi had called for "stronger bilateral cooperation in fisheries” and other areas.

However, experts say there are limits to what kind of deal is possible.

Jay Batongbacal, a professor at the University of the Philippines. He said the Philippines faces legal limits in making agreements. Antonio Contreras a political scientist at De La Salle University in the Philippines, agrees.

"If it is within our EEZ, it should not be a fishing agreement, it should be a fishing permit. It's not an agreement between equals, but it's more like I'm giving you permission to fish under my terms.'"

An official agreement might clearly identify where each country could fish, including rights of entry in disputed waters to both. But Batongbacal said tensions could rise again at any point without such agreement.

The Philippines signed a fisheries-related law enforcement agreement with Taiwan in 2015. Vietnam and Malaysia were working on a fishery deal last year.

Message to other countries

In 2016 the World Court ruled in favor of the Philippines over South China Sea territorial claims. China rejected the ruling, but has since sought peace with other claimants through agreements and economic aid.

A deal with the Philippines would mean China "gets access to resources, they can send their people there and they look good nationally and regionally," Bozzato said.

Risk of a bad deal?

As many as 1.6 million ships from several countries fish the South China Sea, says researchers at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Ralph Jennings wrote this story for VOANews.com Phil Dierking adapted their story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Do you think a deal between China and the Philippines would be good for the region? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

bilateral - adj. involving two groups or countries

exclusive - adj. not shared

zone - n. an area that is different from other areas in a particular way

region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

*【169】AS IT IS

Orlando International Airport to Scan Faces of US Citizens

June 21, 2018

FILE - A U.S. Customs and Border Protection facial recognition device is ready to scan another passenger at a United Airlines gate.

Florida’s busiest airport will be the first in the country to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights.

Officials there say all passengers, including U.S. citizens, will be scanned.

Orlando International Airport’s expected policy worries some privacy advocates. They say there are no rules in place for dealing with the information taken from the scans. Also, there is no system for assisting a passenger who is wrongly prevented from getting on an airplane.

Airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New York and Washington already use face scans for some departing international flights. However, they do not scan all international travelers like the airport in Orlando plans to do.

The image from the face scan is compared to a Department of Homeland Security biometric database. The department has images of people to confirm travelers’ identities.

Harrison Rudolph is with the Center on Privacy & Technology at the Georgetown University Law Center. He said U.S. citizens at these airports can refuse to be scanned. But the agency does not seem to be letting people know they can refuse, he noted.

Jennifer Gabris, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, wrote the Associated Press about the policy. U.S. citizens at the Orlando airport can refuse to be scanned if they do not want to provide their photograph, she wrote. However, a notice about a possible rule change for the program says “U.S. citizens may be required to provide photographs upon entering or departing the United States.”

Rudolph said the Orlando announcement marks an increase in the face scan program.

“We’re not talking about one gate,” he said. “We’re talking about every international departure gate, which is a huge expansion of the number of people who will be scanned. Errors tend to go up as uses go up.”

Orlando International Airport had about 6 million international passengers in the past year.

Rudolph said he is worried about the face scans’ exactness. Some research shows they are less exact with racial minorities, women and children. Some researchers say this is because pictures used in the face-scanning software underrepresent minorities, women and young people.

Last month, two U.S. senators sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, which is home to the border protection agency. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Mike Lee of Utah urged that official rules be put in place before the program is expanded.

Official rules, the senators explained, would help Americans understand and accept the program. They noted that this is important because it would affect every American leaving the country by airport.

I’m Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

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Words in This Story

scan – v. to look at the inside of (something) by using a special machine

depart – v. to leave

advocate – n. a person who argues for or supports a cause or policy

biometric – adj. involving the application of statistical analysis to biological data

gate – n. an area at an airport where passengers arrive and leave

error – n. a mistake

software – n. the programs that run on a computer and perform certain functions

*【170】AS IT IS

US Identifies North Korean Missile Test Area

June 21, 2018

A demonstration of a new rocket engine for the geo-stationary satellite at the Sohae Space Center n this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang September 20, 2016. KCNA via REUTERS.

The United States has identified the test site that President Donald Trump said North Korea promised to destroy.

A U.S. official said the site is the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the western part of the country. The official described it is as a major center that has been used for testing engines for long-distance missiles.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met June 12 in Singapore. Trump told reporters after the two met that Kim had agreed to destroy one of his missile centers. At the time, however, the president did not name the site.

The U.S. official told the Reuters news agency, “Chairman Kim promised that North Korea would destroy a missile engine test stand soon.” Reuters agreed not to identify the official.

The U.S. official also said: “The United States will continue to monitor this site closely as we move forward in our negotiations.”

North Korea has not publicly confirmed that Kim made such a promise.

CBS News was the first to identify the exact site. It is the newest of North Korea’s known major missile testing centers.

Trump has praised the Singapore meeting as a success. However, critics have questioned whether he gained anything. They say North Korea did not seem to make any clear new promises in a joint written declaration.

North Korea has rejected unilateral nuclear disarmament.

The U.S.-based North Korea monitoring group 38 North reported Friday that there had been no sign of any activity toward destroying Sohae or any other missile test site.

Little-known site

Little is known about the Sohae site, located in Tongchang-ri. What is know has been pieced together from experts’ reports and the North Korean state news agency KCNA.

Sohae Satellite Launching Station is seen in Sohae, North Korea, in this satellite image taken September 17, 2016 released by 38 North. 38 North/Handout via Reuters.

It was reportedly established 2008 with research centers nearby for missile development. It also reportedly has a structure that can support ballistic missiles. The site is mainly used to test large engines built for long-distance missiles.

Jenny Town is a research analyst with 38 North. She said North Korea has spent considerable effort and resources to develop it as a “civilian space program” center. She said the country denies the center has a military use.

Town said, “If North Korea does destroy the Sohae facility, they are also signaling that they are willing to stop satellite/rocket launches this time around as well.” She added that this issue has hurt negotiations in the past.

North Korea has other missile testing centers. But experts say that closing Sohae would be a major development.

Ahead of the Singapore meeting, North Korea announced the suspension of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing. It also closed its nuclear bomb test site.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke to reporters Wednesday about the issue. Reporters asked if North Korea had done anything toward denuclearization since the leaders’ meeting. Mattis answered: “No, I’m not aware of that.”

He added that, “it’s the very front end of a process. The detailed negotiations have not begun. I wouldn’t expect that at this point.”

Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum, said a shutdown of Sohae would be mainly symbolic.

Yang said, “Sohae has technically been used as an ‘engine’ testing site. North Korea has already finished developing (the) Baekdu Engine, so there would be no problem running ICBM missile programs even if they close down the Sohae site.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Reuters reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

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