2023-12-30 Barack Obama: African-American
VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Barack Obama. He first took office in 2009 and was re-elected in 2012. Because his presidency is so recent,…
2023-12-30 Goal! Do You Have One for 2024?
And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. December 31, 2023, means the new year 2024 is nearly here! At this time of the year, many people set…
2023-12-30 Affirmative Action Decision Tops Higher Education News in 2023
As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look back at the top stories and developments in higher education. They include a major high court decision on college admissions,…
2023-12-29 The World in Other Words in 2023
Many people consider choices from dictionary publishers, including artificial intelligence, authentic or rizz, to be “words of the year.” But the Associated Press reported on some words used in other…
2023-12-29 Remembering Newsmakers Who Died in 2023
2024 is just hours away. Before the world welcomes a new year, we remember some of the influential people who died in 2023. Sandra Day O’Connor We start with U.S.…
2023-12-29 Rappaccini’s Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Part One
Our story today is called “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. We will tell the story in two parts. Here is Kay Gallant with the first part of…
2023-12-29 Change and Vary
Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question about the words “change” and “vary.” Question: Hello Teacher, I’m Ali, and I live in Mashhad, Iran. What…
2023-12-28 The Year in Social Media
This year, social media services gained a lot of attention for their growth methods and for their influence. The Associated Press recently looked back at 2023 to see what developments…
2023-12-28 Vatican Experts Restore Masterpieces
Alessandra Zarelli works to keep the artwork of the Vatican Museums in good condition. She says, whenever she works on a masterpiece, she must calm her heart so her thinking…
2023-12-28 US Data Shows More Women Live in East, More Men in West
Official population data show more men live in the western United States, while more women live in the East and South. The data was collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.…
2023-12-28 Grammar and New Year’s Resolutions
The New Year comes on different dates for different cultures. And most of the Western world celebrates it on January 1st. One thing many cultures have in common is the…
2023-12-27 Afghan Girls Banned from Education after Sixth Grade
Bahara Rustam is 13 years old. She took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under…
2023-12-27 Looking at the Endangered Species Act after 50 Years
The Endangered Species Act had widespread support when President Richard Nixon signed it into law late in 1973. In the 50 years since, the effects of the legislation have been…
2023-12-27 Las Vegas Could Set Record for Marriages on New Year’s Eve
For better or for worse, the number of couples getting married in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, on New Year’s Eve could set a record. That is because the…
2023-12-27 Top Technology Stories of 2023
The past year marked the rise of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools. But here is a look back at some of the other noteworthy technology stories we covered…