LISTENING

Three Jailed Iranian Female Journalists Win United Nations Prize

The United Nations announced on Tuesday that its prize for (1) ____________ has been
awarded to three imprisoned Iranian female journalists “for their commitment to (2) _________
and (3) ___________.”
The winners are Niloufar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi and Narges Mohammadi.
Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi covered the story of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who
died while being held by Iran’s (4) ______________ last September. She had been accused of
wearing her head covering too (5) __________.
Hamedi broke the news of Amini’s death and Elaheh Mohammadi wrote about her funeral. Both
women were arrested for their reporting work.
The news of Amini’s death led to months of protests in many cities across Iran. One of the
media (6) ____________ who chose the winners, Zainab Salbi, said the brave work of the
winners “led to a historical women-led (7) ______________.”
The third prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, has worked for many years as a journalist and is
one of Iran’s most (8) ____________ activists. She has won numerous international awards for
her (9) __________ against the (10) __________ in Iran. She has been repeatedly detained
and imprisoned for her work. The UN’s cultural organization, UNESCO, says Mohammadi is
currently serving a 16-year prison term in Iran’s Evin Prison.
Audrey Azoulay is the director-general of UNESCO. At an award ceremony in New York on
Tuesday, Azoulay said: “Now more than ever, it is important to pay tribute to all women
journalists who are prevented from doing their jobs and who face threats and attacks on their
(11) _____________________.”
The prize is officially known as the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. It is
named for Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalist who was killed in front of his newspaper’s
office in 1986.
The prize is given each year on (12) ______________, World Press Freedom Day.
I’m Dan Friedell.
1) press freedom
2) truth
3) accountability
4) morality police
5) loosely
6) professionals
7) revolution
8) well-known
9) activism
10) dealth penalty
11) personal safety
12) May 3
 Iran Closing Businesses Not Following Hijab Law
Iranian officials have been shutting down businesses that they say violate the law requiring
women to wear (1) _____________ called hijabs.
Ali Akbar Javidan is the police commander of Kermanshah Province. He said the Public Places
(2) _____________, along with other agencies, has begun enforcing “the chastity and hijab
plan."
Javidan said 45 businesses were closed after (3) __________ warnings to follow the hijab law.
Iran recently launched a new (4) ___________________ program for enforcing that law.
Many women in Iran have publicly opposed the law since the death last September of Mahsa
Amini. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman died while in police (5) _____________. She had been
arrested for not wearing the head cover. Her death led to (6) ____________ protests.
Security forces violently suppressed the demonstrations. A report by the Human Rights Activists
News Agency in early January found that (7) _____________ have been killed, including 70
children.
The U.S.-based group said about 19,200 people also were arrested, including almost 700
students.
Homayoun Katouzian is an Iranian studies professor at Oxford University. He (8)
______________ Iran's law requiring the hijab in an interview with VOA.
"When (9) _______ and (10) ________ are not compulsory, and there is no crime for not doing
them, why should the hijab be (11) _______________?"
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has threatened those who do not follow the law with "(12)
____________ of public services." The minister formerly served as commander of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps.
I’m Caty Weaver.
Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by the VOA Persian
Service.
1. head covers
2. Supervision Department
3. ignoring
4. surveillance
5. detention
6. nationwide
7. 516 protesters
8. criticized
9. prayer
10. fasting
11. compulsory
12. deprivation
 Finnish Paper Uses Video Game to Avoid Russia’s Press Restrictions
Finland's largest daily newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, marked World Press Freedom Day on
May 3 by using a popular online (1) _____________ to get around Russian media restrictions.
Editor-in-chief Antero Mukka said the paper has (2) ________ stories about Russia's war in
Ukraine in the game Counter-Strike. The game is popular worldwide and among young Russian
men.
Russia has restricted (3) ________________ sources in the country since its invasion of
Ukraine. Since last year, the government has banned free reporting and blocked Russians from
getting independent media content produced in other countries.
In answer to laws restricting (4) ____________ in Russia, Helsingin Sanomat began publishing
some of its Ukraine and Russia-related news in Russian last year. But Russia quickly restricted
the content.
Mukka told Reuters reporters, "…We decided that maybe it's possible to find some new
channels to provide Russian audience with some (5) _________, (6) ____________journalism
for example about the situations in Ukraine.”
So they turned to Counter-Strike. The game was released in 2012 by U.S.-based private game
maker Valve Corporation. It ranks among the world's top 10 most popular computer games,
data from the (7) ____________ Newzoo shows.
The newspaper built a map of an unspecified war-torn Slavic city and named it “de_voyna.” The
word “voyna” in Russian means war. The term is banned in Russia as a description of the
conflict in Ukraine. The Russian government instead calls the war a “special (8)
_____________________.”
The map hides a secret room where the paper keeps images and stories of the (9)
___________ witnessed by its reporters and photographers in Ukraine.
Mukka said the Finnish newspaper did not seek Valve's (10) __________ to add its content to
the game. Counter-Strike lets users (11) _________ and (12) ________ their own content to its
platform.
Mukka said, "If some young men in Russia, just because of this game, happen to think for a (13)
_____________ what is going on in Ukraine then it's (14)____________.”
I'm Ashley Thompson.

1. video game
2. hidden
3. independent news
4. press freedom
5. reliable
6. independent
7. research firm
8. military operation
9. cruelties
10. permission
11. create
12. add
13. couple of seconds
14. worth it
 Report: 25% of Jobs Will Change in the Next Five Years
A new study has found that about 25 percent of jobs are going to change in the next five years.
The finding comes from a survey of (1) ___________ published Monday by the World Economic
Forum (WEF). The organization is best known for its yearly meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
About 69 million jobs will be created and 83 million removed by 2027, it said. That will result in a
total decrease of 2 percent of (2) _______________, the Future of Jobs report said.
The survey is based on data from about 800 companies employing more than 11 million
workers. It used data from 673 million jobs.
Technology and (3) __________ can lead to both the (4) _________ of jobs and the (5)
____________ of jobs, a summary of the report said.
Companies are looking to increase their use of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI),
(6) ____________ and (7) _______________, the study found. More than 75 percent of
companies say they will be using those technologies in the next five years. About 86 percent of
companies surveyed said they want to use more (8) ________________ and mobile apps.
(9) __________ already do a large amount of work. The companies surveyed estimated that 34
percent of tasks are done by machines, with 66 percent of tasks (10) _____________ by
humans. AI is expected to be used by 75 percent of surveyed companies in the coming years.
As a result, the fastest growing jobs are related to technology.
The fastest declining jobs will be those that can be automated, like secretaries and (11)
____________. The demand for AI machine learning specialists and (12) _____________
experts is expected to grow greatly, the report said.

1. employers
2. current employment
3. digitalization
4. creation
5. destruction
6. cloud computing
7. big data
8. digital platforms
9. Machines
10. completed
11. bank tellers
12. cybersecurity
 83-year-old Hopes to Run Olympic ‘Marathon for All’ in Paris
At age 83, Barbara Humbert dreams of taking part in next year's 'Marathon for All’ race at the
Paris Olympic Games.
It is the first event of its kind, permitting (1) ______________ atheletes to run the same race
path as the Olympic marathon athletes.
Humbert has a history of success suggesting she could beat some runners half her age.
Not your usual (2) _____________, the German-born Frenchwoman runs 50 kilometers a week.
She has competed in many marathons - and has the medals to show for it.
"It's (3) ____________ to have the Olympics in Paris," said Humbert at her home in Eaubonne.
The town is one hour's drive north of Paris. "It would be a gift for my (4) _____________," she
added. "For me it would be a (5) _________ achievement."
However, Humbert is unsure if she will get to compete in the race because the number of
runners is limited.
In marathons, runners often receive race bibs – a piece of paper with a number on it to (6)
_____________ the runner. Race bibs for the Marathon for All will be limited to 20,024, to be
chosen in a (7) _____________.
Humbert’s husband Jacques is her biggest supporter. He is helping where he can. He is waiting
to hear from the sports (8) __________ about the request to reserve a bib for his wife. The
ministry was not (9) _________________________ for comment to the Reuters news agency.
Many medals hang in the entrance of Barbara and Jacques’ home.
They remind Barbara of all the races she has been part of, from Athens to Boston and many
other cities. She estimates that she has run about 8,000 kilometers in those races.
More than 40 years after she first started racing, Humbert beat a (10) ___________ in her group
during the French athletics championships last year.
She ran 125 kilometers in 24 hours.
How did she do it? By training a lot, and being careful with her (11) __________, she said.
Humbert wants others to follow in her (12) ____________. She said of running, "It gives you
balance. You run, you empty your head, you feel so much better afterwards."
Barbara is not planning to stop anytime soon. "As long as my joints don't (13) _____________
in pain, I will keep running," she said.
I’m John Russell.

1. amateur
2. great-grandmother
3. extraordinary
4. 60th marathon
5. Crowning
6. identify
7. random draw
8. ministry
9. immediately available
10. world record
11. diet
12. footsteps
13. cry out
 Reading
Food Prices Fall on World Markets but not for Most People
The global market prices of grains, vegetable, milk-based and other agricultural products
have been falling. The price drops, however, have not yet made it to everyday buyers around
the world. Around the world, food prices are staying painfully high.
Food prices were already high when Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. The
invasion caused major problems to the grain and fertilizer trade. Food prices rose quickly.
But on a global level, that price shock ended a while ago. The United Nations says global
food prices have fallen for 12 straight months. Good harvests in places like Brazil and Russia
and a wartime agreement that permitted grain shipments out of the Black Sea helped lead to the
drop in food prices.
Yet, prices at food stores are still rising. And that affects people everywhere, from the
United States and Europe to struggling countries in the developing world.
Food prices were 19.5 percent higher in the European Union last month compared to a
year earlier and 19.2 percent higher in Britain.
Joseph Glauber is former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said
that the cost of agricultural products is just one reason for the continued high cost of food.
In the United States, food prices were up 8.5 percent last month compared to one year
earlier. Glauber said that “75 percent of the costs are coming after it leaves the farm.”
He added, “It’s energy costs. It’s all the processing costs. All the transportation costs. All
the labor costs.”
Food inflation, Glauber said, “will come down, but it’s going to come down slowly, largely
because these other factors are still running pretty high.”
Another reason for high food prices in the United States, observers say, is a wave of
mergers that have reduced competition in the food industry.
White House officials last year noted that just four companies control 85 percent of the
U.S. beef market. Beef is meat that comes from cows. Similarly, just four companies control 70
percent of the pork market and 54 percent of the poultry market. Pork meat comes from pigs;
poultry is meat from birds including chickens and ducks.
Those companies, critics say, can use their market power to raise prices.
Glauber, who is now a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute, is
not sure that mergers are the reason for high food prices. He agreed that big agribusinesses
can bring in profits when prices rise. But things usually even out over time. And their earnings
go down in other times.
“I couldn’t point my finger at the fact that we just have a handful of meat producers,”
Glauber said.
In other countries, Glauber said, a strong U.S. dollar is to blame for keeping food prices
high. In other high food price times, the dollar was not as strong.
 Glauber said prices for corn and wheat are given in dollars per ton. Because of the strong
dollar, people in other countries have not felt the price drops that have shown up in global food
markets.
In Hungary, people are increasingly unable to deal with the biggest increases in food
prices in the E.U., reaching 45 percent in March.
Joszef Varga is a fruit and vegetable seller in Budapest historic Grand Market Hall. He
said wholesale costs have risen by 20 to 30 percent. All his buyers have felt the increased
prices – some more than others.
“Those with more money in their wallets buy more, and those with less buy less,” he said.
In Pakistan, store owner Mohammad Ali said some customers are no longer buying meat.
They buy more vegetables and beans instead. But even the price of vegetables, beans, rice and
wheat are up as much as 50 percent.
Sitting in her home outside Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, 45-year-old Zubaida Bibi said,
“Our life was never easy, but now the price of everything has increased so much that it has
become difficult to live.”
I’m Gregory Stachel.

1. Words and expressions

a) price shock:
b) a wave of mergers:
c) market power:
d) agribusinesses:
e) point my finger:

2. Comprehension questions
a) What are the consequences on the food prices when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022?
b) What are five reasons behind the continued high cost of food, according to Joseph Glauber?
c) What does White House officials say about the wave of mergers in the food industry?
d) Why haven’t people in some countries felt the price drops in global food markets?
e) How does the customers in Hungary react to the increased prices?

ANSWER KEYS

1. Words and expressions

a) price shock: a sudden, surprising rise in food prices
b) a wave of mergers: a trend of many companies joining into one
c) market power: influence in the market
d) agribusinesses: companies and businesses specializing in agriculture
e) point my finger: accuse or blame someone

2. Comprehension questions
a) What are the consequences on the food prices when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022?
The invasion caused major problems to the grain and fertilizer trade. Food prices rose
quickly.
b) What are five reasons behind the continued high cost of food, according to Joseph Glauber?
They are high agricultural costs, energy costs, the processing costs, transportation costs,
and labor costs.

c) What does White House officials say about the wave of mergers in the food industry?
White House officials last year noted that just four companies control 85 percent of the
U.S. beef market. Similarly, just four companies control 70 percent of the pork market and 54
percent of the poultry market.
d) Why haven’t people in some countries felt the price drops in global food markets?
People in some countries felt the price drops in global food markets because of the
strong dollar.

e) How does the customers in Hungary react to the increased prices?

Those with more money in their wallets buy more, and those with less buy less in Hungary.
 US Company Aims to Reopen a Retired Nuclear Power Plant
About one year ago, a company that usually takes apart closed nuclear power centers,
bought one in the state of Michigan.
Holtec Decommissioning International purchased the Palisades Nuclear Generating
Station in the western part of Michigan.
The company planned to take radioactive materials from the center, make the buildings
safe and prepare the land along Lake Michigan for future use.
A new plan
But after a short time, company leaders started thinking about restarting energy
production at the plant.
That is because a law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in
late 2021 included $6 billion to keep older nuclear plants open.
Those who run Holtec thought they could use some of that money to fix some of the
plant’s problems and reopen it.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Michigan leaders supported Holtec’s
plan. So, the company wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and asked
the federal government for money to help bring the plant back into operation.
Local leaders said the power plant will bring jobs back to the area. State leaders, such as
Whitmer, said the power from the plant would be important for Michigan’s economy.
Critics promise to fight
But critics of the plant said it had many problems when it was opened under the earlier
owner, Energy.
In fact, Entergy closed the center earlier than planned because a Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) report showed many problems. One of the problems was with a device that
controls the plant’s nuclear reaction.
Kevin Kamps opposes the plan to reopen the Palisades plant. He works for the nonprofit
group Beyond Nuclear. He said he would “fight this proposal at every turn” and said the plan
was risky.
Independent experts say reopening a nuclear plant like Palisades would be difficult.
Jacopo Buongiorno is a nuclear engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. He said restarting the plant would be “a massive challenge.”
But it is costly to build new nuclear plants. And there are not yet other methods that can
equal the production of a nuclear plant like Palisades that are as clean.
While there are safety concerns about nuclear power, it does not produce any pollution.
The Biden administration is looking for ways to cut the pollution linked to energy.
Money and more
 One way to reduce pollution is to extend the life of older nuclear plants. In 2022, the
Department of Energy awarded a plant in California $1.1 billion to stay open. It was to be closed
down starting in 2024.
Holtec believes it will need a similar amount of money to reopen Palisades. It applied for a
$1 billion loan from the U.S. government and asked Michigan for $300 million.
Kelly Trice is Holtec’s president. He said the company will need help. For example, he
said Holtec would need a utility company to buy the power from the plant. Trice did not say the
exact cost of reopening the plant.
Kraig Shultz lives about 80 kilometers from the plant. He thought he did not have to worry
about an accident any longer.
He likes being close to the lake and enjoying nature. So, he is worried that an accident
would make him move his family away from a place he loves.
Shultz said: “We’re playing a losing game when we keep running something until it fails.”
I’m Jill Robbins. And I’m Dan Friedell.

1. Words and expressions

a) takes apart:
b) bring the plant back into operation:
c) fight this proposal at every turn:
d) equal the production:
e) playing a losing game:

2. Comprehension questions
a) What does Holtec Decommissioning International want to do with the Palisades Nuclear
Generating Station?
b) How does Michigan official react to Holtec’s plan?
c) Why did the center have to close earlier than originally planned?
d) According to the article, what is one way to reduce pollution?
e) What is Kraig Shultz worried about?

ANSWER KEY

1. Words and expressions

a) takes apart: to separate, disassemble something
b) bring the plant back into operation: restart the plant
c) fight this proposal at every turn: always oppose to the proposal/plan continually
d) equal the production: match the level of productivity
e) playing a losing game: make lots of efforts to do something that is sure to fail

2. Comprehension questions
a) What does Holtec Decommissioning International want to do with the Palisades Nuclear
Generating Station?

They want to take radioactive materials from the center, make the buildings safe and prepare
the land along Lake Michigan for future use.

b) How does Michigan official react to Holtec’s plan?

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other Michigan leaders supported Holtec’s plan.

c) Why did the center have to close earlier than originally planned?

The center was closed earlier than planned because a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
report showed many problems. One of the problems was with a device that controls the plant’s
nuclear reaction.

d) According to the article, what is one way to reduce pollution?

One way to reduce pollution is to extend the life of older nuclear plants.

e) What is Kraig Shultz worried about?

He is worried that an accident would make him move his family away from a place he loves.
 Will changing offices to housing help the US Market

Officials in many American cities say they want companies to turn empty office buildings
into housing.

These housing plans, known as office-to-housing conversions, can help downtown

business areas that became empty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some policy makers consider conversions a way to increase the supply of less costly, or
affordable, housing. Critics doubt the positive effects of these changes.

The push to change office buildings to housing

In the fall of 2022, the Congressional Research Services, or CRS, released a report. The
report noted that housing costs in the United States have become a big issue. That is because
housing prices are high, housing supplies are limited, and mortgage interest rates are rising.

The report noted that there have been some increases in new house building activities.
But problems related to rising building costs and the availability of labor and materials remain.

At the same time, vacancy rates at downtown office buildings continue to rise. Vacancy
rates show how much unused office space there is. The real estate business CBRE said the
vacancy rate was 12.2 percent in the last three months of 2019. The number increased to 17.8
percent in the first three months of 2023. Some places with the lowest use of office space
include San Francisco with a vacancy rate of 29.4 percent, Houston at 23.6 percent,
Philadelphia at 21.7 percent and Washington, D.C. at 20.3 percent.

As a result of limited housing supply and the increasing number of empty office buildings,
a number of cities are offering lower taxes for building developers. These tax breaks aim to
increase office-to-housing conversions. One requirement is that a set percentage of apartments
are offered at below-market prices.

In January, Pittsburgh announced it was accepting ideas to produce more affordable

housing through the “conversion of...underutilized office space.” Underutilized means that the
space is not being used.

In October, Boston released a plan aimed at improving downtown. The plan included a
push for more housing, some of which would come from office conversions.

And Seattle in Washington state launched a competition in April for downtown building
owners and design companies to come up with conversion ideas.

In Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser wants office-to-housing conversions to help

repopulate the downtown area. Her plan, announced earlier this year, seeks to add 15,000 new
residents downtown, adding to the approximately 25,000 who already live here.

“We’re not going to have as many workers downtown as we had before the pandemic,”
Bowser said earlier this year. “Our job is to make sure that we are getting more people
downtown.
1. Words and expressions
a) office-to-housing conversions:
b) housing supplies:
c) vacancy rates:
d) underutilized:
e) getting more people downtown:

2. Comprehension questions
a) What does some policy makers think about office-to-housing conversions?
b) What does the report of the Congressional Research Services (CRS) say about housing
costs?
c) What are the places with the lowest use of office space, according to CBRE?
d) When did Boston released a plan aimed at improving downtown?
e) What is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan in Washington DC?

ANSWER KEY

1. Words and expressions

a) office-to-housing conversions: the transformation of working offices to accommodation
b) housing supplies: household equipment and utilities
c) vacancy rates: the percentage of all available space for rent
d) underutilized: underuse/not use something as much as it should be
e) getting more people downtown: attract more citizens to move to the city centre

2. Comprehension questions
a) What does some policy makers think about office-to-housing conversions?
Some policy makers consider conversions a way to increase the supply of less costly, or
affordable, housing.

b) What does the report of the Congressional Research Services (CRS) say about housing
costs?
The report noted that housing costs in the United States have become a big issue. That is
because housing prices are high, housing supplies are limited, and mortgage interest rates are
rising.

c) What are the places with the lowest use of office space, according to CBRE?
According to CBRE, these places include San Francisco (with a vacancy rate of 29.4
percent), Houston (at 23.6 percent), Philadelphia (at 21.7 percent) and Washington, D.C. (at
20.3 percent).

d) When did Boston released a plan aimed at improving downtown?

Boston released a plan aimed at improving downtown in October.

e) What is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan in Washington DC?

Her plan seeks to add 15,000 new residents downtown, adding to the approximately 25,000
who already live here.

India Railroad to Kashmir Close to Completion

Indian Railways is getting closer to finishing work on a new rail line connecting Indian-
controlled Kashmir to the rest of India.
Officials say the line could bring big changes to the area. They say it will permit faster
movement of people, goods, and security workers.
Indian-controlled Kashmir shares a border with India’s two main competitors, Pakistan and
China.
Darshana Jardosh is India’s minister of state for railways. During a visit to check on
progress on the line, she said the railway network is important for security.
Officials say the 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project
involves highly advanced engineering knowledge. The line runs through a mountainous area.
Irfan Mushtaq, a contractor for Konkan Railways, is building a railway station at Reasi,
near the southern end of the line. He told VOA that it had been one of the most challenging
projects he has ever worked on because of the terrain, lack of skilled laborers and bad weather.
“We have worked day and night for this project to complete. This project will benefit the
locals of Reasi and the people of the region as a whole,” he said.
The USBRL was declared a “national project” in 2002.
Officials say the line will contain the world’s highest rail bridge, 38 tunnels and 931
bridges. The Chenab Bridge crosses the Chenab River at a height of 366 meters. The tunnels
will have a combined length of 119 kilometers. The system will include the two longest
transportation tunnels in India at 12.75 and 11.2 kilometers.
The project also includes the Anji Khad Bridge, Indian Railway’s first cable-supported rail
bridge. The 750-meter bridge will cross high above the Anji Khad River. The part supported by
cables will be 473 meters long.
India created a rail connection to Jammu after gaining independence from British rule in
1947. The first passenger train arrived at Jammu station in December 1972. But it has taken
another 50 years for Indian Railways to build the rail line through to the Kashmir Valley.
Devendra Sharma is a site engineer with the company Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. It has
been building a bridge at Reasi since 2016. He praised the jobs created by the project and
noted that the company hires local workers.
“On average, we employed 700-800 laborers daily to complete this bridge, which we
expect to complete by the end of May,” Sharma said.
Officials say the railway line will also increase tourism in the region and give local
farmers access to a larger market.
 However, some Kashmiris are concerned the project could harm the area. It currently is
India’s only Muslim majority region. Some local Muslims worry that the rail line could change
that.
Some also oppose the increased military presence in the area that is expected as a
result of the project.
I’m Faith Pirlo.

1. Words and expressions

a) Indian-controlled Kashmir:
b) permit:
c) worked day and night:
d) give local farmers access to a larger market:
e) increased military presence:

2. Comprehension questions
a) What are the big changes in the area that the new rail line can bring?
b) What are the challenges in working for the project, according to Irfan Mushtaq?
c) Where does Devendra Sharma work?
d) When did the first passenger train arrive at Jammu station?
e) What are some concerns about the project?

ANSWER KEY

1. Words and expressions

a) Indian-controlled Kashmir: The region called Kashmir that is being governed by India
b) permit: allow someone to do something
c) worked day and night: to keep working all the time
d) give local farmers access to a larger market: to allow local those working on local farms to
benefit from a larger base of customers
e) increased military presence: the rising appearance of armed forces/military personnel

2. Comprehension questions
a) What are the big changes in the area that the new rail line can bring?
The changes include faster movement of people, goods, and security workers.
b) What are the challenges in working for the project, according to Irfan Mushtaq?
These challenges are the terrain, lack of skilled laborers and bad weather.

c) Where does Devendra Sharma work?

Devendra Sharma is a site engineer with the company Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, which has
been building a bridge at Reasi since 2016.

d) When did the first passenger train arrive at Jammu station?

The first passenger train arrived at Jammu station in December 1972
e) What are some concerns about the project?
Some Kashmiris are concerned the project could harm the area, and it can change the
face that it currently is India’s only Muslim majority region. Some also oppose the increased
military presence in the area that is expected as a result of the project.
 Texas Town Considers Closing Library to Ban Some Books

The American Library Association (ALA) reported in March that attempts to ban books in
libraries and schools in the United States set a record last year.

The group said there were 1,269 attempts to “censor library books and resources in
2022.” That is almost double the number of attempts from the year before. And it is the highest
number reached in more than 20 years.

The ALA reported that a record 2,571 books were targeted. The large majority of those
books were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color, the
report says.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone is head of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. She said,
"The choice of what to read must be left to the reader or, in the case of children, to parents.
That choice does not belong to self-appointed book police.”

But conservative lawmakers and supporters say they want to ban some books to protect
children from harmful materials.

A new law in the midwestern state of Missouri has resulted in several books being
removed from libraries. In the state of Florida, lawmakers recently passed three new laws
related to controlling reading material.

In the northwestern state of Idaho, Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation that
would ban public libraries from holding material judged harmful to minors.

And one town in the state of Texas is considering going a step further — closing the public
library.

'A book's never hurt anybody'

Llano is a rural town 120 kilometers from Austin, the state capital. There, officials
proposed closing the library system after a federal judge ruled against the local lawmakers'
decision to remove some books.

"A book's never hurt anybody," said J.R. Decker, who noted that his family has lived in
Llano for generations. "My government's telling me the only thing they can protect my child from
is books. They should be worried about gun violence and school safety."

Decker was among the people who protested at a recent meeting regarding the attempt to
close the library.

Among those who spoke was Suzette Baker, a former Llano County librarian who says
she was fired after refusing to remove some books.

"I would like to know how the 'History of the KKK' is pornographic? 'How to be an Anti-
Racist,' how is that pornographic? It's not," Baker said at the hearing.
 "This is not about taking away rights. This is not a communist nation. This is not a Nazi
nation. You do not get to pick our reading material, it is ours."

Book-ban supporter Rhonda Schneider defended the effort. She listed a number of books
in the Llano library that she said contain graphic sexuality.

"It is not a safe space for kids,” Schneider argued.

Emmett McPherson did not get called to speak at the hearing. But he said he agreed that
the library’s books are unsafe for children. "I am willing to close the whole library to keep them
out of my children's hands," he said.

Shirley Robinson leads the Texas Library Association. She said while some of the books
cited at the meeting may be objectionable to some, they are not pornographic.

"So first of all, there is a legal definition of pornography," said Robinson. "And there are
never any materials in any library — school, public or academic — that would meet that legal
definition of pornography."

Texas book ban efforts

Robinson said attempts to ban some books in Texas began in 2021. A lawmaker
contacted libraries asking if they had any books among a list of nearly 850 titles. Many of the
titles were LGBTQ-related or were written by or about people of color, she added.

Robinson said there are 40 proposed bills relating to libraries in the state legislature at the
moment. Some of the bills open the possibility of criminal charges against librarians.

"Librarians are leaving the profession because there is this threat of potential criminal
prosecution or just harassment within their communities," Robinson said.

One librarian who quit is Lee Glover, who was an elementary school librarian in the
Houston, Texas, area.

She said there was a process in place to follow before she could put a book into the
library. "But now they want me to have parents come and review them before I order them?"

The students are the losers in the book-banning battle, Glover added. "We are the
lifeline for so many kids.”

For now, the Llano County library system remains open. At its recent meeting, county
leaders voted to delay the decision while they appeal the federal order to return the books to
the local library. That decision is expected in autumn.

I'm Caty Weaver.

1. Words and expressions
a) self-appointed book police:
b) objectionable:
c) open the possibility:
d) book-banning battle:
e) appeal:

2. Comprehension questions
a) What kind of books that were targeted, according to the ALA?
b) What have Republican lawmakers proposed in Idaho?
c) Why does some conservative lawmakers and supporters want to ban some books?
d) What are the things that J.R. Decker think the government should be worried about?
e) According to Shirley Robinson, why are librarians leaving the profession?

ANSWER KEY

1. Words and expressions

a) self-appointed book police: people who believe they can decide what kind of books every
should read
b) objectionable: unacceptable, offensive
c) open the possibility: open up new doors, make way for something
d) book-banning battle: the struggle between keeping and banning certain books
e) appeal: attraction, charm

2. Comprehension questions

a) What kind of books that were targeted, according to the ALA?

According to the ALA, books were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community
and people of color were (specifically) targeted.

b) Why does some conservative lawmakers and supporters want to ban some books?
Conservative lawmakers and supporters say they want to ban some books to protect children
from harmful materials.

c) What have Republican lawmakers proposed in Idaho?

Republican lawmakers in Idaho have proposed legislation that would ban public libraries from
holding material judged harmful to minors.

d) What are the things that J.R. Decker think the government should be worried about?
He thinks that the government should be worried more about gun violence and school safety.

e) According to Shirley Robinson, why are librarians leaving the profession?

According to Shirley Robinson, librarians are leaving the profession because there is this threat
of potential criminal prosecution or just harassment within their communities.