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Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Most people enjoy working for several reasons.

Their job might be fun, or they like their employer and the other people at work. Most people I know, however, work for the money. I do not know anyone who is loaded, or extremely rich. Most of my friends work to earn enough money to live.

They have to make ends meet. They have to earn enough money to pay for the things they need. Some even live from hand to mouth. They only have enough money for the most important things.

They struggle to earn enough money to bring home the bacon. It can be difficult to earn enough money for a family to survive. Sometimes, poor people even get caught short. They do not have enough money to pay for what they need.

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories

Baseball is America’s national sport, so it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from baseball. But first, let me explain a little about the game.

Each baseball team has nine players. The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the other team. The batter attempts to hit the ball. If he misses, it is called a strike.

If a batter gets three strikes, he loses his turn at bat and is called “out.” The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and an opposing player catches it.

How Does it Feel Not to Be Famous Anymore?

Welcome to the VOA Learning English program This Is America.

This week Barbara Klein and Christopher Cruise tell about several American actors who were widely recognized years ago. But they now are not big stars or famous like they once were. We ask them how they dealt with these changes.

Imagine you are one of the most famous movie stars in the world. Millions of people pay to see your films, and everyone seems to know your name. Thirty years later, you are attending a comic book convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You sit alone, almost unrecognized, waiting for people to come and shake your hand.

This Is America
June 10, 2013
James Q. Wilson Changes Policing in America
Wilson said preventing small crimes, like breaking windows, could decrease bigger crimes

Welcome to This Is America with VOA Learning English.

Rebuilding in Moore After Deadly Tornado

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.

People in Moore, Oklahoma, are starting to rebuild after a three-kilometer-wide tornado hit the city on Monday. Officials say the storm killed 24 people in Moore and nearby areas. More than 200 others were injured.

President Obama declared a major disaster in Oklahoma. His declaration freed up federal money to help state officials with the recovery effort. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin deployed the state National Guard and extra police to assist with rescue operations. She described the tornado as one of the “most horrific” disasters her state has ever faced.

Rights Groups Question U.S. Drone Strikes

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News.
This week, two human rights groups accused the United States of killing more civilians in drone strikes than American officials say. The groups say many of the attacks appeared to be illegal under international law.

Human Rights Watch investigated six drone strikes in Yemen since 2009. It found that at least 57 civilians died in the attacks. Letta Tayler studies terrorist acts and anti-terrorism efforts for the group.

“Two of the six cases that we examined in my report show that the U.S. indiscriminately killed civilians. This is a clear violation of international law.”

Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.

Many cities have interesting nicknames. Nicknames can help establish the identity of a city. They can also spread pride among its citizens.

New Orleans, Louisiana probably has more nicknames than any other American city. One web site lists more than twenty nicknames. The most famous is “The Big Easy.” It describes the gentle, slow and easy-going way of life in New Orleans.

So how did the city get this nickname? In the early 1900s there was a dance hall in New Orleans called “The Big Easy.” But the nickname did not become famous until the early 1970s.

Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

Almost all American cities have nicknames. They help establish a city’s identity. They can also spread unity and pride among its citizens.

Two east coast cities -- Philadelphia and Boston -- were both important in the early history of the United States. Philadelphia is best known as “The City of Brotherly Love.”

In 1681, King Charles the Second, of England, gave William Penn a large amount of land to establish a colony. The king named the colony Pennsylvania in honor of Penn’s father.

US Election Results May Help Predict Future Voting

From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. Two American states elected governors this week, while several big cities chose mayors. The elections were the first since the troubled launch of the new federal health-care website and the 16-day partial shutdown of the government.

Conservative Republicans in Congress, including Tea Party members, supported the shutdown as part of their opposition to the program known as Obamacare. Political experts looked at the governors’ races for clues to how Americans may vote in congressional elections next year. Voters will choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the 100 senators.

Observers think the government shutdown helped Democrat Terry McAuliffe win the governor’s race in Virginia. Many federal workers live there and federal spending is important to the state economy. Mr. McAuliffe defeated Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican with strong Tea Party ties. Mr. Cuccinelli stayed close in the race by attacking President Barack Obama and the health care law.

More international students are studying at U.S. colleges and universities than ever before, a new report says.

The report shows that nearly a million international students are studying at U.S. universities. That's among more than 20 million students at all U.S. universities. This is the highest number of international students on record since 1954.

International students added $30.8 billion to the U.S. economy over the past year.

Open Doors is the name of the report. Every year the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education (or IIE) work together to release an annual report. IIE studies and supports international student exchange.

From VOA Learning English, welcome to This Is America. I’m Avi Arditti.

And I’m Kelly Jean Kelly. This week, we look at weddings in America—how much they cost and how different they can be.

(MUSIC: Bruno Mars “Marry You”)

More than 2.3 million couples get married in the United States every year. Sometimes a couple may simply go to a courthouse or city hall and be married by a judge or other official.