Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Voting In America - Past And Present | October 28, 2020

Thanks, Ken. Have a great day, everyone

【Transcript】

Hey dear listeners, as most of you know, Joe Biden has become the new president-elect of America. Some may claim that it’s not over yet since Donald Trump and the Republicans have filed for recounts in several states so the final result is yet to be announced. Today, with CNN’s love for the election-related topics, first, let’s take a few minutes to learn about the history of voting in the US. Please, bear with me.

When the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787, it didn't lay out specifics on citizen voting, and it was left for individual states to decide. Originally, the right to go to the polls was limited only to white men over 21 years of age and they were supposed to own land as well. But in 1868, the 14th Amendment passed and it extended citizenship and voting rights to all men born in America as long as they were 21. And the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870 specifically protected the right of citizens to vote regardless of their race. Meanwhile, the right of women to vote wasn't protected in the Constitution until 1920. Before that, women could only go to the polls in certain states. But the 19th Amendment guaranteed women's voting rights in all states. The 26th Amendment was passed in 1971, which protected the right of 18 year olds to vote.

Historically speaking, America's voting rate for younger people has been lower than it has been by older groups. Looking back at this year’s election, young voters are a crucial part of the electorate and have already made up a large share of early voting across 14 key states, compared to 2016.

Now, enough of politics, more for technology. Researchers in NASA have been making closer examinations of the Moon's surface. Their tools include NASA's US$583 million Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the US$3 billion SOFIA telescope, which is mounted to a plane. With the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists looked at Moon areas that are always shadowed from the sun and theorized that many of these shadows could be filled with ice. They don't know for sure, and if there is water there, no one knows exactly how it got there. But NASA wants to do more research through future Moon missions. It's difficult and expensive to carry water into space. If the Moon has enough of it, it could help supply everything from rocket fuel to drinking water for visitors. What’s more, the US Geological Survey released the first-ever comprehensive lunar map, yes that’s right, a map of the moon. It will serve as the definitive geological blueprint for future moon missions. What a great news! Soon we might be able to take a flight to the moon, turn on Google Maps and get directions on the moon, hope we all get to experience it one day.0

Last but not least, the internet nowadays is filled with fake news or disinformation, here are some tips to identify them. For posts that link to a website, first check what the website's domain is. If it’s .edu or .gov, then it’s mostly considered trustworthy. When it comes to news articles, check whether the news outlet is well-known and trustworthy. If other reputable news outlets have covered it, then the story is more reliable. For posts on social media platforms by individual users, look to see if that user has a blue check mark next to their name. And lastly, if you're unsure about information you find on the internet, just don’t repost or share it to others. Sharing information that you can't confirm is true will only make you part of the problem.

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