From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
What used to be an outdoor activity for only extreme foodies is now becoming more and more popular in many parts of the United States.
I am talking about mushroom hunting!
Mushroom hunters – also called foragers -- spend hours, even days, in wooded areas searching for wild mushrooms.
Dennis Aita lives in New York City. He has been a mushroom hunter since the 1980s. He first became interested in them while exploring the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s. As he hiked, he began noticing mushrooms and other wild edibles. So, he decided to try foraging for mushrooms.
Aita says mushroom foraging changed his relationship with the environment. When hiking, he says, he would walk quickly and not see much of the plants and trees around him.
However, to find mushrooms, you must walk slowly.
“Um, by looking for mushrooms, you tend to slow up a little bit. You get a chance to see the birds. You get a chance to see the trees and shrubs, little animal life and everything.”
So, it is necessary to pay close attention to the details on trees and on the ground.
But this presents its own problem.
Mushroom foragers, with their heads turned downward, can easily get lost in the woods. In the States, people have died after spending all night unprotected in the cold woods -- lost while hunting mushrooms.
So, what makes people go out for hours and hours searching for a fungus? Mushrooms, after all, are often found growing from dead and dying things in the woods.
Well, some people just love mushrooms! They love finding them in unexpected places. They love cooking them. And they love eating them. Many restaurants buy different kinds of mushrooms for the meals they prepare. So foraging can be profitable.
Mushrooms grow very well in wet climates. Some countries in Europe, parts of Russia, Japan and Iran are known having different mushrooms as well as a food culture based on mushroom foraging.
Dennis Aita has traveled to Canada, Italy, India, Nepal and Argentina in search of mushrooms. He says some cultures seem to like them more than others.
“...You go to Italy, not only do you go mushroom hunting, but of course, there’s great food there, and they cook with mushrooms in a very big way.  Italians, they love mushrooms. Most of the Europeans eat mushrooms. Many of the Asians do. But, um, there are certain cultures that don’t.”
Health benefits
Experts say eating mushrooms can be good for your health. Mushrooms contain the mineral selenium. This mineral helps the liver to work properly. The mineral also helps to prevent infection in the body and may decrease the growth of cancerous tumors. Most fruits and vegetables do not have selenium.
Mushrooms may help you to lose weight. They are high in fiber – some more than others. So, they can make us feel fuller for long periods. As a result, we eat less.
Mushroom are healthy (except for the ones that can kill you)
So mushrooms are good for you and can be tasty. But foraging on your own can be dangerous.
For those who have never been mushroom hunting, but want to start, Dennis Aita has one important suggestion: do not do it alone!
“Well, they should join a club – a mushroom club. If there’s a club in your area – that's the best way to learn about which mushrooms to eat. You go on walks. And then you start to learn which books to buy. You buy a few mushroom books with some pictures. And that’s the best way to do it.”
Deadly mushrooms
With mushroom foraging, it is important to know that some mushrooms can kill you. The online Encyclopedia Britannica lists the most deadly ones and gives pictures of each.
One thing that makes some mushrooms so deadly is that they look like perfectly common, edible mushrooms. So they are sometimes collected and eaten by mistake.
Tor example, the Death Cap is perhaps “the deadliest of all mushrooms.” Found throughout Europe, it looks similar to two types of edible mushrooms.
Another thing that makes poisonous mushrooms so deadly is that signs of poisoning can take a long time to show. Or they show themselves and then go away. People think that they are in good health and fail to get proper treatment.
Sometimes the signs are similar to influenza. So, mushroom poisoning can easily be misdiagnosed.
For whatever reason, if left untreated, mushroom poisoning can result in serious health conditions, like kidney failure, or even death.
That is why Aita warns beginners to go out foraging with experienced mushroom hunters.
“As I say, it’s very dangerous. People really should not go out to the woods and come back with things and start eating mushrooms. No. It can be a deadly endeavor.”
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
I’m Anna Matteo.
 
Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
 
forage – v. to search for something (such as food or supplies)
hike – v. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise
edible – n. something to be eaten
shrub – n. a low usually several-stemmed woody plant
fungus – n. organisms once classified as plants that lack the green coloring chlorophyll
fiber – n. plant material that cannot be digested but that helps you to digest other food
club – n. a group or organization of people who share common interests
diagnose – v. to recognize (something, such as a disease) by signs and symptoms : misdiagnose – v. to diagnose incorrectly
endeavor – n. a serious effort or attempt(2018/11/20 08:03)

 
Japan’s Nissan Motor Company says its chairman, Carlos Ghosn, has been arrested and will be dismissed from his position.
He is accused of under-reporting his earnings and misusing company money.
Nissan’s chief executive officer, Hiroto Saikawa, confirmed that Ghosn was arrested on Monday. He announced that Ghosn was detained after being questioned by Japanese government lawyers after he arrived in Japan.
The development surprised many people and raised questions about the partnership of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors. Together, the three companies make up one of the world’s biggest car manufacturing groups.
Nissan said that Ghosn and another company official, Greg Kelly, are accused of misusing millions of dollars. It said an investigation was launched after someone inside the company told officials about suspected wrongdoing.
Kelly also was arrested.
Saikawa apologized at a press conference, saying he felt great disappointment. He told reporters that the investigation had identified “serious misconduct.” He added that he wanted to reduce “the impact on the operation and our business partners.”
Nissan Motors, which is based in Yokohama, said it is providing information to the Japanese government and is cooperating with the investigation.
Saikawa said that a “system in the company” had permitted the activity to remain hidden. He said three kinds of wrongdoing were identified: under-reporting of earnings, using investment money for personal gain and illegal use of company money.
He added that Nissan’s board of directors will vote Thursday on whether to dismiss both Ghosn and Kelly.
Unusual for a Japanese company head
Saikawa said he could not provide more details because the investigation was continuing. But he promised Nissan’s leadership would get more involved in supervising top company officials.
Ghosn has been at Nissan for 19 years. The Reuters news agency reports that he had signed a contract earlier this year that would have kept him employed until 2022. His pay is unusually high for leaders of Japanese businesses.
Japan’s NHK and Kyodo News Service reported that Nissan paid Ghosn about $89 million over the five years ending in 2015. However, they added that he reported only half that: about $44 million.
Company documents show that Ghosn received $8.9 million in yearly pay until 2016, when shareholders voted against his pay deal. In 2017, he received a 30 percent cut in pay.
Ghosn is credited with helping Nissan improve the profitability of its business operations. Before he joined the company almost 20 years ago, it was close to financial collapse.
A French citizen, Ghosn also was credited with helping French carmaker Renault become profitable through cost-cutting measures and new products like electric cars.
However, he made enemies of French labor unions and some politicians.
Ghosn was an unusual business leader because he served as chief executive of Nissan and also of Renault starting in 2005. In 2016, he also became chairman of Mitsubishi Motors, another one of Japan’s large carmakers.
The partnership between Nissan and Renault started in 1999. Ghosn was born in Brazil 64 years ago. He holds both Brazilian and French citizenship. He came to Nissan from Renault, France’s largest carmaker.
Nissan’s Saikawa was asked if Ghosn was a good or bad leader.
“He achieved much that many others could not do in reforms, especially in the beginning,” he said.
I’m Mario Ritter.
 
Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
 
impact – n. a powerful or major influence or effect
misconduct – n. wrong behavior that is illegal or morally wrong
achieve – v. to become successful; to reach a goal
contract – n. a business agreement between two more or more people
board – n. a group of people with supervisory or advisory powers
disappointment – n. dissatisfaction
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 (2018/11/20 07:59)

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he is donating $1.8 billion to his former school, Johns Hopkins University on Sunday.
Bloomberg said he is doing so to increase financial aid for low- and middle-income students at the university in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Chronicle of Higher Education says it is the largest financial gift ever to any education institution in the world.
The largest donation to higher education had been a gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 1999, the private organization launched the Gates Millennium Scholars program with a $1 billion commitment over 20 years.
The next largest donation listed went to Vedanta University in Konark, India. The Anil Agarwal Foundation spent about $1 billion to help establish the school in 2006.
What will Hopkins do with the gift?
Johns Hopkins representatives said the gift will make it possible for the school to remove student loans as part of its financial aid offerings starting next fall. Instead, the university will offer students scholarships that do not have to be repaid.
University President Ronald Daniels called the gift “unprecedented and transformative.” He said Bloomberg’s donation will let the school permanently follow “need-blind admissions” policy. Being need blind means Johns Hopkins will admit the best students, regardless of their ability to pay for their education.
Daniels noted that the school was established in 1876 by a $7 million gift from Baltimore businessman Johns Hopkins. At the time, that gift was the largest of its kind.
Bloomberg said he expects the money will permit Hopkins to offer larger scholarships and reduce debt for students.
He said in a statement, “America is at its best when we reward people based on the quality of their work, not the size of their pocketbook. Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity.”
Bloomberg completed his study at Hopkins in 1964. He paid for his study with a student loan and a job at the school.
At the age of 76, Bloomberg is one of the world’s wealthiest people. He created the international finance service and media company, Bloomberg. He also served as New York mayor from 2002 to 2013 and has considered running for president for years. This includes in 2020.
I’m ­Jonathan Evans.
 
Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English using materials from the Associated Press and Chronicle of Higher Education. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. How should schools use large donations? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
 
income – n. money that is earned from work, investments, business
scholarship(s) – n. an amount of money that is given by a school or an organization to a student to help pay for the student's education
unprecedented – adj. not done or experienced before
transformative – adj. causing or able to cause a change
reward – v. to give money or another kind of payment to someone or something for something good that has been done
pocketbook – n. the amount of money that someone has available to spend :someone's ability to pay for things
undermine(s) – v. to make someone or something weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way
opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done(2018/11/20 07:57)

This is What’s Trending…              
Scientists have uncovered a sensual drawing on a wall in the ruins of ancient Pompeii.
The fresco represents the myth of Leda and the Swan. In the story, the Roman god Jupiter, takes the form of the bird, the swan. It has sex with the mortal girl Leda, who becomes pregnant.
The painting shows a naked Leda seated with the Swan on top of her.
Leda and the Swan was a common subject of artwork in the ancient Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both were destroyed by the volcanic burst of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79.
Famous artists have drawn representations of Leda and the Swan throughout history, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Irish poet W.B. Yeats wrote a poem about the story, as well. 
Experts say this recently discovered image of Leda and the Swan is special.
Massimo Osanna is the director of the Pompeii archaeological park. He praised the fresco as exceptional because Leda appears to be looking out from the picture. Osanna told the Italian news agency ANSA, “Leda watches the spectator with a sensuality that’s absolutely pronounced.”
The fresco was found inside a costly domus, or home, which stood near the center of town. Archaeologists discovered the still-colorful work of art last week during a dig aimed at protecting the ancient city’s structures. Heavy rainfall and usual wear-and-tear have caused some ruins to collapse.
Ossana said the home’s owner may have been a rich trader. The owner may have wanted to make people believe he was cultured with his choice of myth-related frescoes.
Because of safety concerns, the still-undug parts of the home where the fresco was found will likely remain that way, ANSA reported. Archaeologists are still considering removing the fresco, as well as another fresco discovered in the home earlier this year, to a place where “they can be protected and shown to the public,” Osanna said.
The Pompeii archaeological park is one of Italy’s top tourist sites. About 2.5 million people visit each year.
And that’s What’s Trending Today…
I'm Ashley Thompson.
 
The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English with additional sources. Caty Weaver was the editor. 
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Words in This Story
 
fresco - n. a painting that is done on wet plaster
myth - n. an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true
archaeological - adj. related to archaeology, the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people
spectator - n. a person who watches an event, show, game, activity, etc., often as part of an audience
absolutely - adv. in an absolute way: completely or totally
tourist - n.  a person who travels to a place for pleasure(2018/11/20 07:56)

 
A new United Nations report finds that opium-poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is now 20 percent lower than it was in 2017. The report noted a lack of rainfall and falling prices of dry opium across the country. 
The dried latex form of the poppy plant can be used to make heroin and other opioid drugs. Afghanistan is the world’s leading producer of opium-poppy. 
The new report said the total land area for growing the plants decreased to 263,000 hectares from an estimated 328,000 hectares in 2017. Yet it was still the second highest measurement for Afghanistan since the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, began keeping records in 1994. 
The potential opium production fell by 29 percent to 6,400 tons from an estimated 9,000 tons in 2017.
The UNODC country representative, Mark Colhoun, told reporters in Kabul the prices of dry opium at harvest time fell to $94 per kilogram. That represents the lowest prices since 2004, he said. 
The decreases were mainly a result of the lack of rainfall during the past year, he added. The drought mainly affected northern and western Afghanistan.
Colhoun explained that the amount of land used to grow opium in all of Afghanistan is still the highest ever recorded.
"This is a clear challenge to security and safety for the region and beyond. It is also a threat to all countries to and through which these drugs are (sold)," he said.
Colhoun warned that more high-quality low-cost heroin will reach buyers around the world. This will lead to increased use of the drug and other problems.
The high levels of opium-poppy cultivation growth and illegal trafficking of opiates will fuel unrest and increase "funding to terrorist groups in Afghanistan," he said. 
Colhoun said there is no one explanation for the continuing high levels of opium cultivation in Afghanistan. But he said it is related to political unrest, lack of government control and security, as well as corruption.
The UNODC report estimated that the total value of opium production decreased by 56 percent to $604 million from $1.4 billion in 2017. The low prices reduced Afghan farmers’ earnings.
The study found that 24 out of the 34 Afghan provinces grew the opium-poppy in 2018, the same number as in 2017.
Afghanistan’s largest province, Helmand, remained the leading producer, followed by neighboring Kandahar and Uruzgan and Nangarhar in the east.
The report noted that opium poppy farming created up to 354,000 full-time jobs in rural areas in 2017. 
As of September 30, 2018, the United States had spent nearly $9 billion to fight the growth and sale of opium. That information comes from a U.S. government agency, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
Yet the drug trade remains entrenched in Afghanistan “and is growing," said the agency, which measures U.S. civilian and military spending in the country.
I’m Susan Shand.
 
VOA’s Ayaz Gul reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. The editor was George Grow. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.  _______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
 
drought – n.a long time without rain
heroin – n.a powerful illegal drug that is made from opium
province –n.an area of a country
entrench – v.to put oneself in a strong defensive position
funding– n.financing
beyond– prep.on the farther side of; in a larger amount
challenge– n.a difficult problem or test
cultivation– n.the act of growing and harvesting a crop
potential – n.something that can happen
per – adv. for each(2018/11/20 07:55)