 Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dan Novak. This program is designed for English learners. So we speak a little slower, and we use words and phrases, especially written for people learning English. Coming up on the program, Katie Weaver reports on violence in Ecuador after the apparent escape of two gang leaders. I report on a new AI key on computer keyboards using Microsoft Windows. Brian Lin has the technology report on this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Later, Andrew Smith and Jill Robbins present the lesson of the day. But first, officials in Ecuador say men with face coverings broke into the set of a public television channel in Ecuador, waving guns and explosives during a live broadcast on Tuesday. That led the president to declare that the country had entered an internal armed conflict. The men were armed with guns, and what looked like sticks of dynamite. They entered the set of the TC television network in Guayaquil during a nationwide news program. The men shouted that they had bombs. Noises similar to gunshots could be heard. No one died in the attack. Officials later said all the 13 intruders had been arrested and would face terrorism charges. Officials have not said who was behind the television station attack. They also have not said who was behind a series of other recent attacks. But the violent incidents followed the escapes from prison of two leaders of Ecuador's most powerful drug gangs. President Daniel Nuboa on Monday declared a national state of emergency. The measure lets officials suspend people's rights and use the military in places like prisons. The government has not said how many attacks have taken place since Los Choneros gang leader Aldofo Macias was found missing from his low security prison cell Sunday. He was supposed to be moved to a high security facility that day. On Tuesday, Ecuadorian officials announced that another gang leader, Fabrizio Colón Pico, of the Los Lobos group, had escaped from prison. Colón Pico was captured on Friday as part of a kidnapping investigation. He has also been accused of trying to murder one of the nation's lead prosecutors. Other attacks have included an explosion near the house of the president of the National Justice Court. On Monday night, four police officers were kidnapped. Will Freeman is a political expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. He said gangs in Ecuador have assassinated a presidential candidate and set off car bombs in front of government buildings in the past. But he said Tuesday's events marked a new peak in violence in the country. Ecuador sits between Peru and Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producers. In recent years, Ecuador has become a key passage point for cocaine. Much of the violence in the country comes as drug gangs fight each other and the government for control of ports and smuggling points. Freeman said that Ecuador's government will have to find ways to control prisons where gang leaders continue to run their operations. It might have to consider extraditing some of the top criminal leaders to the United States. Ecuador, a nation of 20 million people, might also have to make judicial changes to give judges greater safety. If these guys can storm a TV station or kill a presidential candidate, you as a judge will not go up against them without promises of safety, Freeman said. Los Choneros is one of the gangs that officials consider responsible for the increase in violence. It reached a new level of violence last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Officials say the gang has links with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel. The whereabouts of Macias are unknown. Prosecutors opened an investigation and charged two guards in connection with his apparent escape. But neither the police, the prison system nor the federal government confirmed whether the prisoner fled the facility or might be hiding in it. In February of 2013, he escaped from a high security facility but was recaptured weeks later. I'm Katie Weaver. Starting this month, some new personal computers that run Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system will have a special co-pilot key. The key will launch the software company's AI chatbot. Getting computer makers like Dell to add an AI key is the latest move by Microsoft to make use of its close partnership with chat GPT maker OpenAI. With the development, Microsoft is turning its software into an opening for generative AI technology. Most people now connect to the internet and many AI applications by phone rather than computer. But the announcement is the start of what is expected to be a competitive year for technology companies and AI. Many companies still have not answered all of AI's ethical and legal questions. The New York Times last month brought legal action against both OpenAI and Microsoft. The news organization argued that tools like chat GPT and co-pilot, formerly known as BingChat, are infringing on copyrighted news articles. The keyboard design will be Microsoft's biggest change to PC keyboards since it introduced a special Windows key in the 1990s. The newest AI key will have a co-pilot logo and be placed near the spacebar. On some computers it will replace the right control key while on others it will replace a menu key. Microsoft is not the only company with special keys. Apple started the idea in the 1980s with its command key. Google has a search button on its Chromebooks. Google was also the first to try an AI specific key to launch its voice assistant on its now discontinued Pixelbook. But Microsoft has a much stronger hold on the personal computer market through its agreements with computer makers like Lenovo, Dell, and HP. About 82% of all desktop computers, laptops, and workstations run Windows. Just 9% use Apple's operating system and just over 6% for Google's says market research firm IDC. Last week Dell Technologies was the first to announce a co-pilot key on its newest XPS laptops. Microsoft has not yet said which other computer makers will use the co-pilot key beyond Microsoft's own Surface devices. It said several companies are expected to show their new models at the CES show in Las Vegas. One of the world's largest technology events CES is happening this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show is produced by the Consumer Technology Association which is based in Arlington, Virginia. CES presents the latest technology offerings from companies across the world. Here is a look at some top products presented at CES 2024. Electronics manufacturers LG and Samsung brought televisions to CES that have a transparent screen design. The TVs use OLED technology. They are designed to be hidden in a room when not in use. David Park from LG's Home Entertainment Division described OLED to the Associated Press as a material that we can print on any type of surface. In this case Park said OLED was printed onto a piece of glass. When not in the transparent setting the TVs have a traditional black background. The companies presenting the TVs did not provide pricing information but experts say the transparent models are likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars. South Korea's Samsung announced it was cooperating with automaker Hyundai to develop home to car and car to home services for all Hyundai and Kia vehicles. This artificial intelligence AI powered system will permit users of Samsung's SmartThings service to remotely set their vehicles temperature or open its windows. And users can control lights and connect to devices inside the home when inside the car. South Korean Electric Automotive Company HL Mando demonstrated a parking robot called Parkie. It is designed to operate independently in parking structures. The robot can move underneath parked vehicles, lift the cars up and transport them to different spaces or return them to their drivers. Robotics developer Ogman presented a new machine designed to assist pets. The OR robot is equipped with a food container to feed animals. It can also play with pets, record health details and capture images and videos of animals daily activities. Sports equipment developer Lifespan introduced an exercise bicycle-desk combination that uses human power to charge phones or other devices. The Amparabike is designed to be used with a standing desk table. Lifespan says at a speed of 60 rpms, the bike can produce up to 65 watts of electricity per hour. Record player manufacturer Victrola presented a new turntable model that can send or stream music to a sound system or personal device. The Sapphire Player targets music lovers who favor vinyl over digital sound. It sells for about $1,500 and will go on sale in the spring. South Korea's WeRobotics introduced a wearable robot that provides walking assistance to users. The company's WIM model is designed for anyone who feels the need for an extra push when walking. An online description explains the robot can help individuals walk farther, faster and healthier. The price for such assistance is high, though, with the WIM selling for about $2,500. French health product developer Barracotta presented what it described as the world's first AI-powered smart mirror for mental wellness. The company's BeMind model is built to work in any bathroom and does not need a device app to operate. The product was designed to use cameras and sensors to collect data on a person's movements, expressions and language. Creators of the device claim it can identify a user's moods and sense other possible mental health issues. The electronic mirror can then suggest different treatments or activities to help the user or even guide forms of meditation. The ColdSnap company introduced a machine that can make single servings of ice cream in about two minutes. The machine uses small containers called pods just like curry coffee makers. The company points out the pods for its ColdSnap machine can be kept at room temperature, saving energy costs. The machines can be taken anywhere and are simple to operate. Chinese robotics developer MaMotion demonstrated a new version of its self-driving lawnmower. The latest all-wheel drive Luba 2 includes new wireless abilities and tools to deal with obstacles in the grass. The robot mower is already available and sells for just over $2,000. I'm Brian Lin. Brian Lin joins me now to talk more about his technology report. Thanks for being here, Brian. Of course, Dan, thank you for having me. In this week's report, you looked at some interesting products introduced at the yearly CES show. I know this long-running electronic show was really hurt by the pandemic and kind of struggled to recover from that, right? Yes, that is correct. In 2021, the CES show was held only virtually with no events held in Las Vegas at all. The next year, CES officially returned to a physical conference, but only about 44,000 people attended compared to nearly 200,000 people in 2020. And last year saw the return of more than 100,000 attendees. But organizers and reporters covering this year's event say it should finally reach numbers closer to those pre-pandemic levels. Like in past years, we heard about some unusual and interesting technology products set to hit the market. But of those covered, what do you think might be the most popular? Yeah, it's always hard to predict which products will take off or just go away. A big product area at CES is always TVs, though, with manufacturers showing off their latest tech and gadgets. And this year, the transparent TVs have gotten a lot of attention, mainly because they're so unique. But they're very costly and many people simply cannot afford them. I think two products that could really catch on are the pet-sitting robot since the world is filled with pet owners who spend lots of money and the streaming record player, which gives more options to true vinyl lovers. Sounds cool. Thanks again for being here, Brian. You're welcome. Thank you, Dan. My name is Anna Matteo. My name is Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins. You're listening to The Lesson of the Day on the Learning English podcast. Today's lesson helps you do more with Level 2 of our video series, Let's Learn English. This series shows Anna Matteo in her work and life in Washington, D.C. Today's lesson is about an important grammar topic, the passive voice. But it is also about a kind of American food called barbecue. And barbecue can be an important topic for some Americans, as we will see in lesson 8 of Level 2. But first, here's a quick example and explanation of the passive voice. Listen to these two sentences. My brother broke the glass. The glass was broken. The first sentence tells us who did the action. My brother is the subject who did the action. The object of the verb broke in the first sentence is the word glass. And in the second sentence, the glass was broken. We either don't know or don't want to say who did the action. We care more about the glass, so the word glass becomes the subject. And we use the verb be plus the past participle of the verb to show that something happened to the glass. The passive voice is often used when we want to put extra attention or focus on products or things, such as food, rather than the people who make or produce the things. Now, let's listen to part of lesson 8. Anna does a news report on the subject of barbecue. Try to listen for sentences with the passive voice. Today, a barbecue battle is being held in Washington, D.C. This festival, which is known as one of the biggest food festivals in the United States, brings together barbecue lovers from all over the country. Barbecue is meat that is cooked over an open fire or on a grill. Chicken, pork and beef are all common meats to grill on a barbecue. No matter which meat you like to barbecue, the sauce is very important. Sources are taken very seriously by chefs. Most ingredients are kept secret. So, can you tell us what is in your barbecue sauce? No, I can't tell you. So tell us what is the secret ingredient in your barbecue sauce? Sources are made by the barbecue chefs themselves. Most sauces are made with a tomato sauce, vinegar and spices. Did you hear the definition of barbecue there? Barbecue is meat that is cooked over an open fire or on a grill. It doesn't matter who is doing the cooking, so the passive voice is used. You can also hear the passive voice in the last two sentences. The word sauces is more important than who makes them. So Anna uses the passive voice. Sources are made by the barbecue chefs themselves. Most sauces are made with a tomato sauce, vinegar and spices. Listen to Professor Bott give another example. How many passive sentences did you find? Here is one I found. Today, a barbecue battle is being held in Washington DC. You're listening to the lesson of the day on the Learning English podcast. We often use the passive when there are large numbers or statistics because there are so many subjects doing the action. For example, we might say that millions of smartphones have been sold during the last 10 years. In this example, we don't know or care about the people who sold them. We want to bring the listeners attention more to the phones than the people who sell them or who buy them. Now we're going to learn more about barbecue in the United States. Different regions or areas in the US cook the barbecue and make the sauces in different ways. And there is some friendly competition between the regions about who has the best barbecue. That's why there is a festival called the Barbecue Battle. Let's listen. Areas of the US that are known for their tasty barbecue. The states of Texas, North and South Carolina and the cities of Memphis and Kansas City are known as the Barbecue Belt. People who are loyal to barbecue are really loyal to their favorite barbecue. That is why this festival is called a battle. Let's ask a couple of people which barbecue is best. Texas of course. Carolina barbecue is the very best. Kansas City. Memphis style. Kansas City. Texas. Kansas. Texas. Kansas. This is Autumn Mateo reporting. Texas. Texas. Kansas. You can see that people disagree about where the best barbecue comes from. Jill, what about you? Do you have a favorite type of barbecue? I like the sweet sauces like those from Texas. How about you, Andrew? Well, because I grew up mostly in North Carolina, I have to say that I enjoy North Carolina barbecue the most. The sauce there is not really sweet, but instead it has some vinegar, which makes it have a special taste. Just like everything from North Carolina. After going to the barbecue festival, Anna shows Kelly her report. Let's see what Kelly has to say about the subject. Kelly, people feel so strongly about barbecue. Unbelievable. So what do you think of my project? This is what I think. There is no way that Texas has the best barbecue. I am from Kansas City, and we have the best barbecue in the whole country. My mother and father owned a barbecue restaurant, which was really famous. So I know barbecue. Anna, I know barbecue. I know barbecue. I know barbecue. Oh, my. Kelly knows a lot about barbecue, and you know more about passive sentences. Be sure you go to the website to learn even more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry. It seems that Kelly also had some strong feelings about barbecue. And now I think I'm getting hungry, too. Yeah, it's almost lunchtime. And as Professor Bott says, remember that you can learn more on our website at learningenglish.voanews.com. Each lesson of Let's Learn English has a lesson plan you can download for free. It explains more about the lesson and has helpful information for both students and teachers. Remember that you can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. And thanks for listening. I'm Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins. And that's our program for today. Join us again tomorrow to keep learning English through stories from around the world. I'm Ashley Thompson. And I'm Dan Novak.