World News for Students of English

01-06-2015 15:00

They say girls run the world – but who’s the most powerful of us all? Angela Merkel, it seems.

The German Chancellor has been officially crowned the most influential woman on Earth for the fifth year in a row.

Money, media momentum and spheres of influence are just some of the factors that Forbes takes into account when deciding on the top spot. Hot on her heels was Hillary Clinton, who came in second. She’s been on the list every year since its launch in 2004. Melinda Gates took third place and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen came in a close fourth. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg is the youngest member of the top 10, at 45.

According to experts, its a combination of qualities that makes these ladies stand out.

“Ultimately, they get there because of their personality and because of their drive, their ambition and the skills that keeps them in that role.”

The Forbes top 100 list features powerful women from eight different categories – billionaires, businesses, finance, politics, government organisations, philanthropy, media and celebrity.

Oprah Winfrey topped the billionaire category, with an estimated net worth of almost 2 billion pounds. Singer Beyonce led in the entertainment field, while Vogue editor Anna Wintour ruled the media sector.

Difficult words: influential (powerful), media momentum (how much someone is in newspapers, radio, TV, or internet), sphere of influence (how much a person can change how other people act), hot on someone’s heels (to be right behind), chair (the person in charge of an organisation), ultimately (in the end), net worth (the value of all of a person’s money and things).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com