2015年12月24日 星期四

Week Six - 歐洲難民潮

My life is ruined’: Refugee-tripping Hungarian camerawoman to sue Facebook, may move to Russia     -Published time: 21 Oct, 2015 21:49



     A Hungarian camerawoman fired for kicking refugees is going to sue Facebook for bias and helping to fuel hatred against her, a Moscow-based daily reported. She is also considering moving to Russia.
     In September, reporters covering the EU refugee and migrant crisis on the Hungarian-Serbian border caught Petra Laszlo tripping a refugee with a child in his hands on camera. The incident blew up into a major international scandal in the days following.
     The accused camerawoman, Petra Laszlo, who worked for Hungary’s N1TV at the time, has apologized, saying it was a mistake. She explained in earlier statements that she had panicked and wanted to protect herself when hundreds of asylum seekers broke through a police cordon in a field and ran in her direction.
     In an interview with Russia’s Izvestia newspaper published on Tuesday, Laszlo clarified that she was only “trying to help police,” as the refugee had not obeyed orders.“I pushed him only because I was afraid. I did not see that there was a child. I’m sorry that it turned out this way,” she told the paper.
     Laszlo says her life has never been the same since the incident. She has been dubbed a “heartless, racist, children-kicking camerawoman,” fired from her job, and threated by haters following the scandal.“I can definitely say that my life is ruined. It’s unlikely that I will be able to find a job and do what I like the most,” she said.
     The camerawoman said that at least 10 fake ‘Petra Laszlo’ accounts containing improper contents have appeared on Facebook and some people have offered some $20,000 for her murder via these groups.One such group still exists under the name “Petra Laszlo,” which boasts more than 10,000 likes on Facebook.
     Laszlo told Izvestia that she asked Facebook’s management to delete these groups, but claims her letters and complaints to Facebook have been left unattended and that, instead, the social network has intentionally deleted groups supporting her.
She told the paper she plans to sue Facebook for its prejudice. According to the paper, she also wants to prove that the asylum seeker she tripped had been untruthful, because the man has changed his testimony in court. She said that he had initially blamed a police officer for the incident, but later began accusing her.
“Once the court is over, we’re going to move to another country,” said Petra Laszlo, mentioning Russia as a likely destination for immigration. “We consider starting to learn Russian. It is important for us to leave Hungary. We’ll make the decision once the trial is over,” she said.

https://www.rt.com/news/319316-reporter-hungary-refugees-facebook/
Structure of the Lead: 
Who: Refugee-tripping Hungarian camerawoman
When: 21, Oct, 2015
What: The following status about the women.  
Why: For tripping the refugee and being condemned by public.
Where: In Roszke village, Hungary.
How: Not given.


Keywords
1. bias n. 偏見
2. asylum seeker  尋求庇護者
3. cordon n. 警戒線
4. dub v. 給 ... 取綽號

Week Five - Liquid Water on Mars

Liquid Water on Mars is Big News


     Water on Mars?  It’s an old story from the Red Planet, and the facts are that landers have frequently found water in the form of ice just below the surface.
But NASA has just announced new results based on high-resolution imagery from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite showing that liquid water also occasionally flows on the surface.  

     This conclusion is based on spectroscopic analysis of dark, seasonal streaks on the sides of craters and other features known as “recurrent slope lineae,” which look like long fingers that appear and lengthen during the martian summers.  For years, there’s been argument about what is causing the lineae: Is it really water, or could it be something else – even dry material slowly tumbling down the slopes?The argument is apparently over.  The new results come down heavily in favor of water – highly salty, yes, but liquid water.

     These dark, narrow, 100-meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars are inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water. Recently, planetary scientists detected hydrated salts on these slopes at Horowitz crater, corroborating their original hypothesis that the streaks are indeed formed by liquid water. The source of the water is still unclear, but a favored explanation is that it’s seeping out of underground aquifers – reservoirs of water hulking in the crust of Mars.

     That has obvious, and encouraging implications for any future efforts to send humans to the Red Planet.  A simple drilling rig might be all that’s necessary to get to supplies of precious water, not just for drinking but also for rocket fuel.
But another important consequence of this discovery is its effect on how we search for evidence of martian life.  

    Rather than continuing to methodically learn more about the history of the planet in the hope of knowing where to look for remnants of ancient life, this suggests that simply getting a probe to the site of the lineae might offer the chance of finding biology, not from 3 or 4 billion years ago, but still extant microbes in the hidden underground reservoirs of the Red Planet.

http://www.seti.org/seti-institute/liquid-water-mars-big-news
Structure of the Lead: 
Who: NASA, Mars
When: September 28th, 2015
What: NASA comfirmed there is liquid water on Mars.
Why: By analyzing the data send back from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite.
Where: on Mars.
How: Not given.


Keywords
1. resolution (n.) 解析度
2. spectroscopic analysis 光譜分析 
3. crater (n.) (星球上的) 環形山
4. lineae (n.) 橫溝
5. martian (adj.) 火星的 
6. corroborating (v.) 證實;確定
7. hypothesis (n.) 假設;猜想
8. aquifer 蓄水層
9. reservoir (n.) 儲藏
10. hulk (v.) 緩慢地移動
11. crust (n.) 地殼;堅硬外殼 
12. remnant (n.) 殘餘;遺跡
13. microbe (n.) 微生物;細菌

*hydrated (adj.) 含水的
*Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
火星偵查軌道器


2015年12月7日 星期一

Week Four - Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever: Tainan Faces Worst Outbreak, Over 10,000 Infected, 36 Dead    - Sep 18, 2015

       Since this summer, a total of 11,006 dengue cases in Tainan have been recorded and it is increasing every day. An average of 510 cases across China were daily reported last week. Within this week, 3,550 new cases of the fever were reported, multiplying 1.6 times more than the previous week, according to the China Post.
What is dengue fever?
       Dengue fever is an acute viral disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. The incubation period is 3-8 days (range, 3-14 days). Symptoms include high fever, headache, eye pain (behind the eyes), muscle and/or joint pain and rash. Generally, younger children have a milder illness than older children and adults.
How do people get dengue fever?
      Dengue fever is spread through the bite of the Aedes mosquito and feels like a flu. The fever occurs in many tropical countries and has symptoms such as exhaustion, headache, fever, muscle pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
      In September of 2014, 21,000 people were infected by dengue fever in China, making it the country's worst outbreak in two decades. The outbreak attributed to the exceptionally hot weather.
       Although this year's dengue fever cases were lower than last year's - which were at 15,732 in Tainan and Kaohsiung - the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) still tracks the cases with their National Infectious Disease Statistics System to formulate dengue control and prevention strategies for the citizens of China. "The cumulative total of 18 deaths were found to be linked with dengue infection. Thirty-six deaths, including 33 from Tainan City, 2 from Kaohsiung City, and 1 from Pingtung County, are still waiting to be reviewed."
      Up to this day, there is no specific treatment for dengue infection. For those who think that they have dengue fever, they will be advised to rest, to take analgesics with acetaminophen, to drink plenty of fluids and to consult a doctor.

http://www.hngn.com/articles/131063/20150918/dengue-fever-tainan-faces-worst-outbreak-over-10-000-infected.htm
Structure of the Lead: 
Who: Dengue Fever
When: September, 2015
What: How people affect Dengue Fever and the situation in Tainan. 
Why: The biggest Dengue Fever outbreaks in Tainan and the situation is increasingly serious. 
Where: Tainan, Taiwan.
How: Not given.


Keywords
1. multiply (v.) 乘以 ... 倍
2. acute (adj.) 劇烈的
3. joint (n.) 關節處
4. lymph nodes (n.) 淋巴結
5. formulate (v.) 統籌;規劃
6. cumulative (adj.) 漸增的;累加的
7. analgesics (n.) 止痛藥
8. acetaminophen 對乙酰氨基酚 (止痛劑藥物成分)

2015年11月22日 星期日

Week Three - MERS

South Korea: Mers virus outbreak is over

South Korea has declared an end to a deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) that killed 36 people, triggered widespread panic and stymied growth in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
Addressing a meeting of government officials in Seoul, the prime minister, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said the danger posed by what had been the biggest outbreak of the virus outside Saudi Arabia was over.
“After weighing various circumstances the medical personnel and the government judge that the people can now be free from worry,” Hwang said.
“I ask the public to shake off all concerns over Mers and to resume normal daily activities, including economic, cultural, leisure and school activities.”



Thousands of schools were closed at the peak of the outbreak and it took a heavy toll on the national economy, stifling consumer spending and devastating the tourist sector.
Local businesses including shopping malls, restaurants and cinemas reported a sharp drop in sales as people shunned public venues with large crowds.
The government recently announced a stimulus package of 22tn won (US$19.8bn/£12.7bn), much of which was aimed at supporting businesses hurt by the crisis.
This month the Bank of Korea (BOK) cut its 2015 economic growth forecast for the third time this year, from 3.1% growth to 2.8%.
Citing sluggish exports and weak domestic consumption – exacerbated by the Mers outbreak – the central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low of 1.5%.
While no additional Mers infections have been reported since 4 July, BOK governor Lee Ju-yeol said the economic impact  through August.
Tourism was hit particularly hard, with the number of foreign visitors plunging by more than 40% in June compared with a year ago, and by a further 60% in the first two weeks of July.



Seoul plans to spend up to 30bn won on campaigns to lure back travellers including free promotional tours and large concerts by big-name K-pop stars.
“We are particularly eager to bring back Chinese tourists,” tourism vice-minister Kim Chong said.
The virus is considered a deadlier but less infectious cousin of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which killed hundreds of people when it appeared in Asia in 2003.
Criticised for its initial response to the outbreak, the government introduced sweeping quarantine measures that saw nearly 17,000 people confined to their homes.
The policy was effective in restricting the spread of the disease to medical facilities, with no infections reported in the wider community.


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/28/south-korea-mers-virus-outbreak-is-over
Structure of the Lead
Who: The Korea 
When: 27 July 2015
What: The situation of MERS in Korea
Why: The outbreak of MRES is serious in Korea.
Where: South Korea
How: not given


Keywords
1. trigger (v.) 觸發,引起
2. stymied (adj.) 受阻的
3. circumstance (n.) 情況,情勢
4. shun (v.) 避開,迴避
5. stimulus (n.) 刺激;興奮劑
6. sluggish (adj.) 緩慢的,遲鈍的
7. quarantine (n.) 隔離;孤立

2015年11月9日 星期一

Week Two - FIFA 貪污醜聞

FIFA corruption crisis: Key questions answered

      FIFA's president Sepp Blatter has always denied any wrongdoing - but in September, he too was made the subject of a Swiss criminal investigation, launched alongside the US inquiry.The scandal erupted in May, with a raid on a luxury hotel and the arrest of seven FIFA executives - conducted at the behest of the US authorities.

     The US has indicted a total of 14 current and former FIFA officials and associates on charges of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption following a major inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


      FIFA is the body responsible for running world football. It has recently been dogged by accusations of corruption, particularly after awarding the 2022 World Cup to the tiny but rich and influential Gulf state of Qatar. In December 2014, FIFA chose not to release its own investigation into corruption, instead releasing an executive summary which it said exonerated the bidding process. The report's independent author, American lawyer Michael Garcia, resigned in protest.


      The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, larger even than the Olympics. It generates billions of dollars in revenue from corporate sponsors, broadcasting rights and merchandising. These arrests and investigations cast doubt over the transparency and honesty for the process of allocating World Cup tournaments, electing its president, and the administration of funds, including those earmarked for improving football facilities in some of FIFA's poorer members.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32897066

Structure of the Lead

WhoFIFA' executives
When: 25 September 2015
What: FIFA's corruption scandal
Why: to explain the setting of the scandal of FIFA
Where: not given
How: not given



Keywords
  1. inquiry (n.) 詢問 ; 打聽;質詢  2.  executive (n.) 經理;業務主管
  3.rampant (adj.) 蔓延的;猖獗的
  4.dog (v.) 纏住 (災難等)
  5.exonerated 
(v.) 證明……無罪
  6.generate (v.) 產生 ; 帶來 ; 創造
  7.revenue (n.) 收入;收益
  8.merchandising (n.) 有計劃的推銷
  9.transparency 
(n.)透明度 10.administration (n.)管理;經營

2015年10月29日 星期四

Week One - 地中海船難

Europe's response: 'A total absence' of policy

     As anti-immigrant parties thrive across the continent, European nations are collectively struggling to cope with the migration crisis on their doorstep."We can't act as if each tragedy is the last while crossing our fingers that another one doesn't happen," Gozi told Le Monde, lamenting "a total absence" of European Union policy on how to deal with refugees arriving in Europe.

     The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, said Sunday it was consulting member states, European agencies and international organizations to prepare what it called a European Migration Strategy to be adopted in mid-May.


     "These are human lives at stake, and the European Union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act," it said.
But international groups say European governments are failing to do enough.Doctors Without Borders will begin its own rescue effort, De Filippi said, because "as a medical, humanitarian organization, we simply cannot wait any longer."

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/20/africa/italy-migrant-boat-capsizes/



Structure of the Lead

WHO- European nations
WHEN- 20,April,2015

WHAT- the issue on 
the migration crisis
WHY -  the ferry disasters in 
Mediterranean Sea caused the immigrant problem among European nations

WHERE-nations in EuropeHOW- not given


Keywords
  1.absence : 缺乏 
  2.
thrive : 繁榮  
  3.continent : 陸地
  4.struggle : 努力;奮鬥 
  5.doorstep : 門階
  6.executive : 執行的 
  7.consult : 與...商量;考慮
 
  8.stake : 風險
  9.humanitarian : 人道主義
 10.obligation : 責任;義務