Week night - 2016 Rio Olympics

1 Rio 2016: Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D'Agostino given 'fair play' Olympic award for show of sportsmanship

URL：http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rio-2016-nikki-hamblin-abbey-d-agostino-fair-play-olympic-award-sportsmanship-ioc-a7203961.html

Nikki Hamblin or Abbey D’Agostino did not win gold, silver or bronze in their respected event but instead have been presented with the Fair Play award, the only award of its type this Olympics.The pair made headlines around the world and were heralded for capturing the “Olympic spirit” when competing in the qualifying heat for the 5,000 metres last week.With 2,000 metres left to go, New Zealand athlete Hamblin tripped and fell, accidentally tripping up the USA’s D’Agostino too. The American soon got up and instead of running helped Hamblin before faltering on a clearly injured foot. D’Agostino later fell down again and so Hamblin helped her up and the two began to run the race together before embracing at the finish line.

The Fair Play Committee, supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the pair have received the award for their acts of “selflessness and exemplary sportsmanship”. 

ＷＨＯ：Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D'Agostion
ＷＨＥＮ：2016 Rio Olympics
ＷＨＡＴ：5000 meters
ＷＨＹ：both of them fall down and began to run the race together before embracing at the finish line.
ＷＨＥＲＥ：Brzil Rio
ＨＯＷ：given 'fair play' Olympic award for show of sportsmanship

KEYWORDS:
1 heralded : 歡呼
2 qualify : 給予資格
3 falter : 蹣跚
4 embrace : 擁抱
5 committee : 委員會
6 selfless : 無私的

2 Rio 2016: Singapore delights as Schooling beats Phelps in 100m
URL：http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37055724

Singapore's Joseph Schooling defeated decorated US Olympian Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly swimming race and won his country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also took to Facebook to congratulate the new Olympian.
"This is Singapore's first Olympic gold medal ever and also our first medal for ‪the Rio Olympics," he wrote in a post that gathered tens of thousands of likes and comments.
"To swim and compete with Michael Phelps, Joseph is a winner and world-class whether he wins an Olympic medal or not."


ＷＨＯ：Singapore's swimmer Joseph Schooling
ＷＨＥＮ：2016
ＷＨＡＴ：Schooling defeated Phelps
ＷＨＹ：No why
ＷＨＥＲＥ： Rio Olympics
ＨＯＷ：It isn't every day you come face to face with your childhood idol - and defeat him at the Olympics.

Week eight - Samsung Galaxy note 7 explosion

Here's why Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones are catching fire

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could explode.

How could this have happened? Simple: your phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - and it's one of over a hundred that have spontaneously burst into flames.
After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold.The company stopped all sales and shipments of the Note 7.We're not sure why the new batteries might have caught fire, as Samsung told us they'd be brand-new.Here's what we know about Samsung's battery rarely.

The basics

The science behind phone battery fires is actually pretty simple, and fairly well understood. Much like the infamous exploding hoverboards, phones use lithium ion battery packs for their power, and it just so happens that the liquid swimming around inside most lithium ion batteries is highly flammable.

If the battery short-circuits -- say, by puncturing the incredibly thin sheet of plastic separating the positive and negative sides of the battery -- the puncture point becomes the path of least resistance for electricity to flow.

It heats up the (flammable!) liquid electrolyte at that spot. And if the liquid heats up quickly enough, the battery can explode.

Why Note 7?

What makes the Note 7 different: Samsung may have accidentally squeezed its batteries harder than it should.

According to a unpublished preliminary report sent to Korea's Agency for Technology and Standards (obtained by Bloomberg), Samsung had a manufacturing error that "placed pressure on plates contained within battery cells," which "brought negative and positive poles into contact."

"The defect was revealed when several contributing factors happened simultaneously, which included sub-optimized assembly process that created variations of tension and exposed electrodes due to insufficient insulation tape," a Samsung representative tells CNET.

What happens next?

These are just a few theories based on one battery expert's remote analysis of Samsung's initial findings. We don't have the whole truth yet, and the truth is what Samsung and government agencies around the world are looking for as we speak. Just one mystery: why the replacement batteries might also be exploding.

Anyhow, organizations like the US Consumer Product Safety Commission have officially stepped in to recall the Galaxy Note 7 and figure out what happened, and they may recall it again.

URL：https://www.cnet.com/news/why-is-samsung-galaxy-note-7-exploding-overheating/

ＷＨＯ：Samsung Galaxy Note 7
ＷＨＥＮ：October 2016
ＷＨＡＴ：explosion reasons
ＷＨＹ：battery and circuit
ＷＨＥＲＥ：South Korea
ＨＯＷ：One after another recycle of the explosion mobile phones


KEYWORD：
1 spontaneously : 自發地
2 burst : 爆炸
3 unprecedented : 史無前例的
4 shipments : 出貨
5 brand-new : 嶄新的
6 lithium : 鋰
7 ion : 離子
8 flammable : 易燃的
9 circuits：線路,迴路
10 sheet : 片
11 puncture : 刺穿
12 resistance : 電阻
13 squeezed : 擠壓
14 preliminary : 初步的
15 manufacturing : 製造業
16 contribute : 有助於
17 simultaneously : 同時
18 variations : 變動,異動
19 electrodes : 電極
20 insufficient : 不足

Week seven - Islamic State

What is 'Islamic State'?

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) burst on to the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. It has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings. The group though has attracted support elsewhere in the Muslim world - and a US-led coalition has vowed to destroy it.

What does IS want?

In June 2014, the group formally declared the establishment of a "caliphate" - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law, or Sharia, by God's deputy on Earth, or caliph.

IS seeks to eradicate obstacles to restoring God's rule on Earth and to defend the Muslim community, or umma, against infidels and apostates.The group has welcomed the prospect of direct confrontation with the US-led coalition, viewing it as a harbinger of an end-of-times showdown between Muslims and their enemies described in Islamic apocalyptic prophecies.

What are its origins?

Baghdadi, a former US detainee, became leader in 2010 and began rebuilding ISI's capabilities. By 2013, it was once again carrying out dozens of attacks a month in Iraq.It had also joined the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, setting up the al-Nusra Front.

At the end of December 2013, Isis shifted its focus back to Iraq and exploited a political stand-off between the Shia-led government and the minority Sunni Arab community. Aided by tribesmen and former Saddam Hussein loyalists, Isis took control of the central city of Falluja.

In June 2014, Isis overran the northern city of Mosul, and then advanced southwards towards Baghdad, massacring its adversaries and threatening to eradicate the country's many ethnic and religious minorities. At the end of the month, after consolidating its hold over dozens of cities and towns, Isis declared the creation of a caliphate and changed its name to "Islamic State".

What weapons does IS have?

IS fighters have access to, and are capable of using, a wide variety of small arms and heavy weapons, including truck-mounted machine-guns, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns and portable surface-to-air missile systems.

Where does IS get its money from?

It initially relied on wealthy private donors and Islamic charities in the Middle East keen to oust Syria's President Assad. Although such funding is still being used to finance the travel of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq, the group is now largely self-funding.

URL：http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144

ＷＨＯ：Islamic State
ＷＨＥＮ：2014 until 2016
ＷＨＡＴ：Describe everything about Islamic State
ＷＨＹ：It has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings
ＷＨＥＲＥ：Iraq
ＨＯＷ：Not given

KEYWORDS：
1 jihadist : 聖戰士
2 notorious : 惡名昭彰
3 brutality : 殘酷,殘暴
4 coalition : 聯盟
5 vow : 發誓
6 formally : 正式的
7 establishment : 豎立
8 accordance : 按照
9 eradicate : 根除
10 obstacle : 障礙物
11 apostates : 背叛者
12 harbinger : 徵兆
13 prophecy : 預言
14 rebellion : 謀反
15 aided : 幫助

Week six - Shanghai Disneyland

Why Shanghai Disneyland's spell is wearing off after six months

High prices and subpar service leave visitors disenchanted

SHANGHAI Half a year after its ballyhooed debut, Shanghai Disneyland is struggling to keep the turnstiles spinning as complaints about high prices and disappointing service spread online.

On a clear morning in early December, lines at the gates were almost nonexistent. Gone were the crowds seen around opening day back in June. In the afternoon, electronic signboards showed only short waits -- five to 50 minutes -- for all but the most popular attractions. Workers killed time chatting at deserted gift shops.

Many of the visitors who did make the trip brought in packed lunches and drinks from convenience stores, including thriving shops inside the nearby subway station. Come lunchtime, patrons spread out on benches to eat.

"I heard everything in the park was expensive, so I bought lunch ahead of time," a college student from Jiangxi Province said, adding that she did not plan to pick up souvenirs or gifts.

High prices were the most common complaint among the visitors. Admission runs 370 yuan ($53.50) on weekdays and 499 yuan on weekends and holidays -- sizable sums given the average monthly wage is just under 6,000 yuan even in Shanghai, where people tend to earn more than in other areas. Tokyo Disneyland, by comparison, charges 7,400 yen ($64.30) for a day's admission.

A 26-year-old Dalian woman visiting with friends said she spent over 2,000 yuan, or half a month's wages, on the two-day trip, including lodging and airfare.

"There are plenty of staff around, but they can't even give clear directions," a college student from Hangzhou said, having asked two separate workers for navigational help, to no avail.

Ongoing expansion projects could burnish the venue's appeal. But large-scale renovations are also in store for Disney parks in Tokyo and Hong Kong, creating more competition. If Shanghai Disneyland cannot solve its customer service problem, cultivating repeat customers will remain challenging, limiting growth in admissions.

ＵＲＬ：http://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/THE-HUNT-FOR-HIDDEN-ASSETS/Business/Why-Shanghai-Disneyland-s-spell-is-wearing-off-after-six-months

ＷＨＯ：Shanghai Disneyland
ＷＨＥＮ：December 22, 2016
ＷＨＡＴ：It leave visitors disenchanted
 ＷＨＹ：High prices and subpar service
ＷＨＥＲＥ：Shanghai
ＨＯＷ：It was worse than opening

ＫＥＹＷＯＲＤＳ：
1 spell : 魅力，風潮
2 subpar : 欠佳
3 disenchant : 使清醒
4 struggling : 奮鬥的
5 turnstile : 旋轉門
6 deserted : 廢棄的
7 patrons : 顧客 
8 Jiangxi Province :  江西省
9 lodge : 住宿
10 airfare : 機票
11 Hangzhou : 杭州

12 navigational : 導航,航
13 avail : 裨益
14 venue : 管轄地
15 cultivate : 培養,培育