week11-ALI

Muhammad Ali, the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion who helped define his turbulent times as the most charismatic and controversial sports figure of the 20th century, died on Friday in a Phoenix-area hospital. He was 74.

His death was confirmed by Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman. The cause was septic shock, a family spokeswoman said.

Ali, who lived near Phoenix, had had Parkinson’s disease for more than 30 years. He was admitted to the hospital on Monday with what Mr. Gunnell said was a respiratory problem.

Ali was the most thrilling if not the best heavyweight ever, carrying into the ring a physically lyrical, unorthodox boxing style that fused speed, agility and power more seamlessly than that of any fighter before him.

But he was more than the sum of his athletic gifts. An agile mind, a buoyant personality, a brash self-confidence and an evolving set of personal convictions fostered a magnetism that the ring alone could not contain. He entertained as much with his mouth as with his fists, narrating his life with a patter of inventive doggerel. 

Ali was as polarizing a superstar as the sports world has ever produced — both admired and vilified in the 1960s and ’70s for his religious, political and social stances. His refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War, his rejection of racial integration at the height of the civil rights movement, his conversion from Christianity to Islam and the changing of his “slave” name, Cassius Clay, to one bestowed by the separatist black sect he joined, the Lost-Found Nation of Islam, were perceived as serious threats by the conservative establishment and noble acts of defiance by the liberal opposition.

Loved or hated, he remained for 50 years one of the most recognizable people on the planet.

WHO-Muhammad Ali
WHERE-not given
WHEN- 20th century
WHAT- the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion, died on Friday in a Phoenix-area hospital.
WHY-not given
HOW-His death was confirmed by Bob Gunnell, a family spokesman. The cause was septic shock, a family spokeswoman said.

keyword:

1.respiratory呼吸的

2. heavyweight重量級運動員

3.racial integration種族融合

4.defiance反抗

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/sports/muhammad-ali-dies.html?_r=0

week10

President Barack Obama is in Cuba for a historic three-day visit to the island and talks with its communist leader.

He is the first sitting US president to visit since the 1959 revolution, which heralded decades of hostility between the two countries.

Mr Obama said change would happen in Cuba and that Cuban President Raul Castro understood that.

The two leaders met to talk about trade and held a joint news conference.

Mr Castro denied that there are political prisoners in Cuba, telling journalists to "give him a list" and then they would be released "tonight".

He also defended Cuba's record on human rights and pointed to problems in the US.

"We defend human rights, in our view civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights are indivisible, inter-dependent and universal," Mr Castro said.

"Actually we find it inconceivable that a government does not defend and ensure the right to healthcare, education, social security, food provision and development."

Mr Obama said the trade embargo would be fully lifted in Cuba, but he could not say exactly when.

"The reason is what we did for 50 years did not serve our interests or the interests of the Cuban people," he said.

WHO-President Barack Obama

     WHEN-not given

     WHAT-President Barack Obama is in Cuba for a historic three-day visit to the island and talks with its communist leader.

     WHY-Mr Obama said change would happen in Cuba

     WHERE-in Cuba 

     HOW- Mr Obama said the trade embargo would be fully lifted in Cuba, but he could not say exactly when.

keywords:

1.heralded預告

2.food provision糧食

3.embargo禁止貿易

4.indivisible不可分裂的

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35856126

week9

Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to a majority win in Myanmar's first openly contested election in 25 years in November 2015.

The win came five years to the day since she was released from 15 years of house arrest.

Although the Myanmar constitution forbids her from becoming president because she has children who are foreign nationals, Ms Suu Kyi is widely seen as de facto leader.

Her official title is state counsellor. The president, Htin Kyaw, is a close confidante.

The 70-year-old spent much of her time between 1989 and 2010 in some form of detention because of her efforts to bring democracy to then military-ruled Myanmar (also known as Burma) - a fact that made her an international symbol of peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.

In 1991, "The Lady" as she's known, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the committee chairman called her "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless".

However, after her release and subsequent political career, Ms Suu Kyi has come in for criticism by some rights groups for what they say has been a failure to speak up for Myanmar's minority groups during a time of ethnic violence in parts of the country.

WHO-Aung San Suu Kyi

WHEN-in November 2015.

WHAT-Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy (NLD) to a majority win in Myanmar's first openly contested election

WHY-win in Myanmar's first openly contested election

HOW- not given

keywords:

1.constitution組織

2.detention拘留

3.resistance抵抗

4.ethnic民族的

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977

week8

David Cameron looks set to avoid facing either Boris Johnson or Michael Gove in the EU referendum live television debates, despite the leave campaign threatening to complain to Ofcom or launch legal action.

The prime minister has so far agreed to two events – an interview with Sky and another ITV interview back-to-back with the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage.

But senior Brexit campaigners, including John Whittingdale, the culture secretary, have called on ITV to think again about its format, arguing No 10 should not be allowed to pick its opponents and Farage is not representative of the official out campaign.

Both Cameron and George Osborne are now almost certain to refuse to appear at the main BBC live rally and the prime minister is unlikely to agree to debate senior Conservatives at any of the seven planned broadcast events.

It is understood Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, is also declining to appear at the main BBC rally because he will not share a stage with Conservatives, leaving the Wembley event without either of the two main party leaders.

A source said Labour was pushing hard to ensure the debate was not too dominated by rightwingers because it “can’t just be left to the Tories to make the case to remain” but they would only look at a format for Corbyn that “recognised his position”.

They would want the Labour leader to have “equal billing” and “the same status” as the kind of interview formats offered to Cameron – so that he was not just one voice among many in a crowded debate field.

In campaign sources suggested they would want to use a variety of political voices from across the spectrum in the live television events, highlighting Corbyn, Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, and Caroline Lucas, the Green leader, as supporters of the remain cause.

The format of the debate has been the subject of painstaking negotiations between the parties, campaigns and broadcasters, as the live event could have a powerful influence on the electorate in the run-up to the 23 June vote.

WHO-David Cameron

     WHEN-23 June

     WHAT-The prime minister has so far agreed to two events – an interview with Sky and another ITV interview back-to-back with the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage.

     WHY-the leave campaign threatening to complain to Ofcom or launch legal action.

     WHERE-in Uk

     HOW-  senior Brexit campaigners, including John Whittingdale, the culture secretary, have called on ITV to think again about its format

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/12/robert-peston-vote-leave-mad-slur-eu-referendum-debate

keywords:

1.referendum公民投票權

2.campaign競選

3. format安排

4. spectrum範圍

5.negotiation協調

6.electorate選區

week7

When airstrikes rain down on rebel-held parts of Syria, a group of 3,000 civilian volunteers are usually the first to respond.

The Syrian Civil Defense, known commonly as the White Helmets, is a volunteer corps of Syrians who act as first respondents in the Syrian civil war, which is now in its sixth year. Established in 2013, the group’s charter is simple: to carry out search-and-rescue operations to save the maximum number of lives.

Inspired by a Quranic verse that says “to save a life is to save all of humanity,” the group has rescued more than 60,000 people—a feat that earned them the Right to Livelihood Award, commonly known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” in recognition for their “outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians.” It has also put them in contention for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Although it has received support from many organizations and high-profile figures, it has been criticized by supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime—and by Assad himself—for its ties to Western governments, from which the group receives millions of dollars in funding.

WHO-White Helmets

     WHEN-in 2013

     WHAT-White Helmets, is a volunteer corps of Syrians who act as first respondents in the Syrian civil war

     WHY-to save the maximum number of lives.

     WHERE-in Syria

     HOW- to carry out search-and-rescue operations to save the maximum number of lives.

http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/09/syria-white-helmets/502073/

keywords:

1.humanity人道

2.compassion同情

3.humanitarian人道主義者

4.civilians人民

5.contention論點,主張

week6

This past July, President Barack Obama signed a bill passed by Congress to extend authorization for Federal Aviation Administration programs and funding until September 30, 2017.

In addition to extending FAA authorization, the measure includes provisions that impact operations of unmanned aircraft systems, as it directs the FAA to create a comprehensive UAS research and development road, which the AUVSI has advocated to coordinate industry and government research and development programs. Additionally, according to AUVSI, in outlines a pilot program for unmanned traffic management and expands the Section 333 exemption process to allow for beyond-line-of-sight operations.

"This FAA extension will provide short-term stability for the commercial UAS industry," said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. "Its provisions will help expand commercial operations, advance research and keep the airspace safe for all users – manned and unmanned."

AUVSI holds 2016 Startup Connection

On July 18, the AUVSI hosted its first Startup Connection, which was held in San Francisco and focused on highlighting innovations in unmanned systems and robotics. The event brought together investors, channel partners, and OEMs with startups, new ideas, and new technologies in an interactive format combining demonstrations and presentations
Amazon and UK government to explore drone delivery safety

A partnership between Amazon and the UK government is set to explore the steps needed to make the Amazon Prime delivery drone become operational a reality by enabling Amazon to trial new methods of testing its delivery systems.

Amazon invests birdhouse-style drone stations
Additionally, Amazon has received a patent for docking stations for streetlight posts, cellphone towers, and buildings so that delivery drones can recharge and download information about impending weather, according to Silicon Beat, the tech blog of The Mercury News.
These stations are intended to allow for package delivery at a point in time when UAVs generally lack the ability to travel long distances when carrying heavy goods.
"The range provided by current UAV technology . . . makes deliveries over a wide area – e.g. throughout a city, or even a portion of a city – difficult," Amazon’s patent documents said.

Google also testing delivery drones
Looking to keep pace with Amazon, Google has announced that it has received permission to begin testing delivery drones in the United States.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, received permission from the FAA to test drones weighing less than 25kg in designated areas as part of the company’s Project Wing. The announcement, according to The Telegraph, came alongside a number of measures intended to encourage the drone industry introduced by the White House

http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2016/08/uav-roundup-august-2016-the-latest-in-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-news.html

WHO-President Barack Obama

     WHEN-This past July

     WHAT- signed a bill passed by Congress to extend authorization for Federal Aviation Administration programs 

     WHY-not given

     WHERE-San Francisco

     HOW- The event brought together investors, channel partners, and OEMs with startups, new ideas, and new technologies in an interactive format combining demonstrations and presentations

keywords:

1.advocated主張

2.coordinate一致

3.beyond-line-of-sight 視線之外

4.impend迫近

5.provision條款

week5

LE BOURGET, France — With the sudden bang of a gavel Saturday night, representatives of 195 nations reached a landmark accord that will, for the first time, commit nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to help stave off the most drastic effects of climate change.

The deal, which was met with an eruption of cheers and ovations from thousands of delegates gathered from around the world, represents a historic breakthrough on an issue that has foiled decades of international efforts to address climate change.

Traditionally, such pacts have required developed economies like the United States to take action to lower greenhouse gas emissions, but they have exempted developing countries like China and India from such obligations.

The accord, which United Nations diplomats have been working toward for nine years, changes that dynamic by requiring action in some form from every country, rich or poor.

“This is truly a historic moment,” the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said in an interview. “For the first time, we have a truly universal agreement on climate change, one of the most crucial problems on earth.”

President Obama, who regards tackling climate change as a central element of his legacy, spoke of the deal in a televised address from the White House. “This agreement sends a powerful signal that the world is fully committed to a low-carbon future,” he said. “We’ve shown that the world has both the will and the ability to take on this challenge.”

Scientists and leaders said the talks here represented the world’s last, best hope of striking a deal that would begin to avert the most devastating effects of a warming planet.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/world/europe/climate-change-accord-paris.html?rref=collection%2Fnewseventcollection%2Fun-climate-change-conference&action=click&contentCollection=earth&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection&referer=http://www.nytimes.com/news-event/un-climate-change-conference

WHO-not given

     WHEN-Saturday night

     WHAT- representatives of 195 nations reached a landmark accord that will, for the first time, commit nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to help stave off the most drastic effects of climate change

     WHY-take action to lower greenhouse gas emissions, but they have exempted developing countries like China and India from such obligations.

     WHERE-France

     HOW-not given

keywords:

1.emissions散發

2.eruption爆發

3.ovations鼓掌

4.delegates代表

5.dynamic動力

week4

When serial Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio finally broke his Academy Award drought last week he inadvertently triggered a small surge in sales of spinning tops. The reason, explains Will Cutler, a product designer from Burton upon Trent, is somewhat complicated.

Movie buffs will remember that DiCaprio’s character in the 2010 science-fiction film Inception was a thief who infiltrated the subconscious of his victims. In a world where dreams and real life are difficult to distinguish, Dominic Cobb relied on a small top – his totem – to check if he was awake (the spinning top slows and topples) or dreaming (it spins for ever).

So, when DiCaprio picked up his Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant, the internet celebrated with a meme showing the actor using his top to check if he was dreaming or if he had actually got his hands on a gold statue. And that, according to Mr Cutler, the designer of the Vorso MK1 top, was enough to cause “an upturn in business”.
“I’m serious man,” said the 26-year-old designer. “I’m worried we won’t have enough stock.” 

In truth, the curious renaissance of the spinning top was under way before DiCaprio won his first Oscar. A cursory search of crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo – places where the latest tech gadgets tend to dominate – reveals a plethora of tops, a rudimentary toy that has existed since antiquity. 

Today’s tops tend to be small, metal objects with hyperbolic names. They include the TTi-180, the UltraTop XXX, the BilletSpin, the Kraken and the ForeverSpin, a product that reportedly raised $1.5m (£1m) on Kickstarter. Some of the new generation of tops glow in the dark, others can be stacked like building blocks; most promise extravagant spin times. A few boast more metaphysical qualities: the UltraTop, for example, is billed as “a great way to relax, escape from the hustle and bustle and meditate”. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/leonardo-dicaprios-oscar-win-for-the-revenant-triggers-surge-in-sales-for-spinning-tops-a6914271.html

WHO-Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio

     WHEN-last week

     WHAT- DiCaprio picked up his Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant

     WHY the actor using his top to check if he was dreaming or if he had actually got his hands on a gold statue

     WHERE- Oscar ceremony

     HOW-not given

keywords:

1.inadvertently漫不經心的

2.infiltrated滲入

3.subconscious潛意識

4.renaissance文藝復興時期

5.hustle忙碌

6.bustle喧囂

7. metaphysical超自然的

week3

On Wednesday, 9 September 2015,a Hungarian camerawomen was fired Tuesday for deliberately tripping a Syrian refugee, the local news channel N1TV, where she worked, said in a statement.

Petra Lazlo, who is a member of the anti-immigration group and a worker for N1TV station, was caught on camera sticking her leg out as a father carrying his son runs past, causing them both to fall down on the ground at the Roszke immigrant camp on the Hungary-Serbia border during a police crackdown on immigrants.

She was also caught on camera kicking refugees fleeing the camp, including a young girl.

The N1TV colleagues today behaved unacceptably in Roszke collection point. Our working relationship with the camerawoman has ended. The case was considered closed our part,” The Telegraph newspaper quoted the news station as saying in a statement.
Lazlo’s video was widely shared on social media after it was posted by German reporter Stephan Richter on Twitter.
The migrants were part of a group of 1,500 people who had been waiting for hours at a refugee collection point near the Roszke crossing.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/03/Photo-of-Syrian-boy-drowned-on-Turkish-beach-sparks-outcry.html

WHO-a Hungarian camerawomen

     WHEN-On Wednesday, 9 September 2015

     WHAT-,a Hungarian camerawomen was fired Tuesday for deliberately tripping a Syrian refugee

     WHY-not given

     WHERE-  at the Roszke immigrant camp on the Hungary-Serbia border

     HOW- She was also caught on camera kicking refugees fleeing the camp, including a young girl.

week2

The attacks in Paris on the night of Friday 13 November by gunmen and suicide bombers hit a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars, almost simultaneously - and left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded.They were described by President Francois Hollande as an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
The first of three explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium on the northern fringe of Paris where France were playing Germany in an international football friendly. Suicide bomber blew himself at a fast-food outlet near the stadium at 21:53. The attackers all wore identical explosive vests.

Meanwhile, other attacks were unfolding nearer to the centre of town, around popular nightlife spots. The first took place at about 21:25 in the 10th district (arrondissement), not far from the Place de la Republique.

The gunmen arrived at the scene in a black Seat car, later found abandoned, about three miles (nearly 5km) away in the eastern suburb of Montreuil.

Witnesses at Le Carillon bar, 18 rue Alibert, said they initially thought a firecracker had gone off before realising that they were under fire from semi-automatic rifles.

"People dropped to the ground. We put a table over our heads to protect us," said Ben Grant, who was with his wife at the back of the bar.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34818994

WHO-gunmen and suicide bombers

     WHEN-on the night of Friday 13 November

     WHAT-The attacks in Paris

     WHY-as an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

     WHERE- The first of three explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium on the northern fringe of Paris

     HOW- Suicide bomber blew himself 

week1

Ms Yousafzai,Malala who was 15 at the time, was shot in the head on board her school bus in the Swat valley in 2012, in an attack that shocked the world.

She was awarded last year's Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for children's rights, despite the risk to her life.

Officials say the 10 men, who do not include the man named as chief suspect, belonged to the Pakistani Taliban.

Ataullah Khan, a 23-year-old militant, was identified by a police report at the time of the shooting - but he did not appear in the list of 10 men convicted on Thursday.

It may be one of Pakistan's most high profile court cases - but there is little information about it and the sourcing is shaky. Someone leaked the court ruling to a television channel, surprising journalists in Swat.
A press officer for the military first promised a statement giving details of the case, then backed out. Local lawyers declined to offer comments, and judicial officers feigned ignorance about when or where the trial had been held.

There was a similar lack of detail last September when the army first announced it had arrested the 10 men who have now been convicted.

Pakistani officials believe local Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah ordered the attack. He is thought to be in Afghanistan.

Ms Yousafzai, now 17, was treated for her injuries in the UK and currently lives in Birmingham with her family. They are unable to return to Pakistan because of Taliban death threats..

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32530324

WHO-Ms Yousafzai,Malala

     WHEN-in 2012

     WHAT-was shot in the head on board her school bus in the Swat valley

     WHY-She was awarded last year's Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for children's rights, despite the risk to her life.

     WHERE- in the Swat valley

     HOW-not given