Topic Reading-Vol.848-8/7/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Happy campers? A look at North Korea's summer camp 

Only $270 for a week long summer camp in an air-conditioned, fully secured and cared facility with kids from other countries? Sounds like an awfully good deal, doesn’t it? Where is it, though?

The heavily government subsidized camp facility is in North Korea but it isn’t a labor camp but an international children’s camp to host young students from the world. This summer, 300 courageous parents have sent their children to this camp from Russia, China, Vietnam, Tanzania and Ireland. Those children spent days on the beach and in the playground and sometime with local children.

Surprisingly, the camp is said to be open to any children in the world, even to Americans.

Enjoy reading and learning what this children’s camp is about in one of the most secretive and restrictive countries.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/31/world/asia/north-korea-summer-camp/index.html?hpt=hp_c6

Topic Reading-Vol.847-8/6/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Caging corrupt 'tigers'

The incumbent leaders of the Communist Party of China, CPC, seem to be seriously and dedicatedly committed to crack down the past corruptions. However, it had been a big question whether or not the long suspected one of the very top leaders of the party’s hierarchy, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee, would be arrested. And the current party’s head seems to have decided to show his commitment to zero tolerance to corruptions by party’s officials whether his or her position is current or past, or highest or rank and file.

While such extensive crack down of the past wrongdoings may be an effective way to demonstrate the commitment to disciplinary actions to the public, and party and military personnel, systematic and preventive mechanism, auditing and education are required to improve their ethics and customs.

Enjoy reading and learning how serious the corruption is in today’s China.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2014-07/30/content_18207195.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.846-8/5/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Amazon Rolls Out All-You-Can-Read Option

If you live in the states, you might have already tried this new e-reading service by the online giant, Amazon. The service looks reasonable or good deal for those who read more than one conventional paperback or e-book a month continuously. And it’ll be more valuable if you’re fortunate enough to find more expensive books in their 600k+ book titles. So what makes difference is rather categories and titles than the volume one reads a month.

Enjoy reading and finding if this service suits your needs and interest.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/amazon-rolls-out-all-you-can-read-option-92144233979.html

Topic Reading-Vol.845 8/4/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

How facial features drive our first impressions

Most of humans seem to judge strangers by the appearance, particularly by the face. More specifically, many people tend to form the first impression as to how approachable, dominant or attractive a person is by his or her face. If so, are there any proven or agreed scores, scales or measurements that form such facial impressions?

A neuroscientist in the U.K. and his team took data, made a mathematical model and produced cartoons and tested. They now have types of facial features that could form more or less desirable impressions to others. But what are they for while you can’t or may not want to change your face?

Enjoy reading and learning how they researched and how the outcomes could be used.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28512781

Topic Reading-Vol.844 8/3/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Welcome to Trieste, the tiny Italian city that shapes the world's wardrobe.

When it comes to predicting or imagining what the future is going to be like, design seems to play more important role than most of people think, at least the organizers of this annual design event believe.

In a small far north-east town of Italy hosts this annual event to discover the next best thing in the world of fashion design. Young and unknown talents from 70 countries gather to show their imaginative and futuristic design concepts, ideas and materials. The organizer intends to inspire young talents to come up new ideas and have them share and exchange them at one place.

Enjoy seeing some of the futuristic or imaginative designs from the youngest talents, who could be next top-notch fashion designers in the future.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/19/world/europe/international-talent-support-trieste/index.html?hpt=hp_c5

Topic Reading-Vol.843 8/2/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Beef environment cost 10 times that of other livestock

Now it’s clear. Beef is to be blamed among all kinds of meat in terms of the environmental impacts.

A new research conducted in the U.S., calculated the environmental costs per consumed calorie of dairy, poultry, pork, and eggs. It suggests that beef production requires 28 more land and 11 times more irrigation water and also emits 5 time more greenhouse gasses and 6 times more nitrogen respectively, than the average of the other livestock categories. It is mainly because beef has the lowest energy conversion efficiency among the food group.

It sounds like good news for meat or dairy food lovers because the easiest way to reduce the environmental impacts is to simply switch from beef to some other meat products or eggs. There is  no need to be a vegetarian or to give up meat dishes.

Enjoy reading and learning how impactful to the environment to eat beef is.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28409704

Topic Reading-Vol.842 8/1/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

47 shot. 5 dead. Chicago officials meet

It sounds like an incident in Baghdad or Kabul, doesn’t it? But this series of gun violence incidents happened over a summer weekend in a country that has the most organized, trained and well-equipped police forces, the United States of America.

So, how come a five-year old girl who just happened to be in her friend’s house was shot in the head by a stray bullet from outside and died? And she was just one of those who were shot over one ordinary weekend in Chicago. More surprisingly, 60 were shot and nine dead over the Independence Day weekend in the city. Do people in America celebrate their nation’s birthday not only with firework displays but also firearms shootings?

Read and learn the impact and emotion of the family members of the shooting victim as well as the remarks by the city officials.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/21/justice/chicago-deadly-weekend/index.html?hpt=hp_t3