Topic Reading-Vol.3132-11/7/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Taiwan just went 200 days without a locally transmitted Covid-19 case. Here's how they did it

While many European countries have reinitiated restrictive measures to cope with the second wave of coronavirus pandemic, such as lockdowns, curfews, and business closures, Taiwan has been nearly covid-19 free for over six months. With a population of 23 million, which is approximately one-third of France or the UK, or just about half of Spain, there are only a little over 500 confirmed cases in the country, which seems fewer than an hour of infections occurring in those European countries. How did they do it?

They seem to have been well prepared for such an outbreak of infectious disease. They learned a lesson from the SARS pandemic in 2003. Also, they were quick to move. In fact, they restricted entries from Wuhan, China even before the then-epicenter initiated their lockdown. And they deployed a targeted approach rather than a mass-shooting method. Thanks to the IT-literal government, they launched careful contact tracing and targeted quarantines. Sounds like a rifle-shooting approach rather than a shot-gun approach, which is commonly adopted by most other countries.

In a summary, they were prepared, quick to move, and efficient to shoot the target.

Read the article and learn how important to learn a lesson from the past.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/29/asia/taiwan-covid-19-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3131-11/6/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

New Zealand euthanasia: Assisted dying to be legal for terminally ill people

Euthanasia is an act or practice of killing individuals suffering from an incurable and painful disease in a painless way for reasons of mercy. It is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and several states in the US including California, Colorado, and New Jersey, whereas assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland.

Now, New Zealanders have chosen to legalize euthanasia at a referendum in October which was held along with the general election. A little over 65% of the voters supported the bill which will give terminally ill individuals whose life is expected to end within six months the choice to die sooner. Those who opposed the bill said it could undermine suicide prevention or could be used to reduce a burden on their families even though the law does not allow the practice to be used for advanced age, mental illness, or disability.

Whichever the case, euthanasia or assisted suicide (the act of assisting another person to kill themselves) is, such right is limited only in a small number of states where liberalism seems to prevail.

Read the article and think if euthanasia should be legalized in your country or accepted in your culture.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54728717

Topic Reading-Vol.3130-11/5/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Czech teenagers deployed to overwhelmed hospitals as Covid cases explode

It was only four months ago when Prague citizens gathered on the medieval Charles Bridge and seated around a 500-meter-long table covered with white clothes to goodbye to the new coronavirus pandemic. (Vol.2010, Jul.8) At that time, the Czech Republic was one of the first to implement tough restrictions designed to curb the coronavirus during the first wave and had reported only about 12,000 cases and 350 deaths connected to Covid-19, much fewer than any other country in Europe. But now, the Czech health system is in jeopardy. Every day, 1,000 health care workers have been infected by the coronavirus and over 15,000 were unable to work as of October 28. The worst of all, 3,000 of them were doctors. These numbers are significant for a country with a population of just 10 million. Now, they are so shorthanded that teenage nursing and healthcare students are called in to fill the shortage of hospital personnel. The military also set up a field hospital and staffed it with military doctors and nurses. But that’s still not enough to cover the shortage of doctors.

When Czech was asked to send doctors to help Italy in spring, it declined. So, it is awkward to ask others to send doctors to help their crisis. The hard lesson is learned with the price of lives and by the chaos.

Enjoy reading the article and learn what could go wrong so badly once restrictions and cautions are loosened.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/30/europe/czech-second-wave-hospital-crisis-teens-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3129-11/4/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

US election: 'How we learn about voting in India, France and US'

Today is an election day for the United States of America. As the US societies are becoming more diverse, this presidential election seems to have become a very decisive one. But what do teenagers think about politics and elections? Here are interviews with teenagers about their views, their family and school influences on elections in the US, India, the world’s largest democratic country with over 800 million voters, and France, a diehard democratic republic. Interestingly, the voter turnout for presidential or national elections of these three democratic countries is around 56%, 70%, and 67% respectively. So, despite the heated media coverage and election campaigns in the US and around the world, Americans don’t seem to be so eager to cast their ballots for the last few decades. Why so?

Enjoy watching the video and get a glimpse of soon-to-be voters’ views.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/election-us-2020-54743180

Topic Reading-Vol.3128-11/3/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How octopuses taste their meals by touching them, according to a new study

Nicknamed the devilfish, the octopus is a soft-bodied marine creature with eight tentacles. Its mouth is found at the center point of the tentacles. Octopuses are predatory and eat shellfish and crabs. But little has been known about how octopuses sense what is dangerous or edible for them. According to a recent study, they seem to have the taste-by-touch ability to sense the object with their dots on their long tentacles. It seems quite different from humans that perceive five tastes, sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami.

But why researchers are studying how the octopus senses or tastes things around them? Does it matter how this marine creature senses or tastes? What have they learned from the finding? Well, in basic science, researchers often study by curiosity without knowing what exactly they will find or learn from it.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the sensing ability and mechanism of the grotesque, eight-legged marine creature.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/29/world/octopus-touch-taste-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3127-11/2/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

‘Shops refusing cash left me unable to buy basics’

As the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, more and more small businesses seem to be shifting to the new normal, cashless society. Though not as radical and swift as China, stores that sell essentials like groceries and medicine are becoming reluctant to accept cash payment in the UK. Such a cashless move certainly makes the payment process more smoothly and swiftly while helping keep social distance and avoid direct contacts. But limiting payment methods also throws those who have no other payment tools other than cash out of the doors, such as elderly people, pension dependants, and daily wage earners.

Is there any way to receive cash safely?

Read the article and think of a future time when cash disappears entirely.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-54710897

Topic Reading-Vol.3126-11/1/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Competition for civil service jobs growing

There are as many as 1,580,000 qualified applicants who wish to be one of 25,700 new civil servants in China. The odds are less than two per 100 applicants, one of the most competitive jobs that you can think of anywhere in the world. Of the 25,700 job openings, 8,300 positions will be appointed in western provinces or rural areas, where living and working conditions are far from modern standards. Why is a civil servant job so popular despite the competition and location? A civil servant job is considered as the iron rice bowl in China, an occupation with guaranteed security, income, and benefits. Also, as a government employee, their status is highly regarded and trusted, thus they could get better financial credit and credentials. Also, because of the Covid-19 aftershock, more people try to get a job that will not be affected by future uncertainties.

Now, those who passed the qualification assessment will take a written test, interviews, and health checks to be a new civil servant.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how eager people are to serve the nation in China.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202010/27/WS5f977021a31024ad0ba81220.html