Topic Reading-Vol.476-7/31/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Bo Xilai indicted for corruption.

Once a member of the most powerful Central Committee Political Bureau and the top of Chongqing, one of the top four metro cities, is now formally indicted for corruption and misuse of his power. His wife was already sentenced to death because of a murder case she committed to protect her family’s interest but was given a two-year reprieve, which seems to be a popular treatment to high-ranking party leaders and their family members while demonstrating party’s commitment and enforcement to root out corruptions and abuse of power of civil servants and party officials.

Enjoy reading and learning about how China announces its decisive action to fight against disciplinary violations to clean up its public image.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-07/26/content_16832893.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.475-7/30/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

South African chef 'too fat' to live in New Zealand.

While the country has one of the highest obesity rates among the developed countries with nearly 30% of people overweight, it declined a visa extension simply because the applicant is heavier than average overweight, which could put the person at higher risk of suffering diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. It sounds more like an economical reasoning rather than health.

Enjoy reading and learning as to how stingy a ministry could be when it comes to health insurance cost.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23475583

 

Topic Reading-Vol.474-7/29/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Hunter Mahan, leading RBC Canadian Open, withdraws when wife goes into labor.

There are times when people need to choose whether to stay or leave, continue or cease, or say yes or no. It’s just a matter of priority, what’s more important than others, no matter how precious or valuable the sacrifice might be. It could be just a great deal or some sort of financial gain, a relationship with someone or a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Here is a golfer who walked away from a leading tournament to be at his wife’s first labor work thousands of miles away. It didn’t seem to take him any longer than a mere second to leave the golf course in Canada for the airport to catch the first available flight back to Texas.

Enjoy reading and learning what a priority means to one of the most prominent golfers today. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/hunter-mahan-leading-rbc-canadian-open-withdraws-wife-190825194.html

Editor's Note: There are twin girls who were born on this very day 20 years ago in California. Their father was of course by their side taking his first ever day-off, which greatly surprised everyone in his office. Happy birthday!

 

Topic Reading-Vol.473-7/28/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,
Bring Any Working Cellphone to Best Buy, Get a Free Samsung Galaxy S3.
Consumer marketing deals these days seem to offer not only economic but also environmental value. When you’re thinking of getting a new smartphone or tablet PC, you most likely leave your still-functioning conventional or smart phone somewhere in the desk drawer or closet because it’s small enough not to bother you much. But what if you get, not pay, $50 to replace your phone with a band new smartphone? You probably would be more motivated to check the store that offers such a stimulating incentive rather than others that don’t, wouldn’t you? And if you learn that your phone would be resold somewhere that still values it, wouldn’t you be more encouraged to trade in rather than adding another used-to-be-used phone to you collection or creating high-tech waste harmful to the environment, would you?
Enjoy reading and learning about a recent consumer marketing approach.

http://gma.yahoo.com/bring-working-cellphone-best-buy-free-samsung-galaxy-161352786--abc-news-topstories.html

Topic Reading-Vol.472-7/27/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Biggest-ever foreign turnout expected for North Korea mass games.

How many of you have ever imagined traveling to one of the most secretive countries, North Korea, especially to enjoy experiencing an entertainment event? Long after Cold War, there aren’t any other human mass games of this scale that you can see on live, with over 100,000 dancers and singers participating, presumably outnumbering the spectators of the nation’s proud stadium, to show off how united and powerful the country is to its food and energy hungry citizens. But is seems that more foreign tourists are attracted to see this extravaganza these days.

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the photos of the spectacle. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/22/travel/north-korea-mass-games/index.html?hpt=hp_mid

Topic Reading-Vol.471-7/26/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Female genital mutilation: 30 million girls 'at risk'

Circumcision isn’t just for boys or men. Female circumcision, or Female Genital Mutilation, F.G.M., is still a popular practice mainly in Africa and the Middle East where Islam and Judaism are the most common belief. It is estimated that over 100 million women alive today would have undergone such painful and harmful surgical procedure without medical reasons.

The good news is that even more men in certain area where the practice is still popular are against FGM than women. The bad news is that it is overwhelmingly popular in some places such as Somalia, Egypt and Sudan.

Enjoy reading and learning about this physically and mentally dangerous practice still popular in today’s world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23410858

Topic Reading-Vol.470-7/25/2013

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

How animals evolved to stay cool under the sweltering summer sun.

We humans came up with ideas to deal with sizzling summer heat, such as wearing loose clothes, eating or drinking cold stuff, ventilating or cooling the air inside the building or house.

Many of you might know that dogs pant to cool off their body instead of sweating like humans do, so do the large ears elephants have. But there are other four-legged animals that live in places where temperatures go up over 40 degrees, or 100 in Fahrenheit, without shades or water such as desert or savanna?

Enjoy seeing the photos of amazing ecological cooling systems of animals and reading the explanations. 

http://news.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Aucy15JHHdisVurM_5PJYf9faP0E;_ylu=X3oDMTE1NnJlMDc0BHNlYwNVSCAzIERlc2t0b3AgQnJhbmQgSWRlbnRpZmllciAxMDA-;_ylg=X3oDMTBsN2ZkdDVwBGxhbmcDZW4tVVMEcHQDNAR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3