Topic Reading-Vol.936-11/3/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Fewer couples want second child

Is that a surprise, underestimate or miscalculation? Of the 11 million who become eligible to have a second child in China, only 720,000 applied to have one.

China’s one-child policy was introduced in 1979 as part of their family planning policy. It has been implemented until recently when the administration decided to ease the rules by allowing couples to have a second child if one of the parents is an only child. They estimated two million couples would apply to have another child especially in urban area where the restriction has been strongly implanted.

However, parents responded not as enthusiastically as they were predicted. Part of the reason is high education cost. That is a common concern in developed counties in Asia such as Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.

Can they sustain demographic balance in the coming decades?

Enjoy reading and learning about China’s new challenge to balancing the largest population in the world.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-10/30/content_18825388.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.935-11/2/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

U.S. News Releases Inaugural Best Global Universities Rankings

As businesses and activities are getting more globalized, education is no exception. The number of students who studied abroad was around 800,000 four decades ago. That number reached 4.5 million in 2012, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, and is expected to grow even faster for the coming years.

For those who are interested in studying abroad, here is a newly published global ranking list of top 500 colleges and universities in 49 countries. Not surprisingly, the U.S. has the most institutions in the list, 134, more than a quarter of the list followed by the U.K., and China.

Enjoy reading and learning which educational institutions do better than the others.

http://news.yahoo.com/u-news-releases-inaugural-best-global-universities-rankings-120000152.html

Topic Reading-Vol.934-11/1/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

E-waste inferno burning brighter in China's recycling capital

Many people of the developed countries seem to think they are conscious of the environment and human health. But that consciousness seems to apply only within their sights.

Tons of tons of e-waste such as mobile phones, remote controls, computers and music players have been shipped to be recycled from other countries to this small town in the southern province of Guangdong for decades. The environment of the places where such e-waste is generated might have been improved at the cost of the local environment and health of the residents. Now as China’s economy and consumption grows, this place seems to be getting even more e-waste from the domestic market. Economically, this trend is going to benefit the local residents and emigrants from near and far towns. However, they seem to sacrifice their health and living environment.

Recycling seems to be a morally and environmentally complicated act, doesn’t it?

Enjoy reading and learning about the chain of e-waste recycling.

http://news.yahoo.com/e-waste-inferno-burning-brighter-chinas-recycling-capital-041614646--finance.html

Topic Reading-Vol.933-10/31/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Lessons from a lemonade stand

How much percent of parents wants their children to learn how to manage money? The figure may be higher in America or Middle East where money is valued more than other places. On the contrary, talking about money is sometimes regarded as disrespectful in some cultures like German or Japanese.

Some say people could learn how to manage better from an early stage of life, even before going to school. One of such ideas is to have a child make decisions how to allocate money for different purposes such as for spending, saving and sharing (donation).

How does it sound? Is it worth teaching or guiding children at an early stage?

Enjoy reading and learning how to develop money management skills.

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141027-lemonade-stand-lessons

Topic Reading-Vol.932-10/30/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Delhi chokes on toxic smog after festival of lights

Is there a place whose air quality is worse than Beijing? Yes, there is. It’s the capital of the rival country, India. These two nations seem to compete not only in strengthening space and military programs but also in worsening the air quality level of their capital cities.

According to the WHO study released May this year, Delhi is crowned the dirtiest atmosphere in the world in airborne particles level, known as PM.

Furthermore, people deliberately pollute the air even worse during their Diwali, festival of lights, by lighting firecrackers despite the calls by the government and environment groups.

Enjoy reading and learning how difficult to change a tradition is.

 http://news.yahoo.com/delhi-chokes-toxic-smog-festival-lights-041451559.html

Topic Reading-Vol.931-10/29/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

Google's Alan Eustace beats Baumgartner's skydiving record

How high would you like to go up in the sky? Being lifted by a helium-filled balloon up to 40 kilometers above the ground, which is 40 times higher than the cruising altitude of commercial flights, is crazy enough for a human. Then how does the person get back to the ground? It’s simple. Just jump off, and the gravity will take the person back home faster than any other transportation, without any carbon footprint. How fast? The speed of the falling object (person) reached over 1,300 kilometers per hour, faster than the speed of sound or a fighter jet. Who challenged such a free fall? One of the executives of the company that maps the world on the ground and from space.

Now are you interested in the venture?

Enjoy reading the article and seeing the video.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29766189

Topic Reading-Vol.930-10/28/2014

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

'Burka ban' - not parliament's finest hour

First of all, what is burka? It’s an outfit in some Islamic traditions which covers a woman head to toe. The face-veiling portion is usually a rectangular piece of semi-transparent cloth to provide visibility from inside but not so much from outside.

Amid mounting tensions and concerns about Islamic extremist like IS, Australian parliament tried to introduce a controversial rule to separate people in burka in the parliament house. However, the proposal was backed down due to fierce criticism saying such treatment is unfair, unjustifiable and unnecessary.

The question is; how many women in Australia wear burka in the first place.

Enjoy reading and learning about this swift U-turn by Australian legislators.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-29684972