Topic Reading-Vol.2821-1/2/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

World 'faces 80% calorie increase by end of century'

Half a century ago, there were about 3.7 billion humans walking on the planet. The population doubled by 2016 and today, there are about 7.8 billion people living in the world. As the average fertility rate keeps rising from today’s 2.47 to 2.95 in the next three decades, two billion more people will be eating everyday meals in 2050. That’s a 25% increase from now. Though the rate of increase is expected to slow down, one billion more stomachs will be added by the end of the century, bringing the total population to 11 billion. The majority of the increase will come from Africa, whose population is expected to grow from today’s 1.3 billion to 4.3 billion in 2100. Furthermore, as people become taller and heavier, their stomachs become larger and more demanding, meaning they need higher calories to survive. Recently, some researchers estimated that around 250 more calories are needed in one’s daily diet in the future.

Will the world be able to feed that many more stomachs if the size of cultivable land doesn’t expand accordingly? Will agricultural productivity improve more than the rate of population increase? Will people have no choice but to depend on junk food only to fill their stomachs in Africa? What if global warming deteriorates food production?

Enjoy reading the article and think about how humans, their cattle and birds, and fish will survive to the next century.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50856049

p.s. If you’re interested in a population update of the world and by country, check this out. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

Topic Reading-Vol.2821-1/1/2020

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Over 3.4m sit for postgraduate exam

Happy New Year!

20 years have already passed since the turn of the millennium. What significant changes have you seen or experienced? Probably many would name the smartphone, YouTube, SNS, and global warming have been the ones that changed our lives.

Also, the rise of China’s influence in the economy, technology, and military is remarkable, which is supported by rapidly increased enrollment in higher education. These days, around nine million students take gaokao, China’s national entrance exams for universities and colleges, and around six million students are enrolled, which represents over 40% of high school graduates. They are hoping to get better jobs in the future because academic achievement and success are important for employment. But competition doesn’t just stop there to find better job opportunities. In 2019, over three million over 3.4 million students, about half of the students who enrolled in universities four years ago, took exams for postgraduate education. Recently, over two million students are enrolled in postgraduate courses, and nearly 400,000 students are studying to earn a doctor’s degree. Postgraduate courses are essential to developing prospective careers, especially in tech and information industries. Also, over three hundred Chinese students are studying in colleges and universities in the US. Yes, English also plays an important role in good careers.

But how good the return on investment or education? Will they be more successful in their careers or personal lives?

Enjoy reading the article and think about what higher education does to one’s wealth, wellbeing, and happiness on your new year's day.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/21/WS5dfd75dea310cf3e3557fb26.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2820-12/31/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

New Zealand: 56,000 guns handed over during amnesty

New Zealand is a small island country in the South Pacific with two large islands, the North and the South, and 600 small islands. The human population of the country is nearly five million, but the population of sheep is around 30 million, approximately five to six sheep per person. Sound very peaceful, doesn’t it? Then, how many guns in the country?

The police estimated that there are about 1.2 million legal firearms owned by citizens, approximately, one for every four citizens. After the mass shooting incident that took place in Christchurch on March 15, New Zealand parliament banned the possession of semi-automatic weapons and launched a buyback program. At the end of the six-month amnesty period, they collected approximately 56,000 assault weapons and rifles. Was it a success?

Remember, the Christchurch mass shooting left 51 people dead and 49 others wounded. The gunman possessed two semi-automatic weapons, a shotgun, and a rifle. One such deadly firearm could kill a dozen or more people easily if it is used by a malicious owner. Unfortunately, it is estimated that there still are over 100,000 such deadly weapons in the island country even after the buyback program.

Hope 2019 was the last year to witness a gun crime of this scale.

Read the last article of the year and learn about New Zealand’s weapon buyback program.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50878862

Topic Reading-Vol.2819-12/30/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What is it really like to be in prison?

A prison is a facility in which inmates are confined and denied a variety of freedoms under the authority of the state. In some prisons, people are held in custody as detainees before or without trial, and in other cases, legally convicted criminals are held to serve their prison sentence as prisoners. In either case, those who are in prison are deprived of liberty against his or her will.

You might have seen prisoners in movies or dramas, but have you ever thought about what the life there is like? Though conditions like the facility, cleanliness, and treatment may differ widely by prison or country, prisoners are stripped of their identity on arrival. They have very little freedom in everyday life. They need to ask permission for nearly everything they want or need to do. They are surrounded by fellow inmates, convicted criminals. It is not easy to get by physically and mentally. In the meantime, there, one may find something that they have never thought of or tried for. Here are some stories of former inmates in the UK.

Read the article and learn about the changes some prisoners made during their prison term.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/52XBpzxsQx7xRRRRMKflByd/what-is-it-really-like-to-be-in-prison

Topic Reading-Vol.2818-12/29/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How to safely enjoy India's incredible street food scene

Do you like Indian curry? Then, you may want to visit India someday or again and try other kinds of Indian dishes, like samosas (dumpling), dosas (pancake), and biryani (pilaf). Like any other food-loving culture, there are all kinds of local and traditional delicacies on the street in India whose cultures are so diverse. But is it safe to eat street food there? If not, what about a small mama-and-papa restaurant?

There are some dos and don’ts that help you enjoy ethnic tastes while keeping your stomach undamaged, like any other not-so-hygienic places where you need to avoid tap water either for drinking or cooking. Where and how was the meat processed and at what temperature? Are the ice cubes in your drink made from tap water? When was the curry made or the dumpling fried? Has the ice-cream been kept frozen all the time or refrozen?

Basically, the same rules apply to almost anywhere in the world and anything you eat.

Enjoy reading the article and learn dos and don’ts to enjoy street food.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/india-street-food-safety-tips-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.2817-12/28/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Poorest countries facing both obesity and malnutrition

Lack of proper nutrition, whether inadequate or imbalanced, is causing considerable health problems to anyone on the planet. Around the world, one in five people is getting overweight while one in five women is considered too thin. Also, more than 150 million children under four aren’t growing as they are supposed to. The problem is that overweight has become common not only in developed countries but also in developing regions including sub-Saharan Africa. That’s because more unhealthy, high-calorie foods and sugary drinks are available more easily and economically. Think of supermarkets and convenience stores that are loaded with colorful food packages of cereals, snacks, and prepared meals and soda cans that are attractively labeled. And you can find these stores almost everywhere in the world now. Also, there are fast-food restaurants on the road where people can drive in or through to get food and drinks that charge them instantly without any physical work. No wonder people become heavier as they eat more and move less.

Today’s world is suffering these two contradicting problems at the same time, overweight and malnutrition.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about how easily people could suffer their health these days.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50784281

Topic Reading-Vol.2816-12/27/2019

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

How charity apps may be making us more generous

When and how do you give money to those who are in need or causes that make the world better? Most of the charitable donations is made in traditional ways, such as cash, deposit, cards, and checks. But if there is an app that links your certain spending to a registered cause, will that make you more generous?

In fact, with Application Programming Interfaces (API), you can donate a preset amount or percentage of a transaction you make with your smartphone. For example, you can donate a certain percentage of a ride sharing or hailing service fee to a cause that tries to protect the environment. Also, you can give some money to those who can’t find today’s bread every time you pay a restaurant tab. Though each amount may be small, you’ll feel generous each time. And of course, they add up.

It’s just like crowdfunding, the practice of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, usually via the Internet. New technologies are surely changing the way people can help others and people are helped.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about new ways to make you more generous.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50572939