Topic Reading-Vol.4216-11/9/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Photos: Smog-hit New Delhi extends school shutdown

Delhi is a union territory of India, containing the capital of India, New Delhi, where nearly 30 million people live. There, all primary schools have been closed since the end of October because of the dangerously polluted air quality. The PM 2.5 particles, tiny microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air, reached over 500 micrograms per cubic meter on November 6, a level 40 times higher than the daily maximum by the WHO. In fact, over 17,000 people died in Delhi in 2020 because of the air pollution. The smog of this season is a regular event, caused particularly by stubble burning by farmers in neighboring states after their rice and wheat crops harvest. Also, vehicle and industrial emissions, and dust from construction sites are to blame. Though the government banned stubble burning in neighboring states and implemented emission standards for vehicles and factories, the smog problem in Delhi seems far from over or being eased. Indeed, the air pollution in Delhi is caused by old practices and new vehicles and industries.

Read the article and see the photos of smog-filled Delhi.

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/11/5/photos-smog-hit-new-delhi-extends-school-shutdown

Topic Reading-Vol.4215-11/8/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Super shoes have ‘blown distance running into a new stratosphere.’ Are they benefitting the sport?

Technologies and innovations seem to contribute significantly to the performance of swimmers and runners. When high-tech swimsuits were introduced in 2008, swimmers wearing them began breaking world swim records at a surprising rate. In fact, swimmers broke 25 world records in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 23 of which were achieved by swimmers who wore such high-tech swimsuits. The number was a big jump from eight in the 2004 games.

Nowadays, on the ground, super shoes have been demonstrating how technologies affect marathon runners’ performance. On September 24, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa smashed the women's marathon world record in Berlin, crossing the line in two hours 11 minutes 53 seconds - taking two minutes 11 seconds off the previous record set in 2019. She was wearing Adidas’s Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 shoes. Then, on October 8, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum crossed the line in a world record time with a time of 2:00:35, shaving 34 seconds off, at the Chicago Marathon. He was wearing Nike’s Alphafly 3 shoes. Both shoes are the latest high-performance super shoes, which feature carbon fiber plates in the soles to provide a springy rebound effect, designed to be used for just one marathon race at the sacrifice of durability. Critics say such technology devalues and dilutes the former records. Also, they point out the environmental impacts of those single-use products. In the meanwhile, the world is excited to see when and who will break the two-hour milestone in marathon racing, not so much about which shoes.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how technologies could affect world records.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/03/sport/super-shoes-marathon-running-spt-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4214-11/7/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Pakistan begins mass deportation of Afghan refugees

Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled their homeland to neighboring Pakistan in order to escape from the Taliban’s persecution. Many of those refugees were government officials, military personnel, interpreters, musicians, artists, teachers, women, and anti-Taliban advocates. It is estimated that around four million Afghans are living in Pakistan, only one-third, or around 1.3 million of whom are registered refugees. Now, the Pakistani government wants undocumented Afghan refugees to leave their land and started deporting illegal Afghan residents as of November 1. Many of them rushed to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border before the deadline, hoping that would be safer than being deported. Taliban said they would accept those voluntary returnees and provide transportation to their homelands. Will they be treated safely? Also, how many will be detained in Pakistan and deported back to Afghanistan after November 1? For some, hiding and living underground in Pakistan might be safer than being deported to the Taliban regime. Will there be another place for them?

Read the article and learn about Pakistan’s new act for Afghan refugees.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pakistan-afghanistan-refugees-deportation/

Topic Reading-Vol.4213-11/6/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Cats have 276 different facial expressions, study finds

Cats seem to have become more sensitive and expressive than before when it comes to interacting with other feline friends, a new study found. Researchers observed 53 cats at a cat café in California where they had interacted with feline friends. They recorded 186 feline interactions and identified 276 facial expressions, nearly half of which looked friendly and 37% seemed aggressive. In general, cat communication includes vocalizations like meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting as well as cat body language. But over the course of the last 95 centuries, cants have been closely domesticated, become part of human societies, and developed communicative skills with each other. In the near future, cats’ facial expressions might be interpreted more precisely with the aid of AI.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how communicative our feline friends are.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/01/world/cats-have-276-facial-expressions-intl-scli-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4212-11/5/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Convenience store offers relief for mountain climbers in Hunan

Shiniuzhai National Geological Park is located in Hunan, in Pingjiang County. It is famous for Brave Men’s Bridge, a 300-meter-long glass suspension bridge, and Ten Miles Cliff. Climbers of the cliff, mostly novices, ascend a network of iron steps affixed to the steep cliff, using fixed cables for support. There used to be a resting hut for climbers above 120 meters from the ground. Several years ago, the hut was transformed into a convenience store offering free water to climbers. In addition, it sells snacks and soft drinks at compatible prices with stores on the ground. The 2-square-meter convenience store is open from 8 am to 5 pm. The drinks and food at the store are carried up by staff members each day. It is basically a self-checkout convenience store except when there are many climbers. It is known as the most inconvenient convenience store.

Enjoy seeing the photo and reading the article of this extraordinary convenience store on the cliff.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202311/01/WS6541a039a31090682a5ebc6a.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4211-11/4/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What are semiconductors and how are they used?

You probably have heard of microchips or integrated circuits (ICs). But what are they? Despite the miniature size, just millimeters or so, microchips, or semiconductors possess a massive amount of processing power by conducting electronic signals so fast. They are used in nearly any electronic device, sensor, or machine. You might remember that there was, and still is in some industries, a global microchip shortage that affected nearly 170 industries, having affected the production of automobiles, computers, smartphones, pacemakers, automobiles, and many other consumer electronic products. So, semiconductors are essential parts of today’s electronics-dependent world. Then how do they work and where are they produced?

Enjoy reading the article and learning what semiconductors are about.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66394406

Topic Reading-Vol.4210-11/3/2023

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

The new breed of long-haul, low-cost airlines: What you need to know

What are your priorities when you take a long-haul flight, like the ones between Europe and North America, or to and from Southeast Asia or Oceania? Those flights take six hours or longer and cost as much as your monthly rent or income. If you take a full-service flight like Air France or Singapore Airlines, you can enjoy one or two meals, free drinks, onboard entertainment, and baggage allowance during the flight. Nowadays, there are other economical airlines that offer cheaper airfares if you can compromise your expectations and squeeze yourself into a narrow seat with little legroom. Most of those low-cost carriers, often called LCCs, would serve those services and amenities with a fee, most of which are usually included in the airfare when you travel on a full-service airline. But if you think you’re sitting on a 2^nd-class seat on a night train, you won’t get anything but a seat anyway. In case you want to enjoy a full-flat seat or a better reclining, you could also choose a business class or upper economy class seat on some of those budget airlines at around a normal economy class airfare. So, next time you fly a long-haul flight, study carefully what options you might be able to choose from.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what low-cost carriers might offer.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/long-haul-low-cost-airlines-what-to-know/index.html