Topic Reading-Vol.4560-10/18/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Teen breaks record by climbing Earth's highest peaks

The eight-thousanders are 14 recognized mountains whose heights are more than 8,000 meters above sea level, including Everest, K2, and Shishapangma, all of which are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. Dozens of climbers aged between 30s and 60 have summited all 14 eight-thousanders since 1970. On October 9, an 18-year-old climber conquered the last of the 14 peaks and became the youngest climber of all eight-thousanders in history. Nima Rinji Sherpa, whose family runs Nepal’s largest mountaineering expedition company, achieved the record just in 740 days. The word “Sherpa” usually refers to a mountain guide or porter working in the Everest area, but it is actually the name of ethnic residents in the mountains of Nepal. He hopes to prove that Sherpas aren’t just supporters of climbers but have potential as top-tier athletes, adventures, and creators.

Read the article and learn about the youngest mountaineer who climbed all eight-thousanders.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c869y6qx6e4o

Topic Reading-Vol.4559-10/17/2024

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Large French ski resort to close as snow shortage leaves it struggling to build a future

Created in 1938, Alpe du Grand Serre is a ski resort located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It sits at an altitude of 1,368 meters, one of the lower-lying ski resorts in Europe which has been facing a steady decline in snowfalls. As winter snowfall becomes increasingly unreliable, the town came up with a plan to transform the winter sports resort into an all-year resort by replacing ski lifts. Earlier this month, the local council decided to close the ski resort and discontinued a contract with the ski lift operator. Because of the warming climate and declining snowfalls, more ski resorts are relying on snow machines to stay open. As the ski seasons become shorter and the costs to keep the ski resorts open increase, the fate of Europe’s ski resorts is gloomy. How many chairlifts and gondolas will be running the Alps in winter ten years from now?

Read the article and learn about the impact of global warming on the Alps’s winter sports resorts.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/09/travel/alpe-du-grande-serre-france-ski-resort-closes-climate-crisis/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4558-10/16/2024

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Global forest loss exceeds targets in 2023, report warns

At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, leaders from 145 countries agreed on a global target to achieve zero deforestation by 2030. The countries that have signed the pledge cover around 85% of the world’s forests, including Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, and the USA. However, forests about the size of Irland were destroyed last year, nearly 50% more than the maximum of the year’s target. Since the beginning of the decade, deforestation has gotten worse, and most of the deforestation occurred in tropical regions. The main drivers of deforestation are agriculture, road construction, fires, and commercial logging, all of which are not likely to slow down in the foreseeable future. When a goal is set, people tend to think they still have the time to work on the solutions and actions, like the COP15 agreement to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. Act today, not tomorrow to avoid catastrophes.

Read the article and learn about still accelerating deforestation.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/8/global-forest-loss-exceeds-targets-in-2023-report-warns

Topic Reading-Vol.4557-10/15/2024

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Pope picks 21 new cardinals in move that broadens pool of who will choose his successor

The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, whose followers exceed 1.3 billion. The incumbent pope is Francis, 87, who was elected in 2013. The next in the Catholic hierarchy is the cardinal, a lifelong title. There are 235 cardinals worldwide as of September, of whom 122, aged under 80, are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Recently, Pope Francis announced 21 new cardinals from various parts of the world, including Muslim-dominant Iran and Indonesia. They will be among other cardinals who will elect his successor. Pope Francis hopes Catholic churches play a role to help bring an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and other regions.

Read the article and learn about the latest moves in Catholic churches.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/06/europe/pope-francis-new-cardinals-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4556-10/14/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The cooking method you need to learn to get excited about vegetables this fall, expert says

When you think of the main dish for a weekend dinner, people often choose from meat, fish, or dairy first and then add vegetables to accompany it. But there are so many kinds of vegetables that could occupy the primary space of the dish. They are so colorful, flavorous, and nutritious, especially the seasonal ones like corn and tomatoes in the summer and pumpkin and broccoli in the fall. There are various ways to enjoy seasonal vegetables as the main dish, such as fresh salad in the spring and summer and roasted vegetables in the fall and winter, to name a few. You can arrange the taste and flavor of the vegetables with dressing, sauce, and oil. Also, you can add some meat, seafood, or cheese to enrich the dish. And remember. Seasonal vegetables are not only tasty and nutritious but also friendly to your wallet.

Read the article and learn about how vegetables can become a main dish.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/05/health/fall-vegetables-seasonal-cooking-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4555-10/13/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Not using these job interview tips can reduce your chances of getting that job

A job interview is often a deciding opportunity for one's career and life. Once you get a chance, you want to look not only qualified for the job but also valuable for the organization or the employer. Yet in the digital age especially after the pandemic, many young people aren’t used to in-person or one-on-one interactions. Interviewers have found young candidates bring parents to an in-person interview, refuse to turn on the camera in an online interview, avoid making eye contact, or dress inappropriately. Since interviewers are busy conducting interviews with many candidates, interviewees are expected to be well-prepared to stand out. Before the interview, you can research the industry, employer, and job, prepare questions, and practice mock interviews to look like a more valuable candidate.

Read the article and learn some valuable tips to prepare for a job interview.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/04/success/job-interview-how-to-do-well-gen-z-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.4554-10/12/2024

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Automatic takeoffs are coming for passenger jets and they’re going to redraw the map of the sky

An autopilot is a device used to guide an aircraft without direct assistance from the pilot. Today, the autopilots of most commercial jetliners are capable of controlling every part of the flight envelope from just after take-off to landing, including the climb, cruise, and descent. Most commercial pilots are manually flying for only about ten minutes or so mainly during the takeoff and landing. Although automatic landing can land the aircraft safely, most pilots prefer doing it manually except under extreme weather conditions or poor visibility. Now, Brazil’s Embraer, the world’s third-largest aircraft manufacturer after Airbus and Boeing, is introducing its auto-takeoff system. It not only improves safety by reducing pilot workload but also efficiency for takeoff, which allows the aircraft to travel farther or carry more passengers or cargo. Will there be an auto-taxing feature soon?

Read the article and learn about what autopilot systems are and will be doing to commercial jetliners.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/embraer-e2-enhanced-takeoff-system/index.html