Topic Reading-Vol.172-9/30/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for New Maps Glitches.

If it takes over a week to identify and apologize such a crucial glitch that was promptly detected and widely accused, how long do you think it will take for America’s or the world most valued company in terms of the financial value to come up with a bearable solution to its one of the most shameful inconvenience that most of its customers face every day? Hadn’t they tested it before they launched their proud new phone and iOS that even a dummy can instantly recognize before its launch? Wasn’t it a deliberate act? Had the former CEO still been in the role, would he have approved to put the product on sale or could he have managed to have his people fix the glitch before its launch?

Enjoy reading and learning about one of the most miserable glitches on a map.

http://news.yahoo.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-apologizes-maps-glitches-131156675--abc-news-tech.html

 

Topic Reading-Vol.171-9/29/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

New SARS-like virus poses medical mystery.

How many of you remember or know the fatal virus disease epidemic back in 2002-2003, which at least sickened thousands and killed hundreds? The new virus disease detected from two men from middle east alerted doctors and WHO. Although no more cases have been reported yet, may be because the symptoms are too light or simply not been considered to be a virus disease, WHO has warned doctors and medical professional to pay attention such symptoms.

Enjoy reading and learning about could-be-the-beginning of a new epidemic.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/24/new-sars-like-virus-poses-medical-mystery/?hpt=hp_t3

 

Topic Reading-Vol.170-9/28/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

The 2012 National Geographic Photography Contest.

Every year, National Geographic Photo Contest presents numbers of breath-taking photos to its readers and subscribers, especially those who enjoy seeing high resolution images by their beloved iPad or any other tablet PCs.

Enjoy seeing 12 photos picked by the editor, or see more of them on their website.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/national-geographic-photography-contest-slideshow/;_ylt=AmX4sNhjyjgplMrx0JVyDHes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNsc28wbXU3BG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBGUARwa2cDMTFiYjk1Y2EtOWZiYS0zN2Q1LWFkNzctM2NjMzMzNzNmMzkwBHBvcwM3BHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzdiMGYwNDMzLTA2OWQtMTFlMi1iNzdmLWRmZGRhYTQ1NDhlZg--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3#crsl=%252Fphotos%252Fnational-geographic-photography-contest-slideshow%252Fnational-geographic-photo-1348086861.html

Topic Reading-Vol.169-9/27/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

China's first aircraft carrier enters service.

It seems to have been planned to be formally commissioned to People’s Liberation Army just a few days before their National Day and about a couple of week or so before their biggest political meeting a year, and this case a decade as it’s top leaders are going to change. However, coincidentally perhaps, it just happened when tensions between China and some countries around it, most notably Japan, are having fierce disputes over their maritime territories.

Enjoy reading and learning what an aircraft carrier mean to the military balance and influence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-19710040

Topic Reading-Vol.168-9/26/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Sheep Storm Through Austrian Sports Shop.

Sheep are supposed to be followers, aren’t they? This past weekend, a flock of sheep stormed into a sporting good shop in a small town in Australia, not following their shepherd or being asked to do by Babe (do you remember the movie series?).

Enjoy reading the article and watching the videos, one for storming in and the other for getting out.

Article:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/sheep-storm-austrian-sports-shop-175230294--abc-news-topstories.html?_esi=1

Sheep storming into the shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04Vpbex1vw&feature=related

Sheep getting out of the shop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y00PKQ7W-0&feature=related

 

Topic Reading-Vol.167-9/25/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Avalanche kills climbers at one of world's highest peaks.

Sleeping at one of the highest places in the world may be the most luxurious night for those who love climbing mountains, waiting to reach the summit that they have been trying to conquer until they were struck by devastating avalanche that occurred early morning before dawn.

Why they climb mountains enduring such unpleasant journeys and even risking their lives? Because there’re there to be climbed.

Read what happened to those who tried to reach the eight highest summit in the world.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/23/world/asia/nepal-avalanche/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Topic Reading-Vol.166-9/24/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Arctic ice shrinks to all-time low; half 1980 size.

While the world has been struggling to deal with man-made troubles such as uprisings, protests, disputes, economy and so on, the climate has been surely changing to an unpleasant direction. People might have forgotten about the global warming problem maybe because it’s so inconvenient for politicians when they have to deal with other more urgent agenda before them to keep or get support for elections.

One of the scientists says this year’s sea ice level smashed the record built in 2007 that had also smashed the previous one. And don’t just worry about the size but be reminded the thickness of the sea ice because the how large and how think are the math formula for the mass of ice.

Enjoy reading and learning about how serious arctic ice is to our planet.

http://news.yahoo.com/arctic-ice-shrinks-time-low-half-1980-size-175242723.html?_esi=1

Topic Reading-Vol.165-9/23/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?

Some of you may like to crack your knuckles by pulling the tip of each finger one at a time until you hear a crack or others may make a tight fist or bend their fingers backwards away from the hand, cracking the lot at once, may be for the purpose of relaxing your knuckles.

Either way, you might have heard that knuckles cracking may damage your cartilage. But is that true and how much?

Enjoy reading and learning this interesting study result.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120917-is-it-bad-to-crack-your-knuckles

Topic Reading-Vol.164-9/22/2012

Topic Reading-Vol.164-9/22/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Most Americans May Be Obese by 2030, Report Warns.

First, do you know how much your BMI, Body Mass Index, is now? It is easily calculated by dividing your weight by the square of your height; BMI=kilo/㎡.

Second, do you know the definition of Overweight and Obesity? If one’s BMI is 25 or greater, he or she is overweight. If his or her BMI is 30 or larger, he or she is obesity.

Here is a new report that predicts how much percentage of Americans could be in that category, which could cause various diseases, raise medical costs and lower productivity by 2030.

And the biggest growing concern is youth’s obesity, which doesn’t seem to be a problem in any other developed countries.

Enjoy reading and learning about this rising trend in a country whose people are the wealthiest and are getting the fattest in the world.

http://gma.yahoo.com/most-americans-may-obese-2030-report-warns-114844105--abc-news-wellness.html

Topic Reading-Vol.163-9/21/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,
How Many iPhones Does Apple Need to Sell?
By now, you might have already decided whether you’d like to put yourself in a line to get an new iPhone, wait for the next one or something else, knowing how much the phone itself costs you and how much you’ll have to be paying for at least next two years time.

But do you know how many of them will be sold in the first few months of the launch?

Enjoy reading and learning about this world most-money-making gadget which has been and is going to be generating huge profits to the world most valued company in terms of financial aspects. 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/many-iphones-must-apple-sell-071636807.html;_ylt=Aj9_ONXKo3P39OWZoawQN8.iuYdG;_ylu=X3oDMTQ4cm4xY3VqBG1pdANDTkJDIFRvcCBTdG9yaWVzBHBrZwM0YjMxZDEyZS00NzE5LTMxOGItYWM3YS0wZTViNDA0ODM4MTYEcG9zAzEEc2VjA01lZGlhQkxpc3RNaXhlZExQQ0FUZW1wBHZlcgM4MDZjMGJiYS0wMjJiLTExZTItOTI3Zi0wNWYwOGM3NmI3MjU-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

Topic Reading-Vol.162-9/20/2012

Topic Reading-Vol.162-9/20/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

How a remote rock split China and Japan.

One calls the island Diaoyu and the other calls it Senkaku, just like Argentine calls an island off its shore Islas Malvinas while the U.K. calls it Folkland Island.

When it comes to territorial issue, disputing states have both have their own justifications and such claims seem to escalate as both keep up their claims, sometimes to the point that there seems to be any other options but to use economic sanctions or military forces.

Enjoy reading and learning about how this territorial disputes arose and has expanded.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/17/world/asia/china-japan-islands-dispute-explained/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Topic Reading-Vol.161-9/19/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Past philanthropists: How giving has evolved

“He who dies rich dies …”, said one of the most famous and respected philanthropist in the last century who left fortune to numbers of people over numbers of decades through the foundation he founded. Those who made truly huge fortune in America seem to have created, donated or contributed to certain causes much bigger scale that others can hardly imagine. Nowadays, you can see such activities in Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

Enjoy reading and learning from how those famous philanthropists has been benefitting the society even long after their death.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19272109

Topic Reading-Vol.160-9/18/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Best-Ever Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

There are a lot of disputes, protests and violent acts these days. But there are things that most of the people in the world can enjoy having, no matter what the cultural, historical or religious backgrounds might be. Sweet!!!

Some may say American cookies are too sweet, especially they are warmed. However, when it comes to choco-chip cookies, especially with chunks, it’s so important and vital to have those chocolate chunks melted properly.

Enjoy reading and learning how to make the best chocolate chunk cookies and imagine all the people enjoy sweet together someday.

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/best-ever-thick-chewy-chocolate-chunk-cookies-144100966.html;_ylt=Aq6j5TufB0prO6WBK25U3Ius0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTIyYmV0dW5tBG1pdANIQ01PTCBvbiBhcnRpY2xlIHJpZ2h0IHJhaWwEcGtnA2lkLTI2NDcyNDIEcG9zAzYEc2VjA2hjbQR2ZXIDOA--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

 

 

Topic Reading-Vol.159-9/17/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Seven ways mobile phones have changed lives in Africa.

You might have heard that farmers in India have been benefiting from mobile phones when they want to find better places or times to sell their produces or youngsters in Arabian countries connected each other when they try to gather to protest against dictatorships.

Now, you’ll find broader-based and more-influential day-to-day use and benefits of mobile phones in Africa, where there had been few landlines or the Internet connections available a few years ago.

Enjoy reading and learning about how effective and influential mobile phones are in the continent. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/africa/mobile-phones-change-africa/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Topic Reading-Vol.158-9/16/2012

Topic Reading-Vol.158-9/16/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Karachi fire: Police seek owners as relatives bury dead.

While people in wealthy nations are enjoying economical benefits of cheap labors in South Asia such as Pakistan or Bangladesh and its neighboring country Myanmar, those who make clothes at garment factories there are working under extremely harsh conditions at the lowest possible wages and furthermore, in very unsafe and insecure facilities, one of which caused a huge blaze near Karachi, Pakistan and killed 264 workers.

Many apparel companies are seeking places and workers that are cheaper than already-getting-too-crowded China, there are issues need to be paid more attention.

Read and learn what’s behind the cheap labor costs in the developing region.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19582647

Topic Reading-Vol.157-9/15/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Virgin births discovered in wild snakes.

If you recall “The Lost World”, a sequel movie to “Jurassic Park”, written by Michael Crichton and directed by Steven Spielberg, dinosaurs reproduced themselves without their sexual counterpart. Such domestic or asexual reproduction, or virgin births have been seen in captivity, meaning females are separated from males that they have no choice but to adapt themselves to become able to reproduce by themselves.

Here, some scientists say that they’ve found such reproduction seem to have occurred in natural world. What could be suggested?

Enjoy reading and learning about this eye-opening discovery.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19555550

Topic Reading-Vol.156-9/14/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

UBS whistleblower: IRS pays tax cheat informant $104M.

An ex world-mega bank employee, who himself was jailed for two years, was awarded over $100 million dollars just to let IRS, Internal Revenue Service of US, and helped them collect $780 million as fine as well as a list of names of suspected American tax dodgers.

While this award could be considered an excess award even though what IRS had obtained and collected was much larger, some say that IRS should act more promptly and aggressively make use of this award system to encourage more whistleblowers to provide information and cooperate to collect more tax and fines.

Enjoy reading and learning about this stimulus system to save and collect substantial amount of tax.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0911/UBS-whistleblower-IRS-pays-tax-cheat-informant-104M

Topic Reading-Vol.155-9/13/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Mammoth fragments from Siberia raise cloning hopes.

How many of you have seen a movie or read a book, “Jurassic Park” before? It’s a story written by one of the most foresighted scientific writers Michael Crichton. It’s a story that scientists found a way to genetically engineer dinosaurs from traces of DNA left in fossils and made a dinosaurs’ paradise which went into out to control. And actually numbers of scientists have been looking for good enough living cells under the permafrost in Siberia to recreate a mammoth that had become extinct 10,000 years ago, and some of them seem to have found a good one enough to make a noise.

Enjoy reading and learning about this exploring research.

http://news.yahoo.com/mammoth-fragments-siberia-raise-cloning-hopes-165221958.html

登下校の安全に関するご案内

9月も半ばになりますが、暑い日が続いております。皆さまいかがお過ごしでしょうか。
本日は生徒さんの登下校の安全、その他についてご案内します。

＜登下校の安全＞

- 7月のご案内でもお願いしましたが、自転車で通う生徒さんは暗くなったら必ず灯火して乗るように、また、スクールでは指定の場所に駐輪するようにご指導ください。

なお、信号無視は勿論、 

-ブレーキが装着されていない自転車

-無灯火

-携帯電話を使用しながら

-イヤホンで音楽を聴きながら

-傘をさしながら

-荷物を肩やハンドルなどにかけて

-2人乗り

-2台以上並んでの自転車の運転 

以上は道路交通法の違反になるので、絶対にしないようご指導を願います。

MEL Schoolではこれらの違反があった生徒の自転車での登校は禁止します。

- 2学期から登下校時刻をメールでご連絡するシステムを導入しました。登校時にあわてて事故などにあわないよう、余裕を持ってレッスンの5分前には到着するようにご指導ください。

＜その他＞

- Primary-2, Junior-2, Senior、及び、Advancingコースの保護者の方には10月中旬から月末にかけて面談を行いますので、その節にはよろしくお願いします。

- 次回英検は10月14日（日）です。スクールでの受験を希望される場合は、9月19日（水）までに受験料を添えてお申込みください。受験料などの詳細はホームページの在校生へのお知らせー２をご覧ください。

- 欠席などのご連絡は出来るだけ前日までにお願いします。なお、当日ご連絡の場合は夜7時までにお願いします。以降はサポートタイムの都合上お電話を受けられませんのでご了承ください。 

スクールの運営および生徒さんの学習についてのご質問やご相談がありましたら、お気軽にお知らせください。

2012年9月　MEL School 三鷹

Topic Reading-Vol.154-9/12/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Toys R Us unveils $150 tablet for kids.

Another tablet story but this isn’t so techie as the previous issue. This time is for kids. Unlike the ones for adults which offers numbers of you-cans features and technologies, this unit is offers numbers of kids-can’ts or disallows, which make their parents feel safe while they are enjoying theirs. Why? This new 7-inch tablet for kids, named The Tabeo, is designed and marketed by a toy store!

Enjoy reading and learning how tablet PC has already been diversified to suit demographic needs.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/10/technology/toys-r-us-tablet-kids/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

Topic Reading-Vol.153-9/11/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Kindle HD vs. iPad: A comparison.

How many of you are already tableted in term of PC, mobile Internet connection, e-reading and/or movie watching? The larger the display is, the higher the display resolution is, the lighter the body is, the more the apps are, and of course the lower the prices, including the device, the Internet connection and apps/contents are the more attractive the tablet will be.

Here is an article for a-yet-to-be-shipped Amazon’s new Kindle e-reader and Fire compared to the market leader, iPad.

Enjoy reading and learning about the latest model of the newest contender to the highly dominated market place.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/06/tech/mobile/ipad-kindle-comparison/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Topic Reading-Vol.152-9/10/2012kb

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

How Obama and Romney Could Tie in the Electoral College: ‘Just Explain It’.

Many of those who aren’t American or eligible to vote in the U.S., might have been confused with its presidential election system, especially the electoral college. Indeed, this seems to be a confusing issue even for Americans as there shows up an easy-enough-for-even-a-dummy-can-understand version of explanation on the web, which also explain how their congress consists of. Just to make it sure, there are 50 states, that is the number of stars in their national flag, and the District of Columbia, known as Washington D.C in the U.S., and each states has two senators to the senate.

Enjoy reading and learning about one of the most complicated election systems for one of the most influential leaders in the today’s world.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-romney-could-tie-electoral-college-just-explain-194537108.html

Topic Reading-Vol.151-9/9/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Prince Harry in Afghanistan flying Apache copters.

Those who may not know what Apache copter is, please click the below first before proceeding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_AH-64_Apache

Now, a prince who is in the third in line to the British thrown is now heading to a nearly-warzone to serve as a co-pilot and gunner of a tiny attach helicopter, which can be easily targeted by anyone who is equipped with an anti-copter weapon.

"You can't train people and then not put them into the role they need to play” said the prince.

Enjoy reading and learning the involvement of the British royal family members to their military.

http://news.yahoo.com/prince-harry-afghanistan-flying-apache-copters-101247919.html?_esi=1

Topic Reading-Vol.150-9/8/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

China cautions Japan over islands dispute.

Think about this way. Imagine numbers of big and small, busy and slow, old and new, diversified and specialized stores are standing on a busy street, selling their goods and services and exchanging greetings and criticism each other, sometimes hugging and other times fighting. In time to time, disputes over borders between some of the neighbors become on fire.

They all know that they depend on each other and work together to deal with environment issues but can’t stop fighting on certain issues when it comes to sovereignty, national security or economical benefits such as natural resources, though they can’t stop depending on or working on each other.

Enjoy reading and learning about one of those hottest disputed issue between the second and third largest countries in economy.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-09/04/content_15730784.htm

Topic Reading-Vol.149-9/7/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,
Why 2013 will be a year of crisis?

If you live in a developed country, an increase of food prices might not matter so much you may be spending only 10% or so, 25% at most may be, of your disposable income on food while those who live in developing countries are using as high as 50% of their income for their daily food. So if food prices surges again, which is happing and most likely will worsen next year, what may happen in those developing countries especially where political stability is questionable? New Arab spring?

Enjoy reading and learning this emerging problem that is very serious in developing world.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/03/opinion/frum-food-price-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Topic Reading-Vol.148-9/6/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.

At the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, one of the most prominent actors and directors, Clint Eastwood made a mixed-reviewed speech, ending a very famous quotes, “Go ahead, make my day.” with the audience.

How come this 30-year old quotation is still so known and popular? Well, there are much more that movie lovers enjoy quoting.

Enjoy reading and learning top 100 movie quotations and find how many of them you know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_100_Years...100_Movie_Quotes

Topic Reading-Vol.147-9/5/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,

Harvard accuses 125 students of cheating.

Too proud to have its students pledge to uphold values like “integrity, respect, and industry” and not to cheat at their exams? Now, one of the best of the best university is investigating its students to find if they cheated at their Introduction to Congress class test, including the first year to already-graduated students. This could remind of recent financial crisis or misconducts by the super intelligent graduates of the top-notch universities and their graduate schools.

Enjoy reading and learning about this serious incident.

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/08/30/harvard-investigates-students-for-cheating-final-exam/xA95LyxfyT2uKICbrNUjcO/story.html

Topic Reading-Vol.146-9/4/2012

Dear MEL School's Topic Readers,
Madagascar's bid to save its majestic baobab trees.

Have you ever heard of or seen unique trees often called “upside down trees” in Madagascar, an island country in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa? The island has been isolated from any places, thus it had evolved and kept its unique species and biodiversity for generations. However because of the recent excess deforestation for farmland, they are in danger.

Enjoy reading and seeing the unique trees of the island and think if they could make a successful reforestation to conserve its precious nature.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/31/world/africa/madagascar-deforestation-baobab/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Topic Reading-Vol.145-9/3/2012

Windows 8 spurs new touchscreen hybrid PC designs.
With a new operating system from Microsoft, computer manufacturers have been working on renovating or innovating designs of laptop, tablet or their hybrid PCs in order to take advantage of the operating system’s new offering; touch-screen operation.
No one knows which style or features will become more popular than the others as there seem to be so many innovative and diversified design concepts have been unveiled recently. The risk to take their early product could be the one you chose might not be in the market a year later.
Would you be one to give those manufacturers to give them ideas which of their models sell more or less, or wait for a while to find which design is more useful, popular and supported?
Enjoy reading and learning from the article.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19421341

Topic Reading-Vol.144-9/2/2012

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

How Storms Got Their Names.

As you many know, hurricanes are named after popular first names such as Andrew or Katrina, which devastated Florida and Gulf states of America. But a simple question arises, why storms are named? Here is an article that you can learn why and how they are named.

Enjoy reading and learning what the World Meteorological Organization does.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/storms-got-names-162850232.html

 

If you are interested in the names of other tropical storms like typhoons or cyclones, please check the below.

http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/tcp/Storm-naming.html

 

Topic Reading-Vol.143-9/1/2012

Dear MEL School’s Topic Readers,

World may be forced to go vegetarian by 2050, scientists say.

Some may say that we have enough water supply and rain fall every year in their country that there is no need to worry about a water shortage even if its population grows 30% in the next few decades. That could be true only if all the foods, including grains, vegetables and animal produces  are all produced within the land but most likely that isn’t the case.

It requires much much more water to grow animals than vegetables or grains. It is also said that one third of the farm land is already being used to grow crops to feed animals.

Enjoy reading and learning this staggering report released for the World Water Week and its conference.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/vegetarian-2050-190426669.html