Topic Reading-Vol.3582-1/31/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The people deciding to ditch their smartphones

How long do you spend looking at your smartphone a day? How many times do you check messages or tweets every day? Many of those who have smartphones are glued to the tiny screen. One study found that the average person spends nearly five hours a day on their phone. When you check SNS, watch videos, and play games, you can easily spend hours gazing at the rectangular display. Indeed, smartphones are an essential tool for daily lives, public services, and social connections. It is much easier and faster by reading a QR coke than inputting or searching information. However, you may be missing the time and chance to think, feel, and learn things. While your phone is being turned on, your brain, senses, and mind are switched off. Some people realized that they had missed precious time and opportunities too much while using their phones and decided to abandon them. They now spend more time on other activities like reading, watching TV, or talking with friends and family members. What do you think? The best way to find the impact of using your smartphone is to turn it off or leave it somewhere so that you can spend your smartphone-free time. What do you think you will be doing then?

Imagine yourself on your deathbed. Will you be still checking or tweeting messages?

Enjoy reading the article and think about the influence of the smartphone on your life.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60067032

Topic Reading-Vol.3581-1/30/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why hybrid work is emotionally exhausting

Many workers chose or were forced to work from home under the Covid pandemic. For most workers, it has been a challenging shift from working in the office. While they don’t have to dress up or commute to and from the office, they need to set up a workplace and daily schedule for themselves. It took some time and effort to make the transition for both employers and employees. Then, another idea came, called hybrid. For example, you come to the office and work on certain days of the week, say Mondays and Wednesdays, and work from home on other days. The concept theoretically sounded ideal as it is intended to take advantage of both work patterns. However, it seems to disrupt the employees’ work schedules and daily routines. Indeed, you probably need to have very different tasks to accomplish between working in the office with others and working at home by yourself. So, in order to take advantage of either or both work patterns, both the employer and employees need to agree with what works best for both. Since work style seems to have become an important issue for employment, employers need to be conscious of and sensitive to both the physical and emotional welfare of their employees to be attractive and competitive in their business field.

Enjoy reading the article and think which work style, or any other work style works best for you.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting

Topic Reading-Vol.3580-1/29/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Is having a favourite child really a bad thing?

Do you know any parent who loves one of their children more than the other(s)? Imagine a situation of a mother who had three children, two daughters, and a boy. Who do you think she loves more than the others? Even if she doesn’t admit it, she may favor the boy simply because he is a boy. Another example. If a father had two boys, one of them shares similar values and the other has totally different interests, who do you think he would prefer spending more time with? Even though most parents don’t admit it, research shows that many do favor one child over other(s). Gender, birth order, interests, similarities, talent, or appearance, to name a few reasons. If so, you may think such favoritism affects their children negatively. Interestingly, however, whether children aren’t good at guessing such favoritism or parents are good at disguising their favoritism, they don’t seem to be affected by parents’ favoritism so much. What about you?

Well, it may not be so much of an issue any longer as more couples tend to have one or no child in developed countries.

Enjoy reading the article and think about parents’ favoritism.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220119-is-having-a-favourite-child-really-a-bad-thing

Topic Reading-Vol.3579-1/28/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Apple AirTags - 'A perfect tool for stalking'

Apple AirTag is a three-centimeter disc that tracks the location of the device. The $29 tracking device was designed to be attached to an item that the user wants to find the location of in case it is lost, such as luggage or keys. Once lost, it will notify your iPhone where the item is within a meter range if there is some other iPhone or Apple device is around as it relies on Bluetooth signals. It is convenient to find your item, pet, or even kid that could go anywhere. However, it could also be abused by someone who wants to know where you are like a stalker. Apple says they created various safeguard measures to protect people from being tracked. For example, it alerts the owner by beeping noise if it is separated for some time. But that sound cannot always be heard if the device is wrapped or attached to an inaudible spot like a car bumper. It seems that convenience often comes with a risk.

Enjoy reading the article about Apple’s AirTag.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60004257

Topic Reading-Vol.3578-1/27/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Judges reveal why Novak Djokovic had to miss Australian Open

A Servian tennis player Novak Djokovic had been eager to get his 21^st grand slam title at the Australian Open. But hours after his arrival at Melbourne airport on January 5, his visa was canceled because he hadn’t been vaccinated. He hoped his previous Covid infection would exempt the Australian policy. He had been detained in an immigration facility like anyone else for five days until the visa cancelation was overturned by a single judge. He then started preparing for the tournament but only a few days later, his visa was revoked again. Another appeal was made but the court didn’t find any fault with the decision by the immigration minister because of the super tennis star’s influence on all people, including the young. The judges also stated that this is so evident that the ruling requires no evidence. It seems reasonable for the Australian government not to exempt someone for his fame or world ranking, but angered the people in his home country.

As noted in Topic Reading Vol.3577-1/26/2022, a previous infection isn’t as effective as vaccination. Djokovic is a human being like everyone else after all.

Enjoy reading the article and think if you support the ruling or still wanted to see him play in the tournament.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/20/tennis/djokovic-australia-judge-ruling-intl-spt-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3577-1/26/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Hana Horka: Czech singer dies after catching Covid intentionally

Vaccination saves more lives than prior infection. A Czech folk singer proved it by her own life. She didn’t undermine or disregard vaccination but thought prior infection would work better. So, when her husband and son, both of whom had been vaccinated, were infected, she intentionally spent time with them and exposed herself to the virus. And she was infected by the coronavirus as she wanted. She seemed to have been well until only 10 minutes before she suddenly choked to death. That was right after she was about to go out for a walk.

According to a newly released report by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, vaccination is safer than prior infection even before a booster shot. So, why not?

Read the article and learn about this shocking case of infection to an unvaccinated woman.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60050996

Topic Reading-Vol.3576-1/25/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Urgent need to encourage births after drop in 2021

The one-child policy was implemented in China between 1980 and 2015 to curb the rapid population growth. It restricted urban couples to have only one child but allowed rural couples to have a second child if the first child was a daughter. The policy worked too much and the birth rate fell below the reproduction level. So, in 2015, the government allowed parents to have two children, and last year, up to three. However, the 45-year-long policy produced a huge number of couples who themselves were the only child. Also, it seemed to have been long enough to change the cultural practices and family values. So, despite the central and local government measures to encourage couples to have more than one child, Chinese parents produced 10.62 million babies last year, down from 12 million in the previous year. You may think 10 million is a huge number but China’s population is 1.4 billion. Also, that is almost the same number as the national college entrance exam takers last year. Now, China’s fertility rate was 1.3 in 2000, higher than South Korea’s 0.84 but lower than Japan’s 1.34. A fertility rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain the population. China’s society is aging fast. They need more young people to sustain the economy and welfare, which is a common problem among developed countries.

Enjoy reading the article and think about what could encourage couples to produce more offspring.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202201/18/WS61e5f749a310cdd39bc8194c.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3575-1/24/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Top Chinese education company laid off 60,000 people after Beijing's crackdown last year

Private tutoring businesses had been hot and booming in China until last July when such after-school tutoring businesses for students were banned. It was thought that excessive tutoring services placed too much financial burden on parents and widened the gap between the rich and those who are not. The high education cost also is thought to discourage parents to have more than one child. In fact, there were nearly a million enterprises that provided online and/or onsite after-school tutoring in China with about 10 million employees, 84% of which were thought to have closed by the year’s end. The private tutoring ban sent shock waves to the education industry, parents, property lenders, and investors. China’s largest private education provider laid off 60,000 out of 100,000 employees and contract teachers last year alone. They also spent three billion dollars on refunds, employee compensation, and surrendering of the lease contracts across the country. As a result, their revenue fell 80% and the market value shrank 90%. Now, those private tutoring service companies are struggling to find new ways to find revenues.

Read the article and learn about the impacts of the ban on private tutoring in China.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/10/business/china-education-layoff-new-oriental-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3574-1/23/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Men living alone are at greater risk of inflammation, study says

A new study conducted at the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank examined nearly 5,000 blood samples. It found that there is a significant association between partner breakups or years of living alone and inflation among male participants. There seems to be a considerable link between psychological stress and biological variables related to inflammation. Chronic inflammation is thought to have a negative impact on a person’s tissues and organs, such as DNA damage, tissue death, and internal scarring, which could cause diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cognitive decline, and dementia. We can probably agree that psychological well-being and biological health are somehow related. But it needs more study to find why men are more stressed by living alone or breakups than women.

Enjoy reading the article and think about why psychological stress affects more on men’s health than women’s.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/12/health/living-alone-men-inflammation-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3573-1/22/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

India's Hindu extremists are calling for genocide against Muslims. Why is little being done to stop them?

Approximately 80% of the population of India, the world’s most populous country, are Hindus. And the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, a right-wing, Hindu nationalist party has been the ruling party since 2014. What is life like for religious minorities to live in a country that is governed by elected conservative religious nationalists? One electoral strategy for such a party is to create religious tension and polarization to consolidate the Hindu vote. In short, attack religious minorities, particularly Muslims. In fact, India’s parliament passed a law to exempt Islam immigrants from three neighboring countries to obtain citizenship. Recently, more apparently and even openly offending hate speeches are seen in India even though they are prohibited. Though the sheer number of the Muslim population is huge, around 200 million, they consist only less than 15% of the population of the democratic state. This means their voices will scarcely be heard and their rights and lives are in constant danger. In fact, there were even calls for violence against Muslims by conservative religious leaders but they are rarely charged, or reluctantly if they are.

Hate speech often precedes hate crimes. In two years’ time, there will be another general election in India, and democracy favors the majority. And the majority of the voters are Hindus. There are about 200 million Muslims in powerful India and 150 million in poor Bangladesh. The former represents only 15% of the nation’s population and the latter does nearly 97%. How they are treated in their respective country seems very different despite their economic potentials.

Read the article and think about the mechanism of democracy and religion.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/14/asia/india-hindu-extremist-groups-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3572-1/21/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

Canada says vaccine mandates work as Quebec's 'unvaxxed tax' leads to spike in first-dose appointments

Which works better to get people vaccinated, penalties or privileges? Many governments and local communities around the world have been trying to encourage people to be vaccinated. In Canada, proof of vaccination is required to travel on trains or airplanes and work at federally regulated workplaces. In Quebec, where a quarter of Canadian live, nearly 90% of eligible Quebecers have taken at least one vaccination shot. In order to get the rest to be vaccinated, the Quebec government announced that people would soon need to show their vaccination proof to eat in restaurants, go to the gym or attend sporting events, and buy alcohol or cannabis. Sounds like quite incentivizing privileges to motivate the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, doesn’t it? Furthermore, they announced that those who aren’t vaccinated would be levied an unspecified rate of tax. People reacted quickly to avoid this penalty. Right after the announcement, the health ministry saw a spike in the number of vaccination appointments. It seems that a combination of incentives and penalties works to improve public health.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about Canada’s unvaccinated tax.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/12/americas/quebec-vaccine-mandate-intl/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3571-1/20/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,   

‘A hero is laid to rest’: Cambodia’s landmine-sniffing rat dies

After the three-decade-long wars and conflicts, Cambodia became the country of landmines. In fact, in 2013 alone, 22 people were killed and 89 were injured by landmines. Sadly, one-third of the casualties were children. To reduce the still-active landmines from the field, African giant pouched rats have been trained to detect them. One of them was Magawa that passed away on January 9 at the age of eight. He was brought from Tanzania in 2016 and had worked as a landmine detector until June last year. During his tenure, he detected more than 100 landmines and explosives. He was honored with a gold medal for life-saving bravery and devotion to duties in 2020 as the first rat to receive the award.

Enjoy reading the article to learn about how a rat could help humans for such a dangerous mission.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/12/a-hero-is-laid-to-rest-cambodias-landmine-sniffing-rat-dies

Topic Reading-Vol.3570-1/19/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Early Olympics attendees eat noodles served from ceiling

The Beijing Olympic Village is a newly built facility that includes 2,300 beds for athletes, officials, and journalists traveling to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic games. This futuristic intelligence-themed village has many high-tech systems to prevent the guests from coronavirus infections. One of such amusements is the food preparing and serving system. In the cafeteria, all seats are individualized by clear plastic boards. Rice and burgers are prepared by robots. Some food menu items like noodles are served from the ceiling by food lifts. Human interactions are deliberately minimized. Indeed, strict covid protocols are taking place in the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games in the midst of the Omicron surge around the world. However, unlike the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, local spectators will be allowed to see the games on sites, thanks to the zero-tolerance policy.

After the games, the Olympic Village will become public housing for rent.

Enjoy watching the video to learn about how tightly Beijing Olympic Games are going to be held.

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2022/01/12/food-robot-beijing-olympics-orig.cnn-business

Topic Reading-Vol.3569-1/18/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  The last 7 years have been the warmest on record as planet approaches critical threshold
2021 was the fifth warmest year on record. For the first time on record, rain fell at the summit of Greenland, a severe drought plagued the Western US and caused destructive wildfires and serious water shortages. In Europe, it was the warmest year on record and saw deadly floods in central Europe and intense wildfires in the eastern and central Mediterranean. In fact, the world average temperature is about 1.1 degrees Celsius above average pre-industrial levels. It has been and will be going up as we keep emitting greenhouse gases despite the 2015 agreement by world leaders to limit the temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees if possible. Even though it is still technologically and economically too difficult to remove the already-emitted greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, humans should be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Enjoy reading the article about how close we are to the point of no return to global catastrophe.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/10/world/2021-global-climate-5th-warmest-copernicus/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3568-1/17/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Exercise may protect your brain even if you have signs of dementia, study finds

We all know that daily exercise is good for our health. But a new study found that it also helps to keep the brain healthier. The study of human brains found that physical exercise boosts protein levels, which are essential to reinforce communication between brain cells via synapses. In fact, our thinking and memory processes are caused by these synaptic communications. In order to keep electrical signals moving smoothly within the brain through synapses, the brain needs to replace worn-out proteins in synapses. That is when exercise helps. There is no need to do hard exercise, though. It’s better to make any exercise become a part of your daily life rather than a task you do unwillingly. The key is to make it sustainable even if you age and become physically weaker. For example, just taking a short walk from time to time or standing up and sitting down while watching TV on the sofa. You can even try a squat while brushing your teeth. Every movement counts to keep your brain healthier.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about the mechanism of brain health.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/10/health/exercise-brain-health-protein-study-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3567-1/16/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Cats caused more than 100 house fires in the past 3 years, South Korea officials 

While dogs usually stay on the floor, cats can wander around nearly every place in the house, on the sofa, table, and kitchen counter where electric devices are sitting like an electric stove. When a cat jumps on a touch-sensitive button, the stove could be switched on. And if there is no safety mechanism in the stove, it could overheat and catch fire. You may think that is an unlikely scenario to cause fires, but in fact, over 100 house fires were caused by cats in Seoul in the last three years. More scarily, over half of those fires broke out when the pet owners were out. And this is not limited to South Korea. There seem to be over 1,000 pet-caused house fires each year in the US. It is therefore important not to leave flammable objects like paper or cloth near electric devices. Can we train cats in some way or the other?

Enjoy reading the text and think about what your pet cat(s) doing while you’re out of the house.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/30/asia/south-korea-seoul-cats-house-fires-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3566-1/15/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Bangladesh: Women-only beach scrapped after social media outcry

A dedicated beach for women. Is it for protection or segregation? Cox’s Bazar is a city in southeastern Bangladesh, known for being the longest sea beach in the world. In late December, authorities in Bangladesh opened a 150-meter section of the beach dedicated to women and children in response to requests from women who felt shy and insecure on a crowded beach. Prompted by the recent gang-rape incident, they thought the dedicated beach section would make women safe safer. However, critics accused the government of favoring conservative Islamists who demanded gender segregation in workplaces. And only hours later, they revoked the plan. A quick move, wasn’t it?

Will women feel segregated or protected on a female-only beach? Actually, there is a dedicated car for women on rush-hour trains in Tokyo. What do women feel?

Enjoy reading the article and think about the difference between segregation and protection.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59824915

Topic Reading-Vol.3565-1/14/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Dogs can recognize different languages and nonsense words, study says

Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years. Naturally, they are exposed to the languages that their human friends speak. So, do dogs in Hungarian families recognize when a different language, say Spanish, is spoken to? Researchers tried to find that out by scanning the brain activity of the dogs when they hear unfamiliar language and words. And sure enough, when a foreign language is spoken, the brain of the dogs tested showed different activity patterns. Also, the brain showed a similar response when nonsense words were spoken to them. According to the research, dogs seem to distinguish not only the tone and manner (how) but also what is actually said. Researchers think that such cognitive ability is similar to the one that very young human babies possess before they learn to speak. Can dogs then become bilingual when they are trained? Will it be confusing to train a dog in several different languages?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about how dogs react to different languages and words.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/06/health/dogs-language-wellness-scn/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3564-1/13/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,  

Why is this country so resilient?

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, sandwiched by Oman and Saudi Arabia while having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. Abu Dhabi is the nation's capital and Dubai is the most populous city and also an international hub. Of the total population of 10 million, only about 15% are Emirati citizens and the rest are expatriates. UAE has two flag carrier airlines, Emirates, based in Dubai, and Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. Both airports are busy international and regional hubs, especially Dubai, which was ranked the world’s fourth busiest airport before the pandemic. The UAE has been managing the coronavirus outbreak better than other international destinations with the highest vaccination rate and extensive testing. As of January 10, travel is still open to vaccinated tourists though visitors must undergo a rapid test upon arrival. The locals say October to May is a good time to visit because of the milder climate (compared with the sizzling summer). Dubai is hosting Expo 2020 until the end of March, showcasing unique innovations and futuristic projects. Also, visitors can enjoy newly innovated fusion cosines, which have been inspired by local ingredients and talent. The city is also showcasing its sustainable initiatives at Emirates Bio Farm, the Emirate’s largest organic farm. Is it too outrageous to plan air travel now?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about this unique united emirates.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220105-why-is-this-country-so-resilient

Topic Reading-Vol.3563-1/12/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China, US, UK, France and Russia pledge to avoid nuclear war

United Nations Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining international peace and security. There are five permanent member states, Russia, the US, China, France, and the UK, any of which can veto a resolution. This P5’s privileged status has its roots in the United Nations’ founding in the aftermath of World War II. They are also the five largest stockpilers of nuclear warheads, 6,255, 5,550, 350, 290, and 225 respectively. One thing for sure is that those P5 (permanent or privileged?) or Nuc-5 nations are the most responsible for world peace and security. On January 3, they jointly issued a statement about the use of nuclear weapons. It says nuclear weapons should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. The statement came when tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including western powers, and China and the US, and its Pacific allies have reached the highest in recent few decades. However, none of them announced or decided to reduce their nuclear warheads. Deterrence and defense are their favorite excuse to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. You may also recall those five nations are the ones that fought more wars in other countries after the last world war. The announcement sounds like a New Year’s resolution, not a UN resolution.

Read the article and learn about this new year resolution by the top nuclear armorers.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/world/p5-nations-nuclear-pledge-intl-hnk/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3562-1/11/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Taiwan buys 20,000 bottles of Lithuania rum destined for China

The Republic of Lithuania is one of the three Baltic countries in Europe, sharing land borders with Latvia to the north and Belarus to the south. It is a small country with a population of just under three million. It also has relatively small business relations with China, just about 1% of its total export. Late last year, Lithuania opened its own trade representative office, a de facto embassy, in Taiwan, which prompted a furious response from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and does not give diplomatic recognition to nations that treat Taiwan as a separate state. In fact, China restricted diplomatic contacts with Lithuania and stopped issuing visas to the country. Also, it blocked a shipment of beer from Lithuania recently. Then, there was a shipment of 22,000 bottles of rum from Lithuania which was feared to be blocked like the beer. This was when Taiwan decided to demonstrate its friendship with Lithuania, one of the few countries that recently warmed the relationship with Taiwan despite China’s pressure. So, Taiwan’s state-owned liquor company bought the entire rum shipment and is now trying to sell all 22,000 bottles of rum in the domestic market. How long will it take to sell them all? Will people buy as a sign of appreciation or friendship?

Enjoy reading the article and learn about the diplomatic sensitivity between China and Taiwan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59877917

Topic Reading-Vol.3561-1/10/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Turkey's inflation hits 36% amid financial turmoil
The Turkish lira is the currency that is used in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Around 2018 and 2019, about five Turkish lire was exchanged for one US dollar, but in 2000, seven Turkish lire were needed to get one dollar. This means you needed 40% more Turkish lira to buy the same thing for only a year later. Now, you need 13 Turkish lire, nearly twice as much as you needed a year ago. Can you imagine if prices of imported goods and materials jumped this much in such a short period of time? As the value of the lira decreased over 40%, Turkey’s inflation soared 36% last year alone. The hardest-hit items were inflation-fueling imports, such as energy and raw materials, which affect not only people’s lives but also export industries. For example, the price of electricity and gas has risen by 50% and 25% respectively and they will rise even further. Unless your income rises in accordance with the inflation, you can’t make the ends meet especially for those who spend most of their money on daily essentials, such as food, transport, and energy. The question is what the government and central bank have been doing to cope with such a crisis? Does it require rocket science to tame the inflation and currency devaluation?
Read the article and learn about the economic turmoil in Turkey.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59857420

Topic Reading-Vol.3560-1/9/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Where asking someone's age isn't rude

Age, gender, seniority, relationship, intimacy, and social status all matter in Korea when it comes to speaking style, social manners, and eating and drinking etiquette. In fact, there are seven speech levels that can be used to express the level of politeness and formality to the audience in the Korean language. Each has its own set of verb endings. Also, there are six commonly used speech styles, which are usually divided into honorific and non-honorific levels. Speakers are expected to use the proper honorific language when they speak to their seniors or elders. So, in order to find and follow the pecking order and hierarchy between two speakers or proper manners for drinking and eating, it is quite normal to ask the age of the other person, unless the seniority is so obvious. This social custom is rooted in 2500-year-old Confucianism, which was intended to put social order during the time of disorder. But once you are paid respect, you are also responsible to look after the other, like a parent and a child, an elder and younger sibling, and a senior and a junior member within an organization. This is part of their way to view society, which is regarded as an extension of their family. That is one reason Koreans often use “we” for “I”.

Enjoy reading the article and learn why age matters so much in Korea.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211214-where-asking-someones-age-isnt-rude

Topic Reading-Vol.3559-1/8/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why self-compassion – not self-esteem – leads to success

Having entered the third year of the coronavirus pandemic, we’re facing continuing challenges, requirements, and stresses that don’t seem to end anytime soon. Even though we may not be able to eliminate these stresses, we may be able to find ways to be more resilient to them. One way is to keep praising your success, which is often described as self-esteem. But it is contingent on success, which may not be consistent. Another way is to forgive out mistakes or errors, called self-compassion. In fact, criticizing yourself for failures or mistakes could make you look hard on yourself to keep the standards or achieve your goals. But it might cause too much pressure on yourself and make you unhappy. Instead, accepting errors or mistakes without criticism seems to make you go through difficult times less painfully but more positively. This concept of self-compassion can be attained by focusing on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others, according to a researcher. Indeed, by accepting and allowing mistakes, you’ll feel less stress or pressure, and take challenges and difficulties more positively. In other words, you want to be nice and compassionate to yourself, like you are to others.

Enjoy reading the article and learn about what and how self-compassion helps you in difficult times.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success

Topic Reading-Vol.3558-1/7/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why you should upgrade your mask as the Omicron variant spreads

Hundreds of thousands of people have been infected daily in countries like the US, France, and Spain by the Omicron variant. Since Omicron has been spreading around the world much faster than any other known variant, it is time to be reminded of the importance and necessity of wearing masks. Unlike influenza, which could spread by droplets, inhale, or surfaces, the primary driver of coronavirus infection is shared air. That’s why the function of masks plays an important role to prevent infections. For example, if you’re wearing a mask that is 90% efficient like N95, it could take 10 times longer before you get infected than not wearing any. However, many people, especially those who are in non-mask-wearing cultures, choose to wear cloth masks for an appearance’s sake. Unfortunately, they are far less effective than professional, surgical, or disposable masks when it comes to preventing virus infections even though they work much better than not wearing any. Also, the longer you stay in a closed environment, the higher the chance you get infected. Proper mask-wearing and air ventilation seem to be more essential to cope with the highly contagious coronavirus variant.

Enjoy reading the article and learning about what masks do to protect you from the virus.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/24/health/cloth-mask-omicron-variant-wellness/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3557-1/6/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Quiz: Do you remember these good things that happened in 2021?

2021 was a challenging year for humans. The coronavirus pandemic didn’t cease but created new variants instead and kept sickening more people and screwing the economy. More extreme weather events occurred in many parts of the world such as heatwaves and super hurricanes. When you look back on the past year, which events do you want to remember, good ones or bad ones? You probably have a number of great events even without winning a lottery, such as having a new family member, making a good friend, getting a new job, or just living a healthy life. In the meantime, many good things happened around the world last year that you might not have remembered yet, such as in the Olympic Games and from Mars exploration.

Enjoy trying these 10 quizzes to remember 2021.

https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2021/12/us/quiz-year-in-review/

Topic Reading-Vol.3556-1/5/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China bans its national football players from getting tattoos

Now, tattoos are officially considered unhealthy content in China. The sports administration body announced that tattoos should not be shown by the footballers of the national team. Historically, tattoos were used to identify criminals visually in China. Also, they are linked to criminal groups in east Asia. The star footballers who already have tattoos are now advised to remove them. Tattoos can be removed fully or partially with laser treatments though the expense and pain are typically greater than those of applying them. But that is not it. The National Youth Campus Football League announced that athletes at all stages shall not have tattoos, dye their hair, wear weird hairstyles, or wear any accessories to take part in the competition. Indeed, star athletes are as influential as online influencers or game characters to young people. They are watched, followed, and even mimicked by young players and children. So, if the government intends to restrict or promote certain practices, top athletes are the ones that showcase good examples, and certainly not bad ones. The question may be who decides and on what grounds. Religious codes, cultural practices, legal guidelines, or public sentiment? Think of the dress codes in some of the Islamic nations. Aren’t they too strict? Can New Zealand’s All Blacks play rugby in China? There seem to be broader aspects to look at what is appropriate and what is not.

Enjoy reading the article and think about what tattoo could mean or present to young people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59827047

Topic Reading-Vol.3555-1/4/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China: Public shaming returns amid Covid fears

Public shaming or public humiliation is a form of punishment that dishonors an offender or criminal in public. A criminal or accused could be placed or paraded in a central, public, or open place where he or she could be openly seen by citizens. For example, French women, who were accused of having collaborated with Nazis, were shaved their heads and were paraded through the streets barefoot in Paris in 1944. Also, victims of a struggle session during the Cultural Revolution time in China were forced to admit their crimes before a crowd of people who verbally and sometimes physically abused them. Nowadays, public shaming is sometimes seen online, exposing private information to get public humiliation. On December 28 last year, four men in hazardous materials suits (hazmat suits) were paraded through the streets of Jingxi city in Guangxi province, China. They were accused of smuggling people across China’s borders. The parade was meant to deter illegal activities around and across the border when it is under strict control to prevent the novel virus from coming into China.

Read the article and think about if public shaming is just a form of humiliation or a suitable deterrence method to contain the pandemic.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59818971

Topic Reading-Vol.3554-1/3/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

The Indian economy is growing fast, but problems loom

With a population of 1.4 billion, India’s economy is the 3rd largest in the world if the relative cost of local goods, services, and inflation rates are taken into account, or on PPP (purchasing power parity). However, India’s GDP per capita on PPP is just over $7,000 and ranked 122th in the world. In fact, it is estimated that over 20% of people live in poverty. Also, while the overall unemployment ratio stays below 7%, youth unemployment goes over 20% in India. The worst problem is inflation, which tends to hit the poor hardest. India has experienced a double-digit price increase for several months. And fuel and energy prices increased nearly 40% in November. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises or MSMEs represent 30% of India’s GDP but they are devasted by the pandemic. That’s a big problem as MSMEs employ over 100 million people. When energy and food prices go up, those who spend most of their money on basic necessities suffer more. And MSMEs are their main employers as India’s industrial sector, which could provide higher wages, better welfare, and safer job security employs just over 25% of the labor force.

Enjoy reading the article and learn why India’s economy is growing but people’s lives are suffering.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/28/india-economy

Topic Reading-Vol.3553-1/2/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Thirty years after the Soviet Union collapsed, Putin exploits nostalgia for the old regime

A century ago, the world’s largest nation was created, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, USSR. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The first leader was Lenin, succeeded by Stalin, and the last was Gorbachev. The seven-decade-long communist empire was dissolved in December 1991 by its founder states, and then the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, was established and Russia and 14 other post-Soviet states emerged. The first directly elected president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, was succeeded by Vladimir Putin in 2000, who called the breakup of the Soviet Union was the worst political mistake and catastrophe. His popularity and support increased when the oil price hiked, fought against George in 2008, and annexed Crimea in 2014. Putin has been leading the country for over two decades but Russia’s economy has been stagnant for about a decade and is now facing harder economic and political challenges than ever before. Surprisingly, his attempt to recall Soviet nostalgia doesn’t seem to have met strong opposition. Does larger geographical territory or national pride bring about a better economy? Does political ideology help people make happier? In the 21^st century, it isn’t the size of the land or military but the environment for technological and industrial advancement that gives people jobs and makes the country mightier.

Enjoy reading the article to learn about the challenges that 30-year-old Russia is facing.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/25/opinions/30th-anniversary-soviet-union-collapse-andrei-kolesnikov/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.3552-1/1/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

James Webb Space Telescope lifts off on historic mission

Named after an architect of the Apollo Moon landings, the James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope ever launched into space. It departed on Christmas day last year and is on its way to the observing station some 1.5 million kilometers away from the Earth. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope that orbits around the Earth, it will orbit the Sun. Webb’s 6.5-meter-wide golden mirror is three times wider than the one on Hubble but is 100 times more powerful to observe infrared signals of very distant objects. As you know, light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second. So, the Sun you see in the sky was the sun about eight minutes ago. If we could detect infrared signals in deep space where there is very little gravity, friction, magnetic, or atmospheric influence, we might be able to analyze what happened at the beginning of the universe like the Big Bang, which took place over 13 billion years ago. Also, Webb is expected to probe the atmospheres of distant planets that could be habitable for any lifeform. It is such an ambitious project that thousands of people worldwide have worked on over the last three decades.

If the world can work together and spend billions of dollars on a non-urgent project like this, why can’t we work on a more immediate problem like global warming?

Enjoy reading the article and learning about this new space exploration project on New Year’s Day.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59782057