week 5 Leonardo DiCaprio wins best actor for The Revenant

Oscars 2016: Leonardo DiCaprio wins best actor for The Revenant

By Ross Miller

on February 28, 2016 11:55 pm

As sure as the Sun, the Moon, and most basic laws of modern physics, Leonardo DiCaprio has won the Academy Award for best actor for his work in The Revenant. Presenter Julianne Moore, who won best actress at last year's awards, waited a respectable amount of time before announcing DiCaprio's name, as if to see if she could make time itself pause briefly in anticipation.

Born in 1974 without a statuette, Leonardo Willhelm DiCaprio has starred in over two dozen films, including Gangs of New York and The Basketball Diaries. He once had an uncredited role as Darlene's classmate in a 1991 episode of Roseanne. To date, DiCaprio has won over 40 awards and has been nominated six times for an Oscar. This is his first win. The curse is broken.

Following an extended applause, DiCaprio thanked fellow nominees, the cast and crew ofThe Revenant (including best director winnerAlejandro Iñárritu), and even past collaborators like Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio ended with a big note on the environment:

Other nominees in the category, who may or may not have even bothered to write acceptance speeches, include Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, Matt Damon for The Martian, Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, and Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl. And now, with Leo's quest at an end, it's time to start looking for the next perpetually snubbed performer to memeify.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/28/11126200/leonardo-dicaprio-wins-best-actor-the-revenant-academy-awards-2016

 Structure of the Lead:

        WHO- Leonardo DiCaprio

        WHAT- Leonardo DiCaprio wins best actor for The Revenant

WHEN- February 28, 2016

        WHERE-   not given  

HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.     nominees 被提名人

2.     collaborators 合作者

3.     quest 尋求

4.     perpetually 永

5.     snubbed 冷落

week 4 Taiwan sees record low temperatures, snow

Taiwan sees record low temperatures, snow

2016-01-24

A cold front has brought record-breaking temperatures throughout Taiwan and snow to mountainous areas and even parts of Taipei City.

One weather station on Yangmingshan, in the mountains of northern Taipei, recorded a nearly 80 year record low temperature. The mercury dropped to 3.2 degrees below zero Celsius (about 26 F) at the Anbu meteorological station in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Sunday morning also saw low temperatures across Taiwan dipping to between 3-5 C for areas north of the southern city of Tainan. That’s between 37-41 F. The rest of Taiwan saw temperatures ranging between 7-9 C.

The cold temperatures and humidity brought snow to many mountainous regions in Taiwan, including areas of Taipei city. Residents reported flurries within the city itself, something which hasn’t happened in recent memory.

Temperatures in the capital city dipped to 4 C (39 F). By comparison, winter lows in Taipei usually hover around 8 C (46 F).

But forecasters are warning that the true brunt of the cold front will be felt strongest on Sunday night going into the early hours of Monday morning. They say that the wind chill in western Taiwan could dip as low as two degrees below zero Celsius (28.4 F).

http://english.rti.org.tw/news/?recordId=40949

Structure of the Lead:

        WHO-not given

        WHAT- The cold temperatures and humidity brought snow to many mountainous regions in Taiwan, including areas of Taipei city.

        WHEN-2016.1.24

        WHERE-Taipei city

        HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.      cold front 冷鋒

2.      mercury 汞

3.      Celsius 攝氏

4.      meteorological 氣象

5.      flurries 飄雪

6.      brunt 首當其衝

Week 3 Twelve Nights

6:31 am HKT
Dec 13, 2013

ARTS & CULTURE

Film Triggers Debate on Plight of Taiwan’s Homeless Dogs

By

JENNY W. HSU

A new documentary about the plight of animals in Taiwan’s shelters has sparked a public discussion about the treatment of stray dogs and cats on the island, prompting the government to amend its policies.

“Twelve Nights,” shot almost entirely inside a government-run animal shelter in southern Taiwan, follows the fate of several stray dogs, starting from their initial capture on the streets. After 12 days in the shelter, the animals are destroyed, have died of disease, or, if they are lucky, end up in the arms of a new owner.

Although the problem of street dogs isn’t a fresh one in Taiwan, the movie has attracted a throng of animal lovers. As of the beginning of this week, “Twelve Nights” had pulled in more 30 million New Taiwan dollars (US$1 million) since its release on Nov. 29, according to the film’s distributor, a considerable amount for a documentary in Taiwan.

The film opens with a black-and-white puppy named Jumpy prancing happily in a well-manicured neighborhood and other harmless-looking dogs wandering the streets.

The scene quickly changes. Animals — including a kitten and a basket full of puppies — are jerked and tossed around by workers as they are taken to the shelter.

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/12/13/film-triggers-debate-on-plight-of-taiwans-homeless-dogs/

Structure of the Lead:

      WHO-not given

      WHAT- Twelve Nights

      WHEN- Nov. 29

      WHY- prompting the government to amend its policies

WHERE- government-run animal shelter in southern Taiwan

HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.    documentary 紀錄

2.      plight 困境

3.    amend 修改

4.      government-run 官辦

5.      a throng of 一大群

6.      prancing 躍馬

7.    manicured 修剪

8.    jerk 抖

Week 2 Beyond Beauty, Taiwan from Above

8:05 pm HKT
Nov 27, 2013

LIFE & LEISURE

Documentary ‘Beyond Beauty’ Captures Taiwan From Above

By

JENNY W. HSU

It has been said that when the early Portuguese explorers first laid eyes on Taiwan in the 1500s, they were so impressed with the island’s lush green mountains and pristine turquoise shorelines that they decided to name the place “Ilha Formosa” — beautiful island — on the spot.

More than 500 years later, as Taiwan transforms from an agrarian society to a high-tech-dominated economy, many of the majestic peaks that took the settlers’ breath away have been sullied by residential blocks, tea plantations, and high-end hotels. The once clear waters off its beaches are also discolored by the massive amount of chemical waste discharged by factories each year.

“In a way, what happened in Taiwan is a reflection of what’s happening in many parts of the world,” said Chi Po-lin, the director of this year’s Golden Horse Awards winner for best documentary, “Beyond Beauty, Taiwan from Above.”

The 48-year-old aerial photographer-turned-filmmaker used to work for the government’s National Highway Engineering Bureau, taking tens of thousands images of the island during helicopter trips over the past two decades.

Sitting in his small Taipei office, lined with books on Taiwan’s landscape and geography, he said he had long wanted to make a movie based on his photographs, but for years it seemed like a far-fetched dream. That changed in 2009, when French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand released his aerial documentary “Home” on climate change and global warming.

Mr. Chi said his motivation for making “Beyond” was not to point a finger at a certain industry or even the government, but to present a realistic view of Taiwan’s growing environmental problems. His hope is to make people think twice the next time they throw out the garbage or turn on the faucet.

In his 93-minute film, audiences are taken on a bird’s-eye journey by helicopter across Taiwan’s various landscapes, with background music by award-winning composer Ricky Ho. While the movie documents Taiwan’s rich biodiversity, it also bears witness to the worsening devastation wrought by humans.

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/11/27/documentary-beyond-beauty-captures-taiwan-from-above/

Structure of the Lead:

           WHO- Chi Po-lin

           WHEN- Nov 27, 2013

           WHAT- Beyond Beauty, Taiwan from Above

           WHY- to present a realistic view of Taiwan’s growing environmental problems

          WHERE-Taiwan

           HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.          pristine 質樸

2.             turquoise 綠松石

3.          sullied 玷汙

4.             tea plantations 茶園

5.          documentary 紀錄

6.          biodiversity 生物多樣性

7.              worsening 惡化

8.            devastation 毀壞

          

Week 1 Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal

·                                  Reuters

·                                  Mar. 8, 2016, 5:41 AM

WOLFSBURG, Germany — German prosecutors have widened their investigation of Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal and are now investigating 17 employees, up from six previously, prosecutor Klaus Ziehe said on Tuesday.

"This is part of the diesel investigation, the number of suspects has risen, although none are from the management board," Ziehe said in Braunschweig, near VW's Wolfsburg headquarters.

Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller on Tuesday told employees gathered at the Wolfsburg that the emissions scandal would inflict "substantial and painful" financial damage on the carmaker.

The scandal will keep VW busy "for a long time," the CEO said, adding the carmaker had made no attempts to conceal its wrongdoings.

Volkswagen last year set aside 6.7 billion euros ($7.39 billion) to cover costs of recalling of about 11 million diesel vehicles globally.

Volkswagen's second-largest shareholder expects more "unpleasant news" to emerge from an emissions-test rigging scandal after the carmaker in September admitted to manipulating pollution tests in the United States.

"We will this year probably every now and then be confronted with unpleasant news related to dieselgate," Stephan Weil, prime minister of Lower Saxony, on Tuesday told a gathering of workers at Volkswagen's (VW) main factory in Wolfsburg.

Europe's largest automaker should be able to cope with the fallout of its manipulation, Weil said.

"The damage will, on balance, not be minor, as much as that can already be said today, but Volkswagen luckily has a strong economic substance," Weil told the gathering, attended by thousands of workers.

Lower Saxony, which holds 20% of VW's common shares, has "no reason" to alter its commitment to the carmaker, Weil said.

The rise in the number of suspects was first reported by Braunschweiger Zeitung.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer and Edward Taylor; Editing by Keith Weir, Greg Mahlich)

Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2016. Follow Reuters on Twitter.

http://www.businessinsider.com/r-vw-faces-more-bad-news-from-emissions-scandal-lower-saxony-pm-2016-3

Structure of the Lead:

       WHO- not given

       WHEN- Mar. 8, 2016

       WHAT- Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal

       WHY-not given

       WHERE-German

       HOW- widening their investigation

Keywords:

1. prosecutors 檢察官
2. widened 擴大
3. diesel 柴油機
4. emissions 排放
5. headquarters 司令部
6.  inflict 加以
7.  conceal 隱藏
8. shareholder 股東
9. manipulate 操縱
10. confronted 面對

Week 6 Syrian Refugees

APRIL 2015

Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The Long Road Ahead

By Ahmet İçduygu

Turkey now hosts the world’s largest community of Syrians displaced by the ongoing conflict in their country. According to United Nations estimates, Turkey’s Syrian refugee population was more than 1.7 million as of mid-March 2015, and the large unregistered refugee population may mean the true figure is even larger. Turkish reception policies at the outset were predicated on the assumption that the conflict would come to a swift conclusion, allowing the displaced Syrians to return home, but as conditions continue to deteriorate in Syria and the conflict stretches into its fifth year, it has become clear that a shift in policy to encompass longer-term solutions is needed.

The Syrian refugee crisis arose as the Turkish government was in the midst of overhauling its immigration system to meet international—and, particularly, European Union—standards. The implementation of these reforms has limited Turkish authorities' capacity to manage the Syrian inflows, and as a result, management of the crisis was left largely in the hands of national organizations working on the ground, in camps, without larger policy guidance. Meanwhile, formal immigration channels, including recognition of refugee status, remain restricted to Europeans, while non-Europeans receive temporary protection status and are expected at some point to resettle in a third country.

This report provides an overview of Turkey’s migration landscape and the position of Syrian refugees in Turkey today. It also offers an assessment of current policy approaches toward displaced Syrians in Turkey, looking at changes in Turkey’s asylum and protection regime before discussing ongoing challenges and future policy directions in this area. Finally, it discusses policy recommendations—both for Turkey and for other states—given the likelihood of long-term or permanent displacement for Syrians.

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/syrian-refugees-turkey-long-road-ahead

Structure of the Lead:

        WHO-not given

        WHEN-April 2015

        WHAT-Turkey provided a Syrians displaced

        WHY-not given

        WHERE-Turkey

        HOW- Turkey now hosts the world’s largest community of Syrians displaced by the ongoing conflict in their country.

Keywords:

1.      ongoing 不斷的

2.      assumption 假設

3.      swift 迅速的

4.      deteriorate 惡化

5.      encompass 環繞

6.      overhauling 檢修

7.      implementation 履行

8.      inflows 流入

9.      assessment 評定

10.  asylum 避難所

Week 5 Water on Mars

Daily news

28 September 2015

Salty water seen flowing on Mars, not far from Curiosity rover

The dark streaks in this picture may be signs of salty water

JPL/NASA

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured the strongest evidence yet that salty liquid water flows on the planet’s surface during warm seasons.

Whether or not these salty flows could sustain life depends on how salty they are, says Lujendra Ojha of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, who has reported the findings, along with his colleagues. “If the water is completely saturated with perchlorates [hydrated salts], then life as we know it on Earth wouldn’t be able to survive in that sort of concentrated water,” he says. “But if the water only has a tiny percentage of perchlorates in it, then I think we should be fine.

Recurring slope lineae – dark streaks that appear, get longer, and fade in each Martian year – have long been thought to represent signs of flowing water. Now that idea has been backed up by data from the Orbiter’s onboard spectrometer, named CRISM, which analyses reflected sunlight to detect patterns that indicate what minerals are present on the surface.

Salts can absorb water from the atmosphere and lower the freezing point of water, making it possible for liquid water to exist even in the cold Martian climate. Spectral data from four locations with recurrent slope lineae reveal the presence of hydrated salts, which are most likely to be magnesium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate and sodium perchlorate.

Although not examined in the current study, features resembling recurrent slope lineae were observed this year in Gale crater, raising the possibility that the Curiosity rover could look for more clues up close.

Help is near

The most promising location is about 50 kilometres from the Curiosity landing site. Curiosity has already found evidence of perchlorates at Gale crater, as well as organic compounds.

Confirmation of flowing water on the surface would add substantial weight to calls for NASA to commit more strongly to searching for life on Mars. In the Atacama desert, one of the most hostile environments on Earth, communities of microbes are able to survive on moisture in the ground created by salts absorbing water from the atmosphere. Some think, similar microbes could live on Mars.

More signs of water?

JPL/NASA

A number of astrobiologists criticised NASA when plans for its next rover, Mars 2020, left out DNA sequencers and other devices designed to look for living organisms.

But many scientists would not be convinced by evidence from a rover. Definitive proof of life on Mars would require samples to be brought back to Earth. Mars 2020 will store samples to be brought home in a later mission.

“The only thing we can really assert is that the places we’re finding are probably more habitable than the rest of the planet, which is bone dry,” says Ojha.

Journal reference: Nature Geoscience, DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2546

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28251-salty-water-seen-flowing-on-mars-not-far-from-curiosity-rover/

Structure of the Lead:

        WHO-NASA

        WHEN-28 September 2015

        WHAT-water on Mars

        WHY-not given

        WHERE-Mars

        HOW-Curiosity rover

Keywords:

1.  saturated 飽和的

2.  perchlorates 高氯酸鹽

3.  spectral 光譜

4.  magnesium perchlorate 高氯酸鎂

5.  sodium perchlorate 高氯酸鈉

6.  Gale crater 蓋爾隕石坑

7.  Confirmation 確認

8.  hostile 敵對的

9.  microbes 微生物

10.      organisms 生物