Week 5 Tianjin explosion

Tianjin explosion: China sets final death toll at 173, ending search for survivors

Saturday 12 September 2015 06.08

Chinese authorities ended the search for the remaining eight missing in a massive chemical warehouse explosion last month, setting the final death toll at 173 in China’s worst industrial disaster in years.

The announcement by the Tianjin city government said there was no hope of finding the eight people and the court would start issuing death certificates.

“After thorough investigations by all parties it is certain that there is no possibility of survivors,” said a statement on Friday night.

The eight include five firefighters, underscoring the explosion’s status as the worst disaster for Chinese first responders, more than 100 of whom were killed, including police officers. Among firefighters a total of 104 were killed.

Investigations into the 12 August blasts at the Ruihai International Logistics warehouses showed they were located closer to homes than permitted, and stored much more hazardous material than authorised, including 700 tonnes of highly toxic sodium cyanide.

A series of massive explosions late at night shattered windows and tore facades off buildings for miles around, while launching debris including heavy steel storage canisters into nearby communities with the force of an artillery shell. Homeowners have held protests demanding the government buy back their apartments, saying they are unliveable.

The disaster has raised questions about corruption and government efficiency, potentially tarnishing the government led by Xi Jinping, who has made those two issues a hallmark of his administration.

Authorities are investigating malfeasance in the issuing of permits and regulation of the company, and have detained 12 of its employees and executives. They include the primary owner, who was on the board of a state-owned company and kept his ownership of Ruihai hidden as a silent partner.

Also detained as part of the investigation are 11 government officials, while the head of the government body in charge of industrial safety, Yang Dongliang, has been placed under investigation for corruption.

Yang had previously worked for 18 years in Tianjin in state industry and local government, rising to executive vice mayor.

Authorities say they have sealed all waterways leading out of the blast zone to curb cyanide contamination as teams in hazmat suits clean up hazardous debris.

According to the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, water samples inside the disaster zone have shown levels of cyanide as high as 20 times above that considered safe. No cyanide has been detected in nearby seawater or areas outside the 1.8-mile (three-kilometre) radius quarantine zone.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/12/tianjin-explosion-china-sets-final-death-toll-at-173-ending-search-for-survivors

Structure of the Lead:

WHO-

 WHEN- August 12, 2015

WHY- Tianjin explosion

WHERE- Chain Tianjin

 HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.

Week 4  New Horizons, Pluto, Earth 2.0, Kepler 452b

Orphaned planet and twin Earths that 'could share life' revealed

By James Griffiths, CNN

December 4, 2015 

(CNN)From a world 11 times more massive than Jupiter to a pair of Earth-like planets that may house life, scientists have revealed a host of fascinating new findings about our galactic neighbors.

Take HD-106906b, or "fat Jupiter" as some observers havetermed it.

A planet far larger than our incredibly massive neighbor which has become partially exiled from its solar system, ending up nearly 16 times farther away from its host star than Pluto is from the sun.

world, before getting booted out to the very edges of the system by a dramatic event in the recent galactic past.

"We think the whole [fat Jupiter] system has recently been disturbed by some violent gravitational interaction, though we're not sure exactly what happened," said Paul Kalas, an adjunct professor of astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley.

"Something recently happened that kicked it out."

A similar event may have occurred in the distant history of our own solar system.

Scientists believe that we once shared our part of the Milky Way with a ninth planet (or tenth, if we're counting Pluto) before Jupiter's huge gravitational pull sent the other planet spinning out into the wastes of intergalactic space.

Extreme solar systems

Kalas was speaking at a press event for the Extreme Solar Systems (ExSS) conference taking place this week in Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.

The conference, the third of its type since 2007, brings together 350 of the world's leading space scientists to discuss "every aspect of exoplanet research", according to American Astronomical Society Director of Communications Rick Feinberg.

Feinberg pointed out that the conference was being held at special time, the 20th anniversary of the discovery of 51 Pegasi b, the first planet outside our solar system found orbiting a sun-like star.

"51-Pegasi b is now part of history," Feinberg said.

Though the gassy, tidally-locked and incredibly hot 51-Pegasi b doesn't present much hope for life outside our solar system, other findings presented at the conference are may well do.

Twinned planets sharing life

While Earth is the only planet in our neighborhood that lies in the "Goldilocks zone" -- the area close enough to our star to get enough warmth but not so close it's roasted -- other solar systems may have two or more in the habitable area.

This could actually be an advantage when it comes to developing life, according to the University of Nevada's Jason Steffen and Gongjie Li of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

"You're no worse off by having a neighboring planet that's also in the habitable zone," Steffen said at ExSS.

In fact, there may be significant upsides. Steffen and Li found that two inhabitable planets could easily share microbes and other material of life, assisting in the development and evolution of organisms on both worlds.

"Life in a multi-habitable system may have a higher probability of surviving," said Steffen.

Steffen and Li's theory builds on the concept of panspermia, that our own planet may have been "seeded" with life from meteorites, asteroids and other ejecta from far-away worlds.

Last month, scientists announced the discovery of GJ-1132b, "arguably the most important planet ever found outside the solar system", which may support basic forms of life such as bacteria.

Complete coverage on Space and Science

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/04/world/extreme-solar-systems/index.html

Structure of the Lead:

     WHO- Orphaned planet and twin Earths

     WHEN-   December 4, 2015 

     WHAT- the first planet outside our solar system found orbiting a sun-like star

     WHY- solve the plight of the Earth

     WHERE- Outer space

      HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.      exile:流放

2.      gravitational:重力的

3.      interaction;互相影響

4.      adjunct:助手；副手

5.      astronomy:天文學

6.      spin:旋轉；自轉

7.      microbes: 微生物

8.      inhabitable:可居住

Week 3  Steve Jobs, Stanford University ,Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs to 2005 graduates: 'Stay hungry, stay foolish'

Stanford Report, June 12, 2005

BY MICHAELPEÑA

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks—including death itself—at the university's 114th Commencement on Sunday in Stanford Stadium.

Wearing jeans and sandals under his black robe, Jobs delivered a keynote address that spanned his adoption at birth to his insights into mortality after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a year ago. In plainspoken terms, his address struck a balance between the obstacles he has encountered during his notably public life and the lessons he has gleaned—for example, from his high-profile ousting in 1985 from the computer company he helped start.

"I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me," said Jobs, 50. "It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods in my life."

The 2005 Commencement proceeded with its familiar mix of the goofy and the formal: Graduates attached plush animals to their caps and carried body-length flotation devices onto the field for the Wacky Walk. This traditional kickoff to the ceremony was once again a flurry of wild wigs, rock-star shades, feather boas and a few Speedo swim trunks.

Also seen were a procession of walking iPods, several balloon floats, spray-painted umbrellas and one group that unfurled a volleyball net and spontaneously started to play. The first ones on the field carried boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, while behind them a dance troupe in tutus and ape masks pranced around the track.

But calm was restored once the graduates took their seats and the Rev. Scotty McLennan, dean for religious life, delivered the opening invocation. President John Hennessy then welcomed the estimated 23,000 people in the stadium and, after a presentation of faculty, staff and student awards by Provost John Etchemendy, returned to the podium to introduce the keynote speaker.

Hennessy said Jobs embodied the university's spirit, its "willingness to be bold and strike out in new directions." Hennessy also touched on Jobs' reputation as an innovator, a visionary and an advocate for education who developed partnerships during Apple's earliest days to get computers into schools and communities.

Jobs began by noting that he dropped out of college, and that Sunday's ceremony was the closest he had ever gotten to a university graduation. He then launched into the first part of his address, which focused on having faith that the dots of one's life will connect down the road, even if the journey so far has not followed a clear pattern.

Jobs said his biological mother was an unwed graduate student who wanted him to go to college, so she chose a lawyer and his wife to be the adoptive parents. But because they ultimately wanted a girl, he was adopted by a working-class couple—neither of whom had college degrees, Jobs said.

Jobs said they pledged to send him to college, and when the time came, he chose Reed College in Portland, Ore. Concerned that tuition was draining his parents' life savings and dissatisfied by his required courses, Jobs said he dropped out and began taking courses that interested him?including a calligraphy course that, a decade later, inspired him to design different fonts for the first Macintosh.

"Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward," Jobs said. "You can only connect them looking backward, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future."

Jobs also talked about love and loss, and how he discovered what he wanted to do in life at an early age. He was 20 years old when he and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computer, which in 10 years grew into a $2 billion company with 4,000 employees. After his departure from Apple, Jobs went on to found NeXT Software Inc., which was subsequently bought by Apple in 1997?returning him to the company that got him started.

"I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple," Jobs said. "I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did."

The last part of his speech was about death. When he was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago, Jobs said doctors initially gave him up to six months to live. His cancer turned out to be a rare, curable form, and he quickly underwent surgery. He has since recovered, but the experience nonetheless taught him another lesson.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life," Jobs said. "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice."

After a standing ovation, Hennessy brought the ceremony to a close with remarks that honored Jane Stanford?this year being the centennial of her death. The graduates of each school were then asked by their deans to stand for the conferral of degrees by Hennessy.

"Stanford is committed to keeping the spirit envisioned by Jane and Leland Stanford alive, and instilling it in the generations of students who pass this way," Hennessy said. "And so, I hope that you leave this campus with a strong reservoir of the Stanford spirit, a reservoir that will grow over the years."

On Sunday, 1,782 bachelor's degrees were awarded, along with 2,026 master's degrees and 904 doctoral degrees, according to Paddy McGowan, associate registrar and director of institutional research. Of the 1,732 undergraduates, 844 were female and 888 were male. Departmental honors were awarded to 388 undergraduates, 294 graduated with university distinction, 118 graduated with multiple majors, 477 completed minors, 70 graduated with dual bachelor's degrees and 133 graduated with combined bachelor's and master's degrees.

Among international students, there were 95 undergraduates from 40 different countries and 948 graduate students from 70 different nations, according to McGowan.

"I just can't believe that I got here," said Farah Giga of the Southern California suburb of LaVerne, who graduated with a bachelor's degree with honors in computer science. "This makes five all-nighters in a row totally worth it."

Kateri Jones sat among family members who came from all over California and Colorado for her daughter, Dyani Jones, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in human biology. One of the biggest achievements, her mother said, was just getting to this point.

"I just think it's a remarkable accomplishment to get through this school," she said. "Just the challenge of being here."

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/grad-061505.html

Structure of the Lead:

WHO- Steve Jobs

WHEN- June 12, 2005

WHAT- commencement speech

WHY- Steve Jobs urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks—including death itself

WHERE- Stanford Stadium

HOW-not given

Keywords:

1. pivotal : 關鍵的

2. urge : 激勵

3. pancreatic : 胰腺的

4. unfurl : 展開

5. spontaneously : 自發地；自然地

6. mortality : 死亡率

7. diagnose : 診斷

8. glean : 收集

9. advocate : 提倡

10. ultimately : 追根究柢；最終

Week 2   Nepal earthquake, 2015, death toll, kill

Nepal quake death toll becomes highest on record; dozens still missing

Sun , May 17, 2015 

by Tommy Wilkes and Gopala Sharma / Editing by Dominic Evans

The number of people killed in Nepal by two major earthquakes has surpassed 8,500, making the disaster the deadliest to hit the Himalayan country on record, as rescuers on Sunday searched for dozens of people still missing in remote villages.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, killing thousands and demolishing more than half a million homes, most of them in rural areas cut off from emergency medical care.

A second major quake struck on Tuesday 76 kilometers (47 miles) east of the capital Kathmandu, just as Nepalis were beginning to recover from the previous earthquake.

The death toll from the two quakes now stands at 8,583, the home ministry said on Sunday.

The previous deadliest earthquake to strike the country - in 1934 - killed at least 8,519 in Nepal, as well as thousands more in neighboring India.

In Dolakha district east of Kathmandu, which was hit hardest by the second quake, dozens of landslides have blocked access to remote villages.

In Singati village, devastated by a landslide, dozens are still missing and rescue workers are yet to remove debris from all of the village to recover bodies, district officials said.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala told reporters on Sunday 58 foreigners had died in the two earthquakes. Koirala said 112 foreigners were still unaccounted for, although many of those could be backpackers who choose not to register with authorities when they leave the country.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/17/us-quake-nepal-idUSKBN0O20LL20150517#yyGr8Zi4eeuVc0gD.97

Structure of the Lead:

WHO- residents of Nepal

WHEN-   May 15, 2015

WHAT- earthquake

WHY- the number of people killed in Nepal by two major earthquakes

WHERE-Nepal

HOW-not given

Keywords:

1. surpass : 超越

2. magnitude : 巨大；大小

3. demolish : 毀壞；拆除

4. devastate : 破壞；蹂躪

5. debris : 殘骸；破瓦殘礫

Pilot, celebrity may face charges over Apache case

Week1 Apache helicopter scandal, Lao, Janet Lee

Pilot, celebrity may face charges over Apache case

Sat, Oct 03, 2015

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Special forces pilot Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) and television personality Janet Lee (李蒨蓉) may face charges over state security offenses after the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday overturned a decision by local prosecutors not to indict the two over the so-called “Apache helicopter tour” incident at a military base in Taoyuan.

The office issued a statement saying that the actions of the lieutenant colonel when he led a civilian tour of the base in March may have violated Articles 20 and 21 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法) on leaking military secrets and confidential information.

The two articles also deal with “offenses against internal and external security of the state,” and questions remain about possible violations by the tour group of 14 civilians, which included Lao’s and Lee’s families and friends, it said.

The office added that the initial investigation was not comprehensive enough, with some evidence needing further clarification, and instructed Taoyuan prosecutors to reopen the case for possible indictment.

Yesterday’s announcement was a rebuke of the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office over its decision in August not to take the case to court, which was widely perceived as letting Lao and the group off the hook, and spurred another wave of protest in society.

At the time, Taoyuan prosecutors said that they based their decision on an official reply from the Ministry of National Defense, which said the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade base in Taoyuan, where the tour took place, was not a “vital military installation,” and therefore taking photographs at the base, entering the cockpit of an Apache helicopter and wearing its pilot’s helmet did not constitute violations of the provisions on leaking military secrets or confidential information.

In related developments, the Judicial Yuan’s Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries said it had decided to suspend Lao for two years for his actions in the Apache scandal.

The commission also handed out six-month suspensions to Major General Chien Tsung-yuan (簡聰淵), commander of the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Tao Kuo-chen (陶國禎), personnel section head of the brigade, for conducting civilian tours of the base and its aircraft.

The commission cited Lai’s numerous infractions, including unauthorized removal of an Apache pilot’s high-tech headgear from the base for personal use at a private party, flouting of military base entry access regulations to bring in family members and friends for a tour without proper registration and security checks, and permitting civilians to sit in the helicopter’s cockpit and take photographs that were posted on social media sites.

“Lao had contributed to the public’s negative perception of the military,” the commission said. “He used important weapons systems of the nation’s armed forces as tools for his personal social networking, which were reported in the media and sparked an uproar.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/10/03/2003629144

Structure of the Lead:

WHO- Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) &Janet Lee (李蒨蓉)

WHEN-March 29, 2015
WHAT- Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) led a civilian tour of the base in March may have violated                  military secrets and confidential information
WHY-Military Scandal
WHERE- a military base in Taoyuan
HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.      prosecutor : 起訴人

2.      lieutenant colonel : 中校

3.      confidential : 機密

4.      comprehensive : 全面的

5.      indict : 起訴