week4- American Sniper Chris Kyle

American Sniper Chris Kyle

Christopher Scott Kyle was born and raised in Texas and was a United States Navy SEAL from 1999 to 2009. He is currently known as the most successful sniper in American military history. According to his book American Sniper, he had 160 confirmed kills (which was from 255 claimed kills).

A claimed kill refers to a shot where the round hits the target, but cannot confirm the kill.

Chris Kyle served as a Navy SEAL in 4 tours in the latest Iraq war. For his bravery and military skills, he was awarded some of the highest medals in the US military multiple times including the Bronze and Silver Star.

Whilst in Iraq, the insurgents called him the "Devil of Ramadi" and offered a bounty for his head. In a funny twist, they displayed pictures of him around the local area with the bounty but it was a picture of another sniper! He was shot twice, and was involved in six IED attacks

Chris needed to make a decision on family life or the military. He had a small child that he did not know very well as he was overseas constantly. This also put pressure on his marriage, so he decided to leave the SEALS and was honourably discharged in 2009. After some time struggling with civilian life, he started a security company called CRAFT and wrote the New York Times bestselling book, American Sniper.

Unfortunately Chris Kyle was murdered at a shooting range by a US military veteran he was trying to help on February 2, 2013 in Texas.

A film has been made starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller and is called American Sniper. It was launched at cinemas around the world in January 2015. Clint Eastwood is the director.

Source: http://www.chriskyleamericansniper.info/

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO- Christopher Scott Kyle

   WHEN- currently

   WHAT- He is currently known as the most successful sniper in American military history.

   WHY- According to his book American Sniper, he had 160 confirmed kills (which was from 255 claimed kills).

   WHERE- United States

   HOW-not given

Keywords：

   1. confirm：證實

   2. military：軍事的

   3. insurgent：叛亂者

   4. bounty：懸賞

   5. make a decision：做決定

   6. discharged：允許離開

   7. veteran：老手

   8. starring：主演

week 3-Taoyuan fire

Fire in Taoyuan kills six firefighters

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) Six firefighters perished early Tuesday when the structure of a burning bowling center in Taoyuan collapsed on them, Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said.

The incident occurred when nearly 100 firefighters went to put out the fire in the coastal Xinwu District in the northern city, Cheng said in a Facebook post.

The six firefighters, all in their 20s, were found trapped on the second of the three-story building, officials said. Two people were rescued from the fire and sent to a hospital with injuries.

Cheng promised the best possible compensation for the bereaved families and an investigation into the cause of the fire and the question of whether the bowling center has any illegally built structure.

In Taipei, the Cabinet issued a statement expressing deep condolences over the death of the firefighters.

The Cabinet also said it will instruct the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees the National Fire Agency, to review firefighting measures, including personal equipment and training to help prevent similar incidents.

Source: http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201501200004.aspx

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-Food manufacturer Ting Hsin International Group

   WHEN- Jan. 20

   WHAT- Six firefighters perished early Tuesday when the structure of a burning bowling center in Taoyuan collapsed on them

   WHY- burning bowling center in Taoyuan collapsed on them

   WHERE- Taipei

   HOW-not given

Keywords：

   1. perish：死亡

   2. bowling：保齡球

   3. firefighters：消防員

   4. put out the fire：滅火

   5. trapped：困住

   6.compensation： 賠償

   7.bereaved：死了的

8.condolence：慰問

week2- National Taichung Theater

National Taichung Theater starts trial operations

President Ma Ying-jeou said Nov. 23 that National Taichung Theater will help attract more performing art groups to Taiwan and boost the country’s cultural profile.

“The theater is set to become a new landmark on the local cultural and creative landscape,” Ma said during a ceremony marking the commencement of trial operations at the facility in central Taiwan.

“Along with National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei City and Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Arts under construction in Kaohsiung City, the facility will help usher in a new era for the performing arts in Taiwan.”

Taking five years to complete, the NT$4.36 billion (US$141.56 million) project features a beamless design and irregular curved walls. It is the brainchild of Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Toyo Ito from Japan, whose work on the Kaohsiung Main Stadium attracted worldwide praise.

Covering 57,024 square meters in downtown Taichung, the facility includes a 2,000-seat grand performing hall, an 800-seat theatre and a 200-seat experimental theater. It will officially open to the public in early 2015 under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.

As part of the celebrations, Taichung City Government is staging dance and theater performances, as well as concerts and light shows, at the site.

The inaugural show was a production of “Cat Man” by traditional opera troupe Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group. It is to be followed by performances of “Don Quixote” by the Paper Windmill Theatre Nov. 27 and 28. (SFC-JSM)

Source: http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224373&ctNode=445

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO- President Ma Ying-jeou

   WHEN- Nov. 23

   WHAT- National Taichung Theater will help attract more performing art groups to Taiwan and boost the country’s cultural profile.

   WHY-not given

   WHERE-not given

   HOW-not given

Keywords：

   1. boost：提升

   2. profile：形象

   3. landmark：地標

   4. commencement：開端

   5. beamless：無橫樑的

   6. irregular：不規則的

   7. Pritzker Architecture Prize：普立茲克獎

   8. inaugural：閉幕典禮

 

week-1 Ting Hsin tainted oil scandal

Ting Hsin leaving Taiwan oil market

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Ting Hsin International Group announced yesterday afternoon that it will leave Taiwan's oil market and donate NT$3 billion toward food safety under the supervision of a third party — Ruentex Financial Group Chairman Samuel Yin.

Ruentex Financial Group held a press conference yesterday, with Ting Hsin Chairman Wei Ying-jiao and former Wei Chuan Foods Corporation  Chairman Wei Ying-chung in attendance.

The Wei brothers first bowed and apologized for causing concern among the public and stated that they are willing to face the people on behalf of Ting Hsin.

“I am aware that no matter what actions we take and how hard we try, it is hard for the company to regain its reputation under these circumstances,” said Wei Ying-jiao.

He continued by saying that since no one wants to trust them anymore, he would like to invite Yin, who loves Taiwan and has a good reputation, to be the supervisor keeping an eye on Ting Hsin's payments as well as the interim convener in the establishment of a new independent local food safety innovation committee.

Wei also stated that the NT$3 billion donation will go to the government or social welfare organizations working on food safety issues, hoping to recover Taiwan's reputation as a food producer.

In addition, Wei Ying-jiao promised that Ting Hsin will take all necessary responsibility, starting with repaying consumers full refunds based on the requests of local governments and relevant authorities.

Yesterday evening, Wei Ying-chung was summoned by the Changhua District Prosecutors Office for questioning. Prosecutors have already inspected the Wei Chuan headquarters as well as Wei Ying-chung's residence to collect documents and evidence for further inspection. Prosecutors ended the search at 2 p.m. and decided to summon Wei to be questioned in the evening.

Come up with Potential Solution in a Month: Yin

“I am an amateur in the food industry, but I am willing to make some efforts for the food safety issue,” said Yin.

Yin stated that since he is an amateur in the food industry, he will invite experts from various fields to deliberate the issues. He also promised that he will come up with some potential solutions to improve current situation in a month.

As for the question of whether he will take over the operation of Wei Chuan, he said that he had never considered it.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2014/10/17/419633/Ting-Hsin.htm

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- Ting Hsin International Group

WHEN- yesterday afternoon

WHAT- it will leave Taiwan's oil market and donate NT$3 billion toward food safety under the supervision of a third party — Ruentex Financial Group Chairman Samuel Yin.

WHY- not given

WHERE- Taiwan  

HOW-not given

Keywords：

   1. donate：捐贈

   2. supervision：監管

   3. press conference：記者會

   4. apologize：道歉

   5. reputation：名譽

   6. keeping an eye on：仔細看守好

   7. interim：過度期

   8. refund：退還

   9. amateur：外行

week 7-himalaya avalanche hikers

Everest snowfall traps dozens of hikers in mountain lodges

Dozens of foreign hikers and Nepali guides returning from a trekking trip to the base camp of Mount Everest have been cut off by heavy snowfall, a police official said on Sunday.

They have been forced to stay in four hotel resorts in the Gokyo area near the world's tallest peak, which has been battered by heavy snowfall following freak rains in the last 24 hours, police officer Chandra Dev Rai said from Salleri, the nearest town.

Gokyo lies in Solukhumbu region where Mount Everest is located and is a popular destination for hikers. Tens of thousands of trekkers and climbers visit the Solukhumbu region in northeast Nepal every year.

"There is chest-deep snow in the area. There is no report of any casualty so far. If the snowfall continues for long the tourists need emergency rescue," Mr Rai told Reuters by phone.

Most mountainous areas in Nepal have experienced snowfall due to rains which are not common during this time of the year.

Weather officials in Kathmandu said the bad weather could continue for a couple of days, worsening the plight of the trapped tourists who could face a food shortage.

D.B. Koirala, chief of the Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal, said he had not received any SOS call from the hikers.

December ends the peak tourist season in South Asia's poorest country, which gets nearly four percent of its gross domestic product from tourism.

Freak snowfall and avalanches triggered by the tail of the Hudhud cyclone in October killed at least 43 foreign and Nepali hikers in the popular Annapurna Circuit, in the west of the country.

An avalanche struck Mount Everest during the peak climbing season in April killing 16 Nepali guides in the deadliest incident on the world's tallest peak, forcing hundreds of foreign climbers to abandon their ascent to the 8,850 metre (29,035 feet) Everest summit.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/mounteverest/11293143/Everest-snowfall-traps-dozens-of-hikers-in-mountain-lodges.html

Structure of the lead:

What: returning from a trekking trip to the base camp of Mount Everest have been cut off by heavy snowfall

Who: Dozens of foreign hikers and Nepali guides

How: a police official said

Why: Mount Everest have been cut off by heavy snowfall

Where: Mount Everest

When: Sunday

Keyword:

1. trekking 艱苦跋涉的

2. snowfall 降雪

3. peak 山頂

4. hiker 登山者

5. plight 困境

6. avalanche 雪崩

7. trigger 引發

8. cyclone 龍捲風

week6-Scotland independence referendum

Sir Tom Hunter: No need for another referendum for 15 years

ONE of Scotland's most successful businessmen, Sir Tom Hunter, has said there should not be another referendum on Scottish independence for ten to 15 years, saying the country is already set to get greater control over its destiny.

The Ayrshire entrepreneur said the Smith Commission on devolution formed after the referendum had suggested a range of additional powers for Scotland. With reforms that were already in train Sir Tom thinks enough changes are in prospect.

Asked if the Smith Commission proposals went far enough, he said: "Yes, I think they're a very good step forward and I think what we need to do is just prove that the Scottish Parliament can take on the next step of devolution. I think we've proven that the Parliament has been a good thing for Scotland, it has taken care of Scotland's interests and I think this is another step forward."

He added: "I think we have got a lot of powers which the parliament's never used, we're going to get more powers under the Scotland Act, I think it's 2016 they come in, so there are more powers to digest and our polling before the referendum actually said that people didn't really know what the powers were, what extra powers we were going to get anyway. So I think we've got to get on with this, what we've got so far.

The Smith Commission has done a good job. There's plenty more to get on with there."

Asked if he was concerned that the prospect of a so-called neverendum could be damaging, he said:

"I think there should be something like when we have a referendum of such importance it shouldn't be able to be brought back say within ten to fifteen years. I think that would be a healthy thing because people would say let's get on with what we've got and if there is an appetite with the Scottish voting public to have another one that's fine but there needs to be a decent period of time before the next one."

Sir Tom has not said how he voted in the referendum.

Resource: http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/sir-tom-hunter-no-need-for-another-referendum-for-15-years.114739658

Structure of the lead:

Who: ONE of Scotland's most successful businessmen, Sir Tom Hunter

When: not given

What: has said there should not be another referendum on Scottish independence for ten to 15 years

Why: saying the country is already set to get greater control over its destiny.

Where: not given

How: not given

Keywords:

1.      referendum 公投

2.      independence 獨立

3.      destiny 命運

4.      entrepreneur 企業家

5.      parliament 國會

6.      proposals 提議

7.      polling 民調

week5-Ferguson shooting

New Autopsy Report Changes Everything About the Michael Brown Shooting

The county autopsy report on Michael Brown largely corroborates the account of the shooting given by Ferguson, Mo., Police Officer Darren Wilson. Two independent doctors reviewed the report from St. Louis County for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KTVI reported.

According to the report, the first shot fired from Wilson’s gun was at close range and hit Brown’s right thumb, adding weight to Wilson’s testimony that the two struggled for the gun in Wilson’s police cruiser. Previous reports confirmed that Brown’s blood was found on Wilson’s gun and uniform, as well as inside the car.

The wound on Brown’s thumb contained “microscopic matter from the barrel” of the officer’s pistol, according to the report.

Wilson’s other five shots hit Brown from the front, contradicting some witness reports that Brown had been running away from the officer when he was shot. The angle of the wound to Brown’s forehead indicated that he was either falling or lunging forward when the bullet hit him.

Perhaps most importantly, the autopsy report indicated that Brown did not have his hands in the air when Officer Wilson shot him.

In addition, the county toxicology report on Brown was positive for marijuana.

Results on an autopsy performed by federal officials have not been released.

As the information coming out of the grand jury investigation seems increasingly to support Officer Wilson’s version of the events of that day, it remains to be seen how the protesters in Ferguson and St. Louis, many of whom are from elsewhere, will respond to the news.

We predict that they’ll either ignore it or claim that the report is another lie from the “white power establishment,” or words to that effect. Like good liberals, they are not interested in truth, science, evidence, or history — unless it supports their agenda.

Source: http://conservativetribune.com/new-autopsy-michael-brown/

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- The county autopsy report on Michael Brown

WHEN-not given

WHAT- largely corroborates the account of the shooting given by Ferguson, Mo., Police Officer Darren Wilson.

WHY- the shooting given by Ferguson, Mo., Police Officer Darren Wilson WHERE-not given

HOW- Two independent doctors reviewed the report from St. Louis County for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KTVI reported.

Keywords：

   1. autopsy: 驗屍

   2. corroborates:證實

   3. account:描述

   4. thumb:拇指

   5. contradicting:爭議

   6. lunge:衝,撲

   7. toxicology:毒藥學

   8. protester:抗議者