Site of Deadly Himalayan Blizzard and Avalanches Is Popular With Hikers

At least 23 hikers are dead along the Annapurna hiking circuit.

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 16, 2014

The Himalayan hiking circuit where at least 23 climbers were killed in a blizzard and avalanches this week is less than 200 miles from Mount Everest. But its trails appeal to a whole different type of adventurer.

Whereas Everest, the world's tallest mountain, attracts the world's most accomplished alpine climbers, Nepal's Annapurna circuit, the site of Tuesday's disaster, is among the Himalaya's most popular treks for casual hikers. It's been dubbed the "world's greatest trek."

But the 150-mile (241 kilometer) circuit turned deadly on Wednesday, and those who know the area say the inexperienced climbers who frequent the route were likely unprepared to contend with extreme weather conditions. Many people are still missing, with dozens feared dead, as helicopters rescued hikers from the area on Thursday.

Dosty Quarrier, a former therapist in Asheville, North Carolina, hiked the three-week-long circuit right out of college in the 1990s. "It really wasn't that hard," she said. That's partly because she and a friend hired a porter to carry supplies and partly because the trail "was a nice gradual elevation change."

Quarrier followed recommendations from locals and travel guides about acclimating to the altitude and had no problems going over Thorung Pass, the highest point on the circuit.

The pass, nearly 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) high—about the same elevation as Base Camp on Mount Everest—is near the site where the bodies of 12 hikers were discovered Wednesday. In the U.S., the only peaks as high as that are in Alaska, said Adrian Ballinger, owner and head guide for Alpenglow Expeditions.

"In normal conditions, you can go over that pass and not see any snow or bad weather," Ballinger said. Autumn weather conditions are generally stable, he continued, but "these are mountain conditions, and these storms are not unusual."

Inexperienced climbers would be challenged by the difficult conditions that developed during the heavy snowfall that struck the region earlier this week, he said.

An accomplished climber, Ballinger's first trip to Nepal, nearly 20 years ago, was to the Annapurna circuit.

Some climbers might include the Annapurna when training to attempt peaks like Mount Everest, said Conrad Anker, an accomplished climber and National Geographic Explorer. But for the most part, he said, the hiking community and the mountain climbing set are very different.

"Annapurna is manageable for trekkers with little experience," according to a BBC travel guide. "The circuit is more known for its varied terrain than its difficulty, and while some days can be a challenge, each day can be completed by mid-afternoon."

Jake Norton, a climber on Eddie Bauer's mountaineering team based in Evergreen, Colorado, said he was troubled by news reports that seemed to compare this week's tragedy with the avalanche that killed 16 expedition workers on Everest in April. (See "Sorrow on the Mountain: How April's Deadly Everest Avalanche Unfolded.")

"They're 100 percent different animals," he said. "The only similarities between the two are that they included snow and the Himalayas."

Still, Norton said, "there's this misperception that trekking is less risky [than climbing]."

Expeditions attempting Everest pay close attention to weather forecasts, Norton said. But there is a sense among some trekkers and guides on the Annapurna circuit that they needn't keep an eye on weather reports.

"I can only assume they were surprised by this storm," said Ballinger.

Norton hopes the tragedy won't deter future visitors to Annapurna. "It's not like trekking in Nepal has suddenly become deadly dangerous," he said.

(Resource : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141016-annapurna-hiking-circuit-nepal-avalanche/)

Structure
what-The Himalayan hiking circuit where at least 23 climbers were killed .
why- A blizzard and avalanches caused.
when-Tuesday
where- The Himalaya's most popular treks
how- x



Words
1.avalanche v.無法應付/n.雪崩
2.alpine 高山的
3.trek 艱苦跋涉
4.contend with 對付
5.elevation 海拔/高度
6.acclimate 使適應新環境
7.terrain 地勢/岸群

19 August 2014 Last updated at 09:56

Jackie Chan's son Jaycee in drug arrest

The son of Hollywood actor Jackie Chan has been arrested on drug-related charges, Chinese state media say.

Actor Jaycee Chan, 31, and Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko, 23, were detained last Thursday, Beijing police said in a statement on their official microblog.

Police said both men tested positive for marijuana, with more than 100 grams of the drug found at Mr Chan's home.

Their arrest comes amid an ongoing crackdown on drugs which has already netted several celebrity figures.

Gao Hu, 40, who appeared in the 2011 Zhang Yimou film "The Flowers of War", was detained earlier this month for possession of marijuana and methamphetamines, state media said.

'Huge influence'

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "forceful measures" to tackle illegal drug use.

By arresting the son of one of the country's most famous actors, the Chinese authorities are sending a clear sign that drugs will not be tolerated, reports the BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing.

A government anti-drug adviser told the Associated Press news agency that Chinese celebrities were being targeted because of the "huge influence" their behavior had on "their large numbers of fans".

Beijing Municipal Anti-Drug Office deputy director Jin Zhihai however, said that police were not specifically targeting celebrities.

"If there is an increased crackdown on drugs, the number of celebrity offenders will also rise," he told the Beijing Times on 14 August.

Last week, 42 artist management agencies in Beijing signed an agreement with police pledging not to recruit celebrities with reported drug use problems.

'Very big mistake'

Mr Chan, whose father Jackie was named an official "Narcotics Control Ambassador" by Chinese police in 2009, had been put under "criminal detention" for the suspected crime of "providing a shelter for others to abuse drugs", Beijing police said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum prison term of three years.

Mr Ko, a Taiwanese actor and singer, won the best new actor award in 2011 at the Golden Horse film awards - known as the Oscars of the Chinese-language film industry. He also won a Chinese Film Media award for his role in the movie "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

Accused of consuming drugs, Mr Ko had received a two-week detention term, his management firm Star Ritz Productions said.

"I feel very regretful, very sorry to all the people who support me. I've been a very bad example, I've made a very big mistake," he said in an interview broadcast on Chinese state television on Tuesday.

Beijing police also said two other people, a 36-year-old assistant and a 33-year-old suspected dealer, were detained in the incident.

Mr Chan's management firm M'Stones International apologised on his behalf for the "social impact" caused and said they would "supervise his rehabilitation and help him return to the right path".

His father Jackie has not yet commented on the incident but his publicist told the Associated Press news agency that Mr Chan had traveled to Beijing to deal with his son's arrest.

Structure

who- Jaycee Chan and Kai Ko

where- Beijing

what- Actor Jaycee Chan and Taiwanese movie star Kai Ko have been arrested on drug-related charges.

why- Both men tested positive for marijuana, with more than 100 grams of the drug found at Mr Chan's home.

when- Last Thursday

how- They were detained last Thursday


Words
1.marijuana 大麻
2.crackdown 鎮壓
3.methamphetamine 比安非他命強的興奮劑
4.municipal 市政的
5.deputy 代理的/負的
6.rehabilitation 恢復名譽
7.publicist 公關人員

Ferguson Next: Here's how to end the school-to-prison pipeline, starting now

Dismantling racism needs step-by-step fixes where systematic, life-long discrimination begins: in America’s classrooms

                                    

Michael Brown was unarmed when Darren Wilson shot him in the middle of a residential street in broad daylight – and his unnecessary death sparked months of protests in Ferguson, Missouri. A grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson on a single charge spurred even more calls for fundamental reforms of law enforcement and the justice system in Ferguson, in the state of Missouri and across America.
But ending the institutional racism that allowed a white man who killed an unarmed black teenager to walk free requires more than just reforming the processes that started after Michael Brown died. It requires us to begin where Brown began – at school, where children of color are labeled (and sometimes treated) as little more than criminals before they’ve lost their baby teeth.
When we asked readers for your bright ideas about reform, several suggested that we need to start with our schools and ending the school-to-prison pipeline for good. Criminalizing children instills a distrust for law enforcement early, and more cops in schools has meant more misdemeanor charges in lieu of visits to the principal’s office. Those trends also dramatically overcriminalize students of color – 70% of American students arrested for offences in school are black or Hispanic.
We spoke with Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the Advancement Project, a civil rights group leading the fight against a system that “relentlessly criminalizes young people of color”, about how to start working to end the school-to-prison pipeline.


(Source: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/10/end-school-to-prison-pipeline)


Structure -
what- Dismantling racism needs step-by-step fixes where systematic, life-long discrimination begins: in America’s classrooms
who- not mention
where- Ferguson, in the state of Missouri and across America.
when- Started after Michael Brown died
why- Criminalizing children instills a distrust for law enforcement early, and more cops in schools has meant more misdemeanor charges in lieu of visits to the principal’s office.
how-A civil rights group leading the fight against a system that “relentlessly criminalizes young people of color”, about how to start working to end the school-to-prison pipeline.


Vocabulary
1.dismantle 廢除
2.indict 控告
3.instill 逐漸滲透
4.misdemeanor 輕罪
5.lieu 代替/場所
6.hispanic 講西班牙語的人
7.relentlessly 殘酷地/持續不斷地

$15 million pours in from Ice Bucket Challenge

By Doug Gross  @CNNTech August 18, 2014: 11:18 AM ETNEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Maybe you're getting a little tired of seeing your Facebook feed flooded with people pouring water on their heads.

But the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, is more than just another chance for folks to flaunt themselves on social media. The ALS Association said Monday that it has received $15.6 million in donations since July 29. That's up from $1.8 million raised during the same time period last year.

The challenge is simple. Participants dump a bucket of ice-cold water over their heads and post the video to social media, challenging three others to either do the same within 24 hours or make a donation to the ALS Association.
Many participants, which have included some of the top names in the sports, entertainment, business and political world, have said they're doing both.
Some critics have knocked the viral trend as yet another example of "slacktivism," the derisive nickname for efforts in which people support a cause on the Internet, but don't do anything to actually help.
Related: Politicians get soaked in ice bucket challenge
But the numbers don't bear that out in this case.
The ALS Assocation said that 307,598 of the donations it has received in recent weeks have come from people who had never given before.
"Without a doubt, the popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the social media phenomenon that continues to sweep the nation, has encouraged tens of thousands of Americans not only to douse themselves with ice water but also to open their pocketbooks and to donate to the fight against ALS," Barbara J. New-house, the president and CEO of the association, said in a message posted to the group's website on Saturday.
It hasn't hurt that people with massive public profiles, and deep pockets, have been among those to go under the ice.
Facebook (FB, Tech30) CEO Mark Zuckerberg challenged Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) founder Bill Gates, who responded with a funny video in which he designs an elaborate structure to douse himself. Hen then challenged SpaceX and Tesla Motors (TSLA) boss Elon Musk, Ryan Seacrest and Chris Anderson of TED (All three accepted).
Related: Social Web tackles the #IceBucketChallenge
Oprah Winfrey answered multiple challenges by taking (or, rather, receiving) the plunge, with best buddy Gayle King, of course, doing the honors.
NBA superstar Lebron James, tennis champ Caroline Wozniacki and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell are just a few of the most recent athletes to ice-bucket. The trend took off in a big way in the sports world, after being kicked off by Pete Frates, a former baseball player at Boston College who has been living with ALS since 2012.
He floated the idea and his former teammates, as well as other Boston-area athletes, took him up on it. It was noticed and covered by local media and that attention, along with the social Web's viral nature, launched it onto a much larger stage.
Newhouse said the ALS Association will be using the funds to help families dealing with the disease as well as invest in helping find a cure.
Currently, the group supports 98 active research projects and recently announced $3.5 million in funding for 21 new ones.
"Never before have we been in a better position to fuel our fight against this disease," she said in her post. "Increased awareness and unprecedented financial support will enable us to think outside the box."

(Resource: http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/18/technology/social/als-ice-bucket-challenge/index.html)



Key words
1.flaunt 誇示
2.dump 傾倒
3.viral 病毒的
4.derisive 嘲笑的
5.douse 浸入/潑水
6.elaborate 精心製作
7.buddy 夥伴/好朋友
8.unprecedented 無先例的



Structure
what - $15 million pours in by Ice Bucket Challenge
when - Since July 29
where - From all the world
why - Participants dump a bucket of ice-cold water over their heads and post the video to social media, challenging three others to either do the same within 24 hours or make a donation to the ALS Association.
who - People around the world
how - The amount of money is many times than before

Clashes as anti-nuclear protests hit Taiwan

Chanting crowds gathered in Taipei over the weekend to protest against a fourth nuclear plant

Continue reading the main story

Police have clashed with protesters demanding construction on Taiwan's fourth nuclear plant be stopped.

Police used water cannon early on Monday to disperse thousands of demonstrators blocking a main traffic route in Taiwan's capital, Taipei.

The governing Kuomintang Party agreed on Sunday to temporarily suspend work on two nuclear reactors but have so far refused to halt the project altogether.

The move comes amid mounting public concern over nuclear safety.

Protesters gathered in Taipei over the weekend and have pledged to continue their sit-in until Tuesday. Many have refused to leave without an official government announcement.

Water cannons were used by police on Monday to disperse crowds of protesters

The public fears a repeat of the Japanese Fukushima nuclear disaster

Demonstrators have refused to vacate the protest site

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou had said the government would hold a referendum on the issue before the plant began operating.

Taiwan relies on nuclear power for about 18% of its energy needs. The remaining three nuclear power plants would have to function longer if the fourth one does not start operations as planned, the economic ministry said.

Taiwan's first nuclear plant is set to be decommissioned from 2018 while the second plant is set to close between 2021 and 2023.

The fourth plant will be located in northern New Taipei City, the most populous city in Taiwan.

Opponents of the fourth nuclear power plant say that it will dangerous given that Taiwan is located in an earthquake zone, reports the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei.

Supporters, which include the governing Kuomintang Party, argue that the fourth plant will be much safer than Japan's Fukushima plant, which was crippled by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

(Resource:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27184298)

Key Words
1.clash 引起衝突
2.cannon 砲轟
3.disperse 驅散
4.pledge 發誓
5.referendum 公民投票
6.ministry 部/內閣
7.decommission 停用

Structure
who - Protesters
what - Chanting crowds gathered in Taipei over the weekend .
where - Taiwan Tainan
why - To protest against a fourth nuclear plant.
when - Monday
how - Hold a referendum on the issue before the plant began operating.

MH370 missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Search might be in wrong spot, investigators say

21 DAYS AGO OCTOBER 09, 2014 10:32AM

THE right engine of the doomed flight MH370 ran out of fuel, followed by the loss of the left engine, sending the commercial jet spiraling into the Indian Ocean with 239 souls on board.

That’s the conclusion investigators have reached, according to a new report that also reveals the current underwater search may be happening in the wrong spot.

An updated flight path analysis released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau sets out how investigators reached the conclusions they have, in regards to the Boeing 777’s final resting place.

But the report is careful to note that analysis is ongoing and that may result in “changes to the prioritizations and location of search activity”.

The Malaysia Airlines plane was carrying 239 people when it disappeared seven months ago on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The latest report lists the aircraft’s “handshakes” with a satellite communication system and explains how that information was used to refine the final probable location.

“This area (on the seventh arc) does not contain all the possible derived paths (of MH370),” the report notes.

“The ongoing refinement may result in changes to search asset deployment.”

FRUSTRATING: Stalemate over MH370 plane recovery

FAMILIES: Call for more information on MH370 search

The vessel GO Phoenix began an underwater search of a site 1800km southwest of Perth on Monday using side scan sonar equipment to detect objects sticking above the sea floor.

It is yet to discover anything of interest.

A second search vessel, Fugro Discovery, is due to head out to its designated site from the Port of Fremantle on Saturday.

The Fugro Equator is continuing to map the sea floor and should complete its bathymetric surveys by the end of the month.

It is then expected to assist with the search.

The mystery surrounding its fate has generated many theories as to what may have happened to the Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 passengers and crew.

Investigators have refused to speculate on its fate but the latest report is based on the assumption the aircraft was flying on autopilot and ran out of fuel before crashing into the ocean.

Using Boeing 777 simulators, the analysts have surmised the right engine ran out of fuel followed by the “flame-out” of the left engine.

“This scenario resulted in the aircraft entering a descending spiraling low bank angle left turn and the aircraft entering the water in a relatively short distance after the last engine flame-out,” the report states.

A statement issued this week by families of those on-board appealed to be kept informed of any developments in the search and investigation.

(Resource: http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/mh370-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-search-might-be-in-wrong-spot-investigators-say/story-fnizu68q-1227084277721)

Key Words
1.doom 注定/使毀滅
2.spiral 使成螺旋形
3.prioritization 優先次序
4.refine 推敲
5.derive 得到
6.asset 資產
7.deployment 部署/調度
8.sonar 聲納
9.bathymetric 測海學的
10.speculate 推斷
11.simulator 模擬器
12.surmise 臆測
13.scenario 局面

Structure
who - MH370 Malaysia Airlines plane
where - Indian Ocean
when - OCTOBER 09, 2014 
why - ran out of fuel
what - Search might be in wrong spot
how - Using Boeing 777 simulators

Cross-strait(海峽) service trade pact signed

DEEPENING EXCHANGES:Under the pact, 64 Taiwanese industries will be opened to Chinese investment, while China will open up 80 industries to Taiwanese investment

By Mo Yan-chih  /  Staff reporter

Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits Chairman Chen Deming, during a meeting in Shanghai yesterday.

The Straits Exchange Foundation and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) yesterday signed a cross-strait service trade agreement in Shanghai during the ninth round of cross-strait talks, opening the service sectors on both sides to further cross-strait exchanges.

Under the pact, which includes four chapters and 24 articles, 64 Taiwanese industries will be opened to Chinese investment, while China will open up 80 industries to Taiwan.

The Taiwanese industries include transportation, tourism and traditional Chinese medicine, while China will open up its finance, retail, electronics, publishing and travel sectors.

Under the agreement, Chinese investors will be allowed to open hotels in Taiwan.

Taiwan will also allow Chinese travel agencies to establish a maximum of three branches in the country and provide services to Taiwanese. However, they will not be allowed to accommodate any foreign tourists, including Chinese.

Taiwanese investors will be allowed to set up travel agencies in China, as well as open restaurants or hotels.

Chinese companies will be allowed to open beauty parlors or hair salons in Taiwan, but would only be allowed to employ Taiwanese.

While China will open its publishing industry to Taiwanese investment, Taiwan will allow Chinese companies to invest in Taiwanese businesses in the printing service industry, with a maximum of 50 percent stock ownership.

On financial services, Taiwanese companies will be allowed to invest security companies in Shanghai, in Shenzhen and Chinese-controlled Fujian Province.

In signing the pact, foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane (林中森) and ARATS Chairman Chen Deming (陳德銘) both lauded the agreement for deepening cross-strait exchanges in the service sector.

Lin said 80 percent of the deal opens the two sides’ service sectors to the same or greater degree as the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) that was signed between Hong Kong and China in 2003, with 90 percent of financial services covered in the cross-strait agreement opened, just like in the CEPA.

The cross-strait service trade agreement is a major follow-up to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services under the WTO.

“The service trade agreement is a pact that benefits related sectors across the Taiwan Strait and promotes the interests of the public on both sides. It will result in a win-win situation for both sides,” Lin said.

After signing the pact, Taiwan and China cannot revise or cancel the agreement within the next three years.

The two sides will hold an annual meeting to review the implementation of the pact.

The agreement also includes an emergency negotiation mechanism, which gives related industries from each side the right to demand negotiations and seek solutions if the agreement negatively affects their businesses sectors.

(Sources: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2013/06/22/2003565371)

Structure of  the lead
who- Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Lin Join-sane.
what- Signed a cross-strait service trade agreement.
why- Opening the service sectors on both sides to further cross-strait exchanges.
where- Shanghai .
when- Yesterday
how- During the ninth round of cross-strait talks.


Key words
1.counterpart(功能相當的人或事物)
2.sectors(部分/區域/部門)
3.parlors(小店)
4.printing(發行) 
5. lauded(稱讚)
6.Framework (觀點/組織/機構)
7.implementation(履行)
8.mechanism(機制/途徑)