Monthly Archive: February 2017
Hong Kong’s Ghost Island comes to life
A small island, barely covering one square kilometer, was inhabited by Hakka people who migrated from Northern China in the 19th century. The first denizens of the island constructed salt pans to sustain a source of income. The salt pans were closed due to rising competitions from other countries about 100 years ago, which leads to residents resorting to farming and fishing to make a living. Some families began leaving Yim Tin Sai in the 1960s to seek a better life resulting to the village’s decrease of population until there was no one left to live there. Despite the island’s downfall, a former villager named Colin Chan went back…
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Hongkong’s Ghost Island comes to life
Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel? Why? Where is your favorite country/town/city? Why? Do you like modern or historical art? Why? An isolated island in Hong Kong previously named as Yim Tin Sai or “Ghost Island” is slowly returning to life. Yim Tin Sai also means “Salt Pan” in Cantonese. It was Hong Kong’s salt pan for over hundred years. Due to competition against nearby countries like Vietnam and Thailand, the pans slowly shut down. People from the island fled to seek for education in the city. Colin Chan, the previous village representative, saw a decaying island when he came back. He decided to dedicate his life…
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Hongkong’s Ghost Island comes to life
Pre-reading questions: Do you like to travel? Why? Where is your favorite place? An island in Hongkong previously named as Yim Tin Sai or “Ghost Island” is slowly returning to life. Yim Tin Tsai means “Little Salt Pan” in Cantonese. The island is a salt pan in the past. When the pans shut down, people slowly fled to the city to seek education. Thanks to Colin Chan, the old village representative, the island is restored to its previous beauty. Vocabulary: previous [adjective] – coming before something else pan [noun] – a flat expanses of ground covered with salt or other minerals flee [verb] – run away seek…
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Teacherless university opens in California
In California, a school called Ecole 42 has opened with no instructors. This university is a branch of an institution in France established by French technology billionaire, Xavier Niel. In the duration of one academic year, one thousand students will undergo training on coding and programming advancement. The students are entrusted to utilize resources accessible on the web, and by collaborating with their colleagues. A student will then be arbitrarily assigned to grade another student’s work. Once a student completes level 21, which takes three to five years, the student can graduate. The alumni of the said institution in France are currently employed at organizations such as IBM, Amazon,…
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Teacherless university opens in California
Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite subject in school/university? What do you like about your school/university? What are the unique characteristics of your school/university? Ecole 42, France’s teacherless university, opened it’s branch in California last October. 42 originated from Paris 3 years ago. Unlike typical schools, students here take charge of their own learning. They have the freedom to work at their own pace on their preferred projects. 21 levels must be completed to graduate. However, they will not be granted any certificate. Without any professors to guide them, the students confide in peer learning. The students are also responsible for checking each other’s work. The benefactors of…
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Teacherless university opens in California
Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite subject in school/university? Do you want to study in a university with no teachers? Please explain your answer. Ecole 42 is a university without teachers. It opened its branch in California. It originated from Paris 3 years ago. Unlike typical universities, students in 42 learn with their classmates only. They are free to learn and work on projects at their own pace. Students need to complete 21 levels to graduate. Vocabulary: branch [noun] – office; extension of the main branch originate [verb] – to begin typical [adjective] – usual; customary pace [noun]– speed graduate [verb] – to complete a course of study in…
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Headmistress buys illegal jammer to block students’ internet use
Julia Polley, a headmistress at Wensleydale School and Sixth Form College in North Yorkshire, was so frustrated at students’ fixation with their smart phones that she told parents she would be blocking 4G internet at the school. She invested in some technology which will block 4G signals on the school site. “I have improved the filters on the wi-fi to further restrict some sites,” Ms. Polley told parents. However, she has been stopped by red tape, after Ofcom warned her that it was a criminal offense. All her plans were scuppered when she was informed by North Yorkshire County Council’s IT support team and Ofcom that it was indeed…
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Pilot gives tips for coping with jet lag
Passengers count on their airline pilots and crews to be alert while they are on board, flying across the globe from 35 to 39 thousand feet. Pilots simply don’t have the luxury of sleeping off jet lag-induced exhaustion, so learning how to handle it is an obligation in their lifestyle. Pilots drain their days and nights flying across all kinds of time zones. They have to know how to deal with lethargy, which is why at Southwest they incorporate their training on how to beat jet lag. Managing jet lag is a job stipulation for them. R.J. Deutschendorf, a system chief pilot at Southwest Airlines aforementioned that you have…
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