Monthly Archive: April 2017

Set a fixed budget for buying clothes

Lifestyle

Pre-reading questions: Do you like shopping for new clothes? Why or why not? When do you usually buy new clothes? Most people enjoy shopping. It is nice to have new clothes, especially when they are affordable. However, the fun in buying clothes stops when you spend too much and own too many. Marc Bain, a fashion reporter, said that there should be a limit in the amount of money one should spend on clothes. If you set a limit to your budget for clothes, you can save more. Additionally, if you don’t have that many clothes, you can lessen your trash and help save the environment. Vocabulary: shopping [noun] –…
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Singapore’s Ministry of Education focuses on student’s aptitude than academic

Education - E

Singapore’s Ministry of Education will administer an aptitude-based program, which pays attention to students’ natural ability and talents. This system is a complete opposite of the traditional academic-based system. This new program will be carried out in the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities in the country. According to a Ministry of Education official, general academic ability will no longer be used to evaluate a student’s natural ability. He added that students who are good at something must be given all the support to hone their skills and strengthen their knowledge. Starting next year, all secondary schools can reserve about 20 percent of their slots for Direct School Admission….
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Singapore’s Ministry of Education focuses on student’s aptitude than academic

Education - I

Pre-reading questions: For you, what is education? How does education affect our future? How does your country ensure quality education for all? Singapore’s Ministry of Education will implement an aptitude-based program, which focuses on students’ natural ability and talents, in place of the traditional academic-based system. This new program will be implemented in the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities in the country. According to Ng Chee Meng, Ministry of Education official, general academic ability will no longer be used in assessing students. Ong Ye Kung of Higher Education and Skills stressed the need for the country’s post-secondary educational institutions to have an additional mission – to uncover and…
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Pedal-style for NZ on 35th America’s Cup

Sports - Expert

The Team New Zealand’s sailors have replaced the traditional arm-powered winches with cycle-style grinders for the 35th America’s Cup event in Bermuda. Four bikes on each of their new AC50 catamaran’s hulls will render the power to supply the hydraulic systems, which raise and lower the foils and pull in the huge wing sail. The new AC50 catamaran’s hulls contains some of the most updated and powerful technology ever used in the said competition. There are only six crew allowed on board, the helmsman and the wing trimmer who concentrate on sail settings, and four sailors to produce all the power needed. They even invited the Olympic bronze medal-winning cyclist…
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Pedal-style for NZ on 35th America’s Cup

Sports - Intermediate

Pre-reading questions: Which water sport are you good at? Please explain your answer. If you will compete in a water race, what would it be? Please explain your answer. The Team New Zealand’s sailors are hoping to avenge the 9-8 defeat by Oracle Team USA in San Francisco last 2013. They have replaced the traditional arm-powered winches with cycle-style grinders for the 35th America’s Cup event in Bermuda. Team New Zealand has invited Olympic bronze medal-winning cyclist Simon van Velthooven to lead the new revolution. Winning the next America’s Cup is all about keeping a stable sail on the entire race, and that’s the reason why this boat contains some…
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Pedal-style for NZ on 35th America’s Cup

Sports - Beginner

Pre-reading questions: Can you ride a bike? If yes, when did you learn? Please explain your answer. Have you ever joined a cycling competition? Please explain your answer. For this year’s 35th America’s Cup event in Bermuda, the New Zealand sailors have changed the common paddle-style with pedal-style machine. The idea behind the pedal-style is that the bigger leg muscles will be able to give more power than paddle-style machine. This is the fastest way to keep the boats sail continuously above the water all around the course. Oracle Team USA Jimmy Spithill and former Team NZ Dean Barker — now head of SoftBank Team Japan — have questioned the…
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Singapore’s Ministry of Education focuses on student’s aptitude than academic

Education - B

Pre-reading questions: Do you think education is important? How can education change our future? Singapore’s Ministry of Education will implement an aptitude-based program. This program focuses on students’ natural ability and talents. This is very different from the traditional system, which is academic-based. This program will be applied in the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics, and universities in the country. Vocabulary: implement [verb] – to start using a plan or system aptitude [noun] – a natural ability or skill ability [noun] – skill to do something academic [adjective] – relating to performance in courses of study; relating to schools, colleges, and universities, or connected with studying and thinking, not with practical…
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Prevention of cyber attacks

Japan - Expert

Tokyo police began taking steps to fight against cyber attack by automatically detecting probable threats or virus, and sharing them online via a secured server. About 100 companies whose offices – such as railways operators, airlines, financial institutions, telecommunication services – situate around Tokyo participated in the said project. These companies all have key infrastructure and advanced technology. Companies can gain access to the information even if they are not under attack. While the sharing strategy has strong proponents, others believe that sharing threat intelligence does nothing to protect against the next attack.This plan of action hopes that information sharing will eventually lead to predictive analytics that will help combat…
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