week 4-The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game director defends film's lack of gay sex scenes

Oscar-nominated director Morten Tyldum says none were necessary as Alan Turing’s life and relationships were ‘all about secrecy’

Oscars 2015 - follow the action as it happens

He may have edged out more experienced film-makers such as David Fincher and Clint Eastwood for a best director nomination at this year’s Oscars, but The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum is still being forced to defend his film against accusations that it 1. underplayed Alan Turing’s homosexuality.

Ahead of tonight’s Oscar ceremony, Tyldum has finally spoken out on the subject in a recently published interview with Variety. The Norwegian director denied that the 2. biopic of the pioneering British codebreaker and computer scientist soft-pedalled the issue because of a fear of limiting the film’s box office, currently at $160m (£103m) worldwide.

“It was not because we were afraid it would offend anybody,” Tyldum said. “If I … had this thing about a straight character, I would never have a sex scene to prove that he’s heterosexual. If I have a gay character in a movie, I need to have a sex scene in it — just to prove that he’s gay?”

“I’m not shying away from it. His whole relationship, how he falls in love and the importance of him being a gay man, was all about secrecy.”

Tyldum admits that Turing was engaged in affairs during the period covered in the film but believed that it wasn’t 3. relevant to include any other references to this.

“He had some sexual partners, but it was few and far between. The only reason to have a sex scene in the film would be to satisfy critics who feels that every gay character needs to have a gay sex scene.”

The Imitation Game is up for eight Oscars, including best picture and best actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, who has used the film to support a campaign to get other gay men arrested during the same period 4. pardoned for their crimes.

·      Website: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/22/the-imitation-game-director-defends-lack-gay-scenes-alan-turing-benedict-cumberbatch

When:  Sunday 22 February 2015 23.03 GMT
Where: America 
Who: Morten TyldumWhat:  Morten Tyldum thought Alan Turing's homosexuality is his privacy. 
How:  Morten Tyldum underplayed  Alan Turing's aptitudes.
Keywords:

1. underplay 淡化
2. biopic 傳記片
3. relevant 相應
4. pardoned 赦免

week3- Taoyuan Fire

Six firefighters perish in Taoyuan blaze

ILLEGAL OPERATION:Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan has ordered local officials to perform inspections to identify all illegal constructions in the municipality

By Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Six firefighters, all in their 20s, were killed in Greater Taoyuan yesterday morning after the bowling alley in which they were battling a blaze collapsed. All six were found dead when rescuers managed to reach them.

Officials from the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office announced that an 1.inquiry would be conducted into the deaths to investigate the cause and 2.circumstances of the fire, and to determine if there had been any negligence or dereliction of duty.

The fire broke out early yesterday morning at about 2am at a three-story building in Sinwu District (新屋). The proprietor operated a bowling alley on the second floor and a swimming pool on the ground level, with the third floor used as a dormitory for employees.

The six firemen were on the second floor, near the bowling alley’s counter area, when a burst of flames erupted at shortly before 3 a.m. and the burning structure collapsed, trapping the firefighters.

“Suddenly, we heard a loud explosion, then the burning metal-sheet roofing caved in. It was terrible, because we knew some firefighters had gone inside to battle the fire,” an eyewitness was quoted as saying.

The bodies of the six firefighters were transported to the Sinwu Branch of Taoyuan General Hospital for identification by DNA testing and post-mortem examinations.

Two civilians, including the proprietor of the building, surnamed Liu (劉), were pulled from the fire and sustained minor injuries.

A total of 104 firefighters employing 36 fire engines and other vehicles were 3.dispatched to the blaze.

Officials including Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) and Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) sent condolences and paid tribute to the firefighters for their sacrifice in the line of duty.

Cheng said his government would seek the maximum 4.compensation payment possible for their dependents according to official regulations, which would be about NT$19 million (US$600,000) per family.

Taoyuan Fire Department Chief Hu Ying-ta (胡英達) said the building’s operating permit, received in 1994, approved the facility’s swimming pool business and the second floor for residential use.

Fire stations in Taoyuan possess only two 5. thermographic cameras, an 6.insufficient number to significantly reduce the risk to firefighters, Cheng said.

She added that firefighting 7.squads often have a 8.drastic shortage of personnel, leading to the common absence of an incident safety officer and an emergency reaction team at fires.

Additional reporting by Lii Wen

“The bowling alley did not have a permit, so it was operating illegally. The third floor is also an illegal add-on structure,” Hu said, adding that the building passed a fire safety inspection last year.

After finding out the bowling alley had been operating illegally for 20 years, Cheng was incensed, 9.mandating government officials to make inspections to identify all illegal buildings in Taoyuan within 10 days.

Meanwhile, a number of questions were asked following the incident, including whether the firefighters were equipped with 10.inadequate protective and communication equipment; why there was a lack of accountability among government officials regarding the existence of illegal structures; and why no action had been taken against many known illegal businesses.

Commenting on the incident, the National Association for Firefighters’ Rights (NAFR) said it highlighted a widespread lack of personnel and adequate equipment among firefighting squads across the nation.

NAFR secretary-general Cheng Ya-ling (鄭雅菱) said firefighters could benefit from the use of 11.infrared imaging equipment, such as thermographic cameras, which can be used to establish the topography and temperature of a fire prior to entry.

Website: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2015/01/21/2003609731/2

When: Wed, Jan 21, 2015

Where:Taiwan, Taoyuan , a bowling alley

Who: six firefighters, Mao Chi-kuo, Cheng Wen-tsan, Chen Wei-zen

What: Six firefighters dead when they entered a bowling alley 

How:  Government officials tried to find the cause of this tragedy, discussed compensation payment, and improve the equipment.

Keywords:

1. inquiry 查詢
2. circumstances 情況
3. dispatched  出動
4. compensation 賠償金
5. thermographic 熱成像
6. insufficient 不足
7. squads 敢死隊
8. drastic 激烈
9. mandating 強制
10. inadequate 不足
11. infrared 紅外線

week 2- National Taichung Theater

Toyo Ito's National Taichung Theater on Display

Displaying architecture in a gallery is always a challenge. This is especially true with a building still under construction. And even more so when that building is Taiwan’s National Taichung Theater—1.unarguably Tokyo architect Toyo Ito’s most ambitious project to date. Taking Ito’s structural know-how and spatial 2.ingenuity to new limits, this extraordinary complex appears as a rectangular block. But contained within is a spectacular 3D 3. grid of 4. tubular 5.voids hinted at by the hourglass-shaped cutouts that define the elevations. Expanding and contracting, the hollows accommodate the various 6.programmatic pieces, including a 2014-seat theater, an 800-seat theater, and a 200-seat black box. 7.Slated for a grand opening in November 2015, the design and construction of this important work is the subject of TOTO Gallery MA’s latest exhibition titled The Making of the Taichung Metropolitan Opera House 2005-2014. (Built by the Taichung City Government, Republic of China (Taiwan), the building was renamed the National Taichung Theater shortly before the exhibit opened.)

The building began in 2005 when Ito was awarded its commission after winning an international competition. But the exhibition opens with Ito’s earlier competition entry for the Forum for Music, Dance and Visual Culture in Ghent, Belgium. In response to the medieval city’s poche-style 8.urbanism, he proposed a boxy volume and carved out the needed spaces. Though his idea did not succeed in Belgium, it wooed the jury overseeing the Taiwanese competition and is the starting point of the Gallery MA show.

Mounted 9.chronologically on the walls of the gallery’s lower level, drawings and photos document the complex’s initial development, while study models in the middle of the room are evidence of the trial and error approach necessitated by Ito’s unique architecture. Upstairs, the gallery turns its attention to construction via video commentaries and photo essays. But the most of effective means of explaining Ito’s architecture is the 360-degree, virtual site visit.

Donning a programmed headset transports the viewer to the heart of the building as it is taking shape. A tilt of the head in one direction orients the eye towards a shadowy recess, while leaning in another unveils a 10.cavernous room. Here skin and structure become one and floors, walls, and ceiling merge into a single, but complexly, curving surface. Both 11.primordial and futuristic, the interior 12.morphs continuously, like a dreamscape come to life.

Unsurprisingly, the nuts and bolts construction is one of the most curious aspects of this building. Offering a behind-the-scenes look is the full-scale mock up of a wall section displayed in Gallery MA’s exterior terrace. It illustrates the walls’ assembly by revealing an elaborate web of rebar bent by hand that functions as a three-dimensional truss. This is covered with metal mesh and finally topped with a smooth coating of concrete, completely concealing all of these intricate 13.underpinnings. On its own, the fragment resembles an abstract sculpture, but its bold shape enables the viewer to imagine how the walls’ irregular geometry will mold the interior space.

Considering the theater’s unconventional form and construction, the displays are pretty conventional by and large. But they succeed in building expectation and excitement for what shows signs of becoming a masterpiece.

Website: http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2014/10/141021-Toyo-Ito-National-Taichung-Theater-6527965279.asp

When: October,21,2014

Where: Taichung

Who: Toyo Ito

What: Introduce the structure of  Taiwan’s National Taichung Theater

How: 

Keywords:

1. unarguably  無可爭議
2. ingenuity 創造力
3. grid 格子
4. tubular 管狀的
5. void 空間
6. programmatic 綱領性
7. Slated 預定
8. urbanism 城市化
9. chronologically 按時間順序
10. cavernous 似巨穴的
11. primordial 原始
12. morphs 變形
13. underpinnings 基礎

week 1-Ting Hsin

Ting Hsin food tycoon Wei Ying-chun may face 30 years in jail over oil scandal

Taiwanese prosecutors charge one of the brothers behind a business empire embroiled in a food contamination scandal rattling the island

A 1.tycoon from one of Taiwan's richest families could spend 30 years behind bars after being charged yesterday with dozens of counts of 2.fraud over a food scandal that has set off a 3.groundswell of opposition to the business empire.

The Changhua District Prosecutors Office said Wei Ying-chun, the third of the four Wei brothers of Ting Hsin International Group, was indicted on 139 counts of fraud after various group 4.subsidiaries were found to have either used or sold cooking oil blended with oil products meant for animal feed or industrial use.

"We have recommended that the court sentence [Wei Ying-chun] to 30 years in prison," an office spokesman said.

The spokesman said 5. prosecutors also 6.sought sentences of up to 25 years for three other key defendants, including former general manager Chang Mei-feng. He said Wei Ying-chun would be also be 7.prosecuted separately for allegedly evading up to NT$730 million (HK$186 million) in tax since 2006.

Wei Ying-chun has denied all of the charges, saying that he had no idea of the irregularities since the subsidiaries were "all handled by people of different responsibilities".

The charges are yet another blow to the family ranked by Forbes magazine in June as the island's second-richest, with an estimated worth of US$8.6 billion through their investments in the food, real 8.estate and 9.telecom sectors.

Among the group's assets is the popular Master Kong instant noodle brand.

Wei Ying-chun was forced to step down as chairman of Wei Chuan Food, the group's major Taiwanese subsidiary, after it and two other cooking oil units - Cheng I and Ting Hsin Oil - became 10.embroiled in the scandal.

Prosecutors allege that the units sold the contaminated oil to many downstream food manufacturers for at least eight years, helping the group to generate NT$3.2 billion in profit in that time.

The economic 11.ministry estimates the scandal has inflicted NT$16.7 billion in losses on the local food industry and seriously damaged its reputation.

The scandal has also prompted some civic groups to join forces in the "destroy Ting Hsin" 12.boycott of products on the island. There is also a movement against Ting Hsin's property developments and telecom investments on the mainland, with the government asking a banking  13.consortium to consider not granting loans to the group.

On Tuesday, under mounting pressure from the island's government, Wei Ying-chiao, the second-eldest brother, was forced to step down as vice-chairman and executive president of the management company of the landmark Taipei 101 building. Ting Hsin has a 37 percent stake in the firm and said yesterday that it had no plans to give it up.

The Taiwan central bank has also accused the Wei brothers of not investing "a single cent" of their offshore profits in Taiwan.

It said the group issued Taiwan depository receipts to raise NT$17.6 billion and used the funds to buy the Taipei 101 stake before mortgaging the shares to remit funds out of Taiwan.

Website: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1628550/ting-hsin-food-tycoon-wei-ying-chun-may-face-30-years-jail-over-oil

When: Friday, 31 October, 2014

Where:Taiwan, Tipei 

Who: Wei Ying-chun,

What: Used or sold cooking oil blended with oil products meant for animal feed or industrial use.

How: Wei Ying-chun may stay in prison for 30 years and his brother,Wei Ying-chiao,was forced to step down as vice-chairman and executive president of the Taipei 101.

Keywords:

1.  tycoon 財閥
2.  fraud 騙局
3.  groundswell 風潮
4. subsidiaries 子公司
5. prosecutors 檢察官
6. sought 尋找(seek-sought-sought)
7.  prosecuted 起訴
8. estate 房地產
9. telecom sectors 電信公司
10. embroiled 捲入
11. ministry 部
12. boycott 抵制
13. consortium 聯盟
14. 
    

Week 7- Gutter Oil

‘Gutter Oil’ Scandal Raises Food-Safety Fears Once Again in Greater China

Elizabeth Braber Sept 8,2014

Potentially harmful oil may have been used in pastries sold by popular bakery chain and also 7-Eleven

A Taiwanese food-safety scare has spread to Hong Kong with the revelation that the city’s biggest bakery chain, as well as branches of 7-Eleven and Starbucks, may have been selling pastries made with so-called gutter oil.

The Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post reports that the popular breakfast staple known as 1.pineapple buns, offered in branches of Maxim’s Cakes and 7-Eleven, as well two specialty Starbucks outlets, could have been made with gutter oil — a potentially harmful blend of oil extracted from food waste, offal and the 2.byproducts of 3.tanneries.

The news once again puts the issue of food safety under the spotlight in a part of the world that has been bedeviled by everything from 4.adulterated baby milk 5.formula to exploding watermelons and even fake eggs.

The Post said that since August 2011 Maxim’s Cakes had bought 34 tons of oil from a Hong Kong importer, who in turn purchased it from Chang Guann, a major lard supplier based in Taiwan. The oil was used to make the bakery chain’s 6.iconic pineapple buns — so called not because they contain pineapple but because of the distinctive shape of the sugar and 7.biscuit crust baked onto the buns’ surface. All the items have now been recalled.

Police in Taiwan last week said that Chang Guann had purchased 243 tons of oil from a gutter oil ring in southern Taiwan since March. The Taiwanese lard giant — which says it was unaware that the oil was gutter oil — in turn sold 51,981 cartons of oil to hundreds of food companies around Asia, according to Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration.

Website: http://time.com/3300093/taiwan-gutter-oil-hong-kong-chang-guann-maxims-cakes-starbucks-7-eleven/When: Sept 8,2014Where:  Greater chinaWho:  Chang Guann, police in TaiwanWhat: Chang Guann sold gutter oil How: Taiwanese police looked into itKeywords: 

1. pineapple 菠蘿
2. byproduct 副產品
3. tanneries 皮革廠
4. adulterated 摻假
5. formula 公式
6. iconic 標誌性的
7. biscuit 餅乾

week6-Japan eruption:Ontake

Japan volcano: 16 still missing after Mount Ontake eruption

Sixteen people are still missing following the deadly eruption of Mount Ontake last weekend, Japanese officials have said.

The search has been temporarily called off as a typhoon near the southwest coast made conditions hazardous.

The volcano, about 200km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, erupted last Saturday killing 47 people, mostly hikers. It is still emitting poisonous fumes.

More than 1,000 people been searching for survivors.

Mount Ontake's eruption, the worst volcanic disaster in Japan for 90 years, spewed grey ash and stones that blanketed the entire area.

Rescue workers say the ash has been as thick as half a metre in some parts. Some of the dead have been found half-buried in the ash, while others were hit by rocks thrown out by the crater.

Dozens of hikers were present on the mountain and were caught by surprise by its eruption.

Officials have struggled to work out how many more people might still be on the volcano.

They have now checked various reports and counted cars still at the base of the mountain to arrive at the first official figure of those still missing.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told parliament they plan to speed up measures to strengthen the volcano monitoring system, as well as improve communication to climbers.

Search operations were suspended for the second consecutive day on Friday due to continuing rain.

Officials fear rescue efforts will be hampered further by approaching Typhoon Phanfone, which is expected to arrive this weekend off Japan's southwest coast.

The typhoon is said to have winds reaching up to 252kmph.

Website: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29472384

When: 

Where:  

Who: 

What: 

How: 

Keywords: 

1. 
   

week 5- Ebola virus

WHO: Ebola virus death toll rises to 6,388

[ 11 December 2014 04:50 ]

Baku-APA. The number of people killed by the Ebola virus has nearly reached 6,400 people, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement Wednesday.

“A total of 17 942 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in five affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and the United States of America) and three previously affected countries (Nigeria, Senegal and Spain) up to the end of 7 December. There have been 6388 reported deaths,” the WHO’s report said. 

“Reported case incidence is slightly increasing in Guinea (103 confirmed and probable cases reported in the week to 7 December), declining in Liberia (29 new confirmed cases in the 3 days to 3 December), and may still be increasing in Sierra Leone (397 new confirmed cases in the week to 7 December),” the report said.

“The case fatality rate across the three most-affected countries in all reported cases with a recorded definitive outcome is 76%; in hospitalized patients the case fatality rate is 61%,” it said.

In line with statistics, the maximum number of Ebola-related deaths and cases is registered in Liberia - 3,177 deaths and 7,719 cumulative cases. Liberia is followed by Sierra Leone (1,768 deaths and 7,897 cases) and Guinea (1,428 and 2,292 respectively).

The Ebola virus disease, previously known as the Ebola 1. hemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness in humans, often fatal, according to the WHO. The virus is passed on to people from wild animals and can be transmitted from humans to humans. The average EVD case death rate is some 50%. 

The first outbreaks of the EVD occurred in remote Central African villages, near tropical rainforests. However, major urban and rural areas have been involved in the most recent outbreak in western Africa.

Early supportive care, which includes 2. rehydration and 3. symptomatic treatment, improves the survival rate.

No licensed treatment has yet been proven to be able to 4. neutralize the virus but a number of blood, 5.immunological and drug medications are under development. There are no licensed Ebola vaccines yet but two candidates are being evaluated.

Website: 

When: December 11,. 2014

Where:  West Africa 

Who:  People who infect the Ebola

What: The Ebola has caused 6388 people dead,and 397 new confirmed cases in the week to 7 December 

How: To improve the survival rate.

Keywords: 

1.  hemorrhagic 出血
2. rehydration 補液
3. symptomatic treatment  對症下藥
4. neutralize  抵銷
5. immunological 免疫的