US Company Launches First Private Spaceship

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article

1. unmanned (adj.) [uhn-mand] – not controlled by a person

Example: The unmanned car was operated via remote control.

2. commercialized (adj.) [kuh-mur-shuh-lahyz] – to make something available to the public

Example: NASA hopes that space travel will become commercialized.

3. pivotal (adj.) [piv-uh-tl] –very important 
Example:  The first landing of astronauts on the moon was a pivotal event in the history of space travel.

4. miscellaneous (adj.) [mis-uh-ley-nee-uhs] – a group of things that have different characteristics

Example:  There were miscellaneous items placed inside the airplane’s cargo.

5. maiden voyage (n. phrase) [meyd-n voi-ij] – the first trip of a boat, ship, or aircraft

Example: A lot of people gathered to witness the ship’s maiden voyage.

Article(10 minutes)
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Carrying over 1000 lbs. (pounds) of supplies, the unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 launched into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket reached the International Space Station, and became the first privately owned rocket to successfully deliver goods to astronauts in space. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, expressed his excitement at the scientific experiment. He compared the importance of the launch to the rapid development of commercialized Internet. He believes that Falcon 9’s mission is a pivotal moment that will make faster advances to space travel technology. The Falcon 9 measures 180 feet and 12 feet in diameter. The spaceship was carrying the cargo capsule “Dragon,” which is capable of carrying over 13,000 lbs. of supplies. For the mission, the goods in the cargo included miscellaneous supplies such as food, clothes, materials for science experiments, and computer equipment. The Dragon capsule remained on the station for two weeks before coming back to Earth with scientific research and used devices. The maiden voyage of Falcon 9 is an important achievement for NASA and the US, because American astronauts currently depend on the Russian space agency to take them to space. For the US to transport astronauts and cargo to space without such help, NASA has been paying SpaceX and other private companies to develop the US’ own space taxi system. SpaceX spokesperson Kirstin Grantham revealed the launching of Falcon 9 is part of the $396 million deal NASA made with the company. So far, SpaceX has finished 37 of the 40 missions and has earned $381 million.

Viewpoint Discussion(7-8 minutes)
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         Why do you think that a lot of people are interested in space?

·         Do you think spending money to study space is important? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         What problems do you think people will encounter if space travel is commercialized?

Do you believe commercialized space flight will be popular in the near future? Why or why not?

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What’s Facebook to Do With All That Money?

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. Initial Public Offering (n.) [ih-nish-uhl puhb-lik aw-fer-ing, of-er-] – first sale of company shares to the public which makes a private company a public company

Example: Investors do business strategies when a new Initial Public Offering of a company is announced.

2. startup (n.) [stahrt-uhp] – a new company that has a high potential for growth or profit

Example: Google and Apple are large tech companies that used to be startups.

3. acquisition (n.) [ak-wuh-zish-uhn] – something or someone that has been bought or gained

Example: In 2006, Disney bought Pixar which is one of its most profitable acquisitions.

4. venture (n.) [ven-cher] – a new activity, project or business

Example: Nowadays, tech companies are investing in mobile application ventures.

5. mobile (n.) [moh-buhl, -beel] – cellular phone, the industry related to cellular phones

Example: People like to take pictures on their mobile and posting them on Facebook or Twitter.

Article
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Facebook faces a problem that most companies would like to have: What to do with so much money? Earlier this year, Facebook decided to buy Instagram, the popular social network that allows people to share photos taken on their mobile phones. Analysts expected Facebook to earn even more money after selling its stocks to the public last May 18. The company was expected to earn around $10.3 billion from the IPO (Initial Public Offering), increasing its value to more than $100 billion. With all that additional cash, the company could buy startups like Path, or other social networks like Twitter. However, Facebook says the money won’t be used for anything other than working capital and general corporate use. Zuckerberg insists in a blog post that they won’t be making any more huge acquisitions. In its official filings, Facebook has no concrete plans on how to spend the money outside of its operations. All the money will be used as a working capital and general corporate purposes including paying taxes. Rocky Agarwal, an independent analyst, says Facebook does not really need the money from the IPO, but he would love to see Facebook invest in television and the payment space. Venture capitalist John Malloy, on the other hand, thinks Facebook should be careful about its investments, especially after the IPO. He says Facebook should concentrate on its core areas and only invest in things related to those core areas. One of its core areas is mobile, which explains why Facebook bought Instagram.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         If you were part of Facebook’s management, how will you spend the company’s money for more profit?

·         Would you invest your money in internet businesses like Facebook or Twitter?

Discussion B

·         Have you ever tried buying stocks? Why or why not?

·         What are the things that one should think of before buying a company’s stocks?

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Graduates of Top US Universities Have Less Debt than Public University Graduates

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. elite (adj.) [ih-leet, ey-leet] – the very best or having the highest quality

Example: Harvard is an elite university.

2. debt (n.) [det] – an amount of money borrowed from someone that must be paid or returned

Example: Most US citizens are having difficulty paying their large credit card debts.

3. owe (v.) [oh] – to have a responsibility to pay money to someone (person, bank, or other business)

Example: Each year, I pay the income tax that I owe to the government.

4. establish (v.) [ih-stab-lish] – to set up or to create something that will last permanently

Example: There are plans to establish a new law that will help students pay their tuition fees.

5. loan (n.) [lohn] – money lent to somebody for an agreed period of time

Example: The student loan given by the university will pay for his college tuition, which he must pay back after graduation.

Article
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A recent Reuters study found that in the US, graduates from lower cost public universities leave school with more student debt than graduates from expensive, elite universities. The research collected data on the average student debt of graduates in the year 2011 from 25 of the top public and private universities. The data showed that in Ivy League universities, the most expensive top universities in the US, at least 50% of students graduated without debts. In Princeton University, which has an estimated tuition of $54,780, graduates owed only an average of $5,000 to the school. In contrast, graduates of the University of Michigan had an average debt of $27,000, even though their tuition was about half the cost of Princeton’s. The differences in student debt may be because Ivy League schools have established generous financial aid policies the past few years. Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley have also decided to limit their fees depending on each student’s family income. For example, in Harvard, students pay nothing to the school if their family income is less than $65,000 per year. Those with families earning less than $150,000 yearly, on the other hand, must pay less than 10% of the total tuition fee. Meanwhile, 74 US universities have decided to stop offering loans in their financial help packages, so graduates will not have difficulty paying back the debt.  Most public universities, however, cannot afford to do this because they depend on tuition payments to survive. Student debt in the US currently totals over $1 trillion.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         What benefit does a school gain in helping students financially or in giving some students free tuition?  

·         Do you believe only expensive schools give high quality education? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         Do you believe that education is a good investment? What makes you think so?

How can one prepare for the costs of a university education? Suggest good ways of lessening the burden of paying for these.

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Architects Design Homes for Bats

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. architect (n.) [ahr-ki-tekt] – a person who designs and supervises the construction of a building

Example: The famous architect designed the highest building in the city.

2. disperse (v.) [dih-spurs] – to scatter or distribute in different directions

Example: The farmer dispersed the seeds on the ground.

3. destruction (n.) [dih-struhk-shuhn] – the act of damaging something

Example: Human activities such as mining and logging are the main causes of forest destruction.

4.roost (n.) [roost] – a resting place for birds or other flying animals

Example: People must not damage trees in the forest as these serve as roostfor birds.

5. lodge (v.) [loj] – to live or stay in a place

Example: Bats lodge in dark and warm places.

Article
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Last month, architects gathered in Oxford, England for a new course that will help them design and construct suitable homes for bats. The three-hour course given by the Royal Institute of British Architects in cooperation with the Bat Conservation Trust could help solve the bat habitat issues in UK because architects learned about the ideal design of a house for bat roosts.  Bats are important part of our environment because they control the number of insects and they help in plant reproduction by dispersing seeds for pollination. Sadly, they are slowly becoming endangered in North America because of a fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome, which has already killed about 5.5 million bats. In UK, there are no cases of the fungal disease yet, but the destruction of the bats’ homes is a major threat. To protect bats and their roosts, lawmakers imposed penalties to those who will disturb bat habitats. Some species of bats have already adapted to urban areas because of the destruction of their natural habitats such as trees and caves. These species use building roofs as maternity roosts. Bat population is greatly affected if there are reconstructions in the buildings where they lodge because they do not give birth every year and can only produce one young per year. Roof materials such as insulating textile, which is commonly used in modern houses and solar panels can also harm bats. As a result, architects and bat conservationists decided to build alternative homes for bats. The design is a big challenge since different species have varying space requirements and bat habitats must maintain the darkness and warmth they need. However, there is no guarantee that this solution will work since some bats do not use the homes created for them and if they do, they won’t use it for long.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         Which do you think is better, to spend in building artificial homes for animals, or to spend for conserving their natural habitats?

·         What do you think can other people do to help solve habitat problems of animals?

Discussion B

·         Why do you think it is important to attend to the needs of animals?

·         How do you give importance to animals?

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New Facebook Program Helps Prevent Suicide Among Veterans, Military Families

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. veteran (n.) [vet-er-uhn, ve-truhn] – a person who has finished serving the armed forces

Example: The veteran was awarded for his loyal service to the military.

2. non-partisan (adj.) [non-pahr-tuh-zuhn] – not supporting a certain group or party

Example: The organization is non-partisan since they support neither of the two political parties.

3. counseling (adj.) [koun-suh-ling] –the act of giving advice or guidance

Example: The association holds counseling programs for job-seekers.

4. contact (v.) [kon-takt] – to communicate with

Example: The military officer contacted his family abroad to get some news from them.

5. chat (n.) [chat] – to exchange conversation with other people over a computer network

Example: It is now easier to get in touch with friends since the start of online chatting.

Article
Read the text below.

Facebook has recently launched additional services specially made for veterans, military members and their families to help prevent them from committing suicide. The new services were added to the original suicide prevention tools Facebook has launched last year. In a survey conducted by Blue Star Families, a non-partisan organization helping families of military personnel, ten percent of military family members and nine percent of service members have considered committing suicide. Also, according to the survey, 90% of the respondents use social media and 86% use Facebook daily. Thus, the organization decided to partner with Facebook to decrease the number of suicide cases. The new Facebook service identifies military families and members, and sends important counseling information to their relative serving the military. This counseling information includes instructions on how to contact the Veterans Crisis Line which veterans and their loved ones can speak with counselors through phone, online chat or text messaging.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Do you think the new Facebook suicide prevention program will be effective? Why or not?

·         Can you think of other social issues that can be solved with the help of Facebook and other social networking sites?

Discussion B

·         Why do you think military service and family members are more likely to commit suicide?

·         What other solution can you think of to help decrease suicide cases?

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Olive Oil Crisis Has European Countries Worried

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. surplus (n.) [sur-pluhs, -pluhs] – an excess amount of something

Example: There is a surplus of eggs in our house so I had to give the extras to our neighbors.

2. staple (n.) [stey-puhl] – an important food that is regularly eaten

Example: Rice is considered to be an Asian diet staple, because it is eaten every day in many Asian countries.

3. stockpile (v.) [stok-pahyl] – to gather and save a large supply of something for future use

Example: The family stockpiles canned goods in their house in case of emergencies.

4. commodity (n.) [kuh-mod-i-tee] – in economics, something that can be bought and sold

Example: As valuable commodities, crude oil and coffee are often sold in high prices.

5. offset (v.) [awf-set] – to use something to cancel or reduce the effect of something else

Example: The supermarket increased the prices of their products to offsetrising business costs.

Article
Read the text below.

The price of olive oil has dropped to its lowest in the last ten years as the demand for the product decreased in Spain, Italy and Greece because of economic crises in these countries. The drop in the demand for olive oil has resulted to surplus of harvested olives in Spain, Italy and Greece.  People from rural areas now worry about their incomes. The three southern European countries are the biggest suppliers of this Mediterranean diet staple, producing 70 percent of the world’s olive oil. Olive oil production provides employment and income to those who live in rural areas most especially in Andalucia, Spain where 33 percent of people have no jobs. The European Union paid companies to stockpile olive oil in order to reduce the surplus and help maintain the employment in rural areas.  Policy makers believe this action has set a minimum price for the commodity. However, olive oil still has to compete with cheaper kinds of vegetable oil. Eroski, which is a popular supermarket chain in Spain, sells sunflower oil at 1.25 euros per liter, compared to average-quality olive oil at 1.99 euros and premium extra-virgin olive oil at 3.25 euros. According to the International Olive Oil Council, Spain’s demand for olive oil this year will be the same amount in 2002 while Greece and Italy’s demand will be at their 1995 levels. The fall in these countries’ demand for olive oil has been only partly offset by increased demand in other countries.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         What is the staple food in your country?

·         How will your country survive if this staple food becomes unavailable?

Discussion B

·         How important are farmers in your country’s economy?

What do you think of the farmers’ situation in Spain? What troubles do farmers in your country face? Please explain further.

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York City Council Approves Stadium Construction

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. outskirts (n.) [out-skurt] – the areas of a town or a city that are far from the center

Example: They don’t like visiting their cousin who lives in outskirts because it is too far from the city.

2. convinced (adj.) [stey-dee-uhm] – to be confident about something

Example: He is convinced that he made the right decision.

Additional info: The verb “convinced” means “to make someone agree with something

3. stadium (n.) [stey-dee-uhm] – a large, open structure with seats for audience and used especially for sport events

Example: The football championship will be held in the new stadium.

4. vital (adj.) [vahyt-l] – describes something that is very important or necessary

Example: The heart is a very vital organ of the body.

5. optimistic (adj.) [op-tuh-mis-tik] – hopeful for the best

Example: Being optimistic can help athletes win.

Article
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Councilors from York City, United Kingdom approved the plans of building a sports stadium and department stores in the outskirts of the city. However, city traders object to the plan because of possible negative impact to their business. Despite opposition from the city's traders, the council is convinced that the plan guarantees York City's future in business and especially in sports. The plan includes the construction of a 6,000 seat community stadium, 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) John Lewis store and a 120,000 sq ft (11,150 sq m) Marks and Spencer shop. This gained support from the city's rugby league club York City Knights because the stadium would be very useful for their training. York City also wishes to secure a promotion to the Football League by beating the football club, Luton FC. They say the stadium is vital for their survival. The developers, the city council, and the sports organizations are optimistic about the outcome of York City's development. The Labour-run council’s planning committee predicted that it could increase the city's income by £16 million a year. In addition, the plan could create job opportunities for 1,000 people as estimated by the developers.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

●      What are the advantages and disadvantages of developing areas far from the city?

●      Are you in favor of developing these sort of areas in your community? Why or Why not?

Discussion B

●      What establishment do you think is needed in your community? Why do you think it is necessary?

If you were one of the councilors, would you favor a big shopping mall over local traders and local businesses? Please explain your answer.

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