Most Americans Prefer the Internet to Television, Survey Says

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

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

1. hooked [hoo kt] (adj.) – having so much interest on doing something

Example: He got hooked on the computer game after he first played it.

2. insight [IN-sahyt] (n.) – a clear idea and understanding of something

Example: The book gave her insights on how the Internet began.

3. immense [ih-MENS] (adj.) – very big or having great amount

Example: The immense demand for the new phone model led to an early release.

4. reluctant [ri-LUHK-tuh nt] (adj.) – not ready or does not want to do something

Example: Her parents were reluctant to apply for the expensive Internet subscription.

5. compliment [KOM-pluh-ment] (v.) – to say good things or praise something

Example: Many people complimented the user-friendly website.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

More Americans are now hooked on the Internet to the point that they would rather go online than watch television, survey says. The survey came out as part of the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web. Pew [pyu] Research Center conducted it to gain insight on the Internet’s importance for U.S. citizens. Since its creation in March 12, 1989, Internet usage has kept on growing. The technology’s immense popularity is evident in Pew’s findings. According to the recent survey, 53% of Internet users in the U.S. would find it difficult to give up Internet access. In a 2006 survey, only 38% of the respondents were reluctant to give up Internet use. On another note, fewer respondents showed loyalty to television. From 44% in 2006, only 35% of American adults cannot let go of their TV sets. Similar changes were also seen on telephone usage. The number of respondents who view landline phone as a necessity has dropped from 48% in 2006 to 28% today. In addition, 49% of mobile phone users said cellphones are very important – a minor increase from 44% in 2006. According to Pew, mobile device plays a huge role on the Internet’s growth. Results showed that 68% of Internet users go online through handheld gadgets like smartphones and tablets. When asked about the World Wide Web’s effects, 90% of the respondents complimented the technology, although 6% personally think it has bad effects. Also, three out of four people think that the Internet is beneficial to the society, while 15% of them think otherwise.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

         Why do you think more people now prefer the Internet over the television?

         In your opinion, what will be the future of television?

Discussion B

         How influential is media in your country?

         How can media be used as a tool for progress?

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Children's drawings during abuse investigations

Source:  rutherfordcountytn.gov

Illustrations by children can be a critical tool in forensic investigations of child abuse. A recent study compared the results when child abuse victims were offered the opportunity to draw during questioning with results when victims were not offered this opportunity.

"The act of drawing was not only an empowering experience for these children," said Dr. Katz. "We also found it to be forensically more effective in eliciting richer testimonies in child abuse cases. We had no idea the gap would be so great between those who drew and those who weren't given this option."

A chance to express themselves
Some 125 alleged child victims of sexual abuse were randomly selected for the field study. The children, aged 5-14, were questioned by nine well-trained forensic interviewers about a single occurrence of alleged sexual abuse. The children were divided into two sets -- a control group, questioned and allowed to rest during the session; and a variable group, offered the opportunity to draw pictures about their experiences for 7-10 minutes instead of resting.

"For example, we asked children to 'tell me again everything that happened to you,' without using any leading terms to steer the discussion," said Dr. Katz. "And we found that if that question was followed by the comment, 'You can use the drawing if you want to,' the child's testimony was substantially more comprehensive and detailed."

In the study, Dr. Katz worked with professional practitioners from Israel's Investigative Interview Service, which is considering incorporating her strategy into the standing NICHD protocol.

Suggested reading
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Empowering the victim

"As a social worker, I'm not only interested in obtaining accurate forensic results," said Dr. Katz. "I'm also interested in empowering the children. Through drawing, children reported regaining some sense of control -- even feeling hopeful. This also has recuperative properties."

Dr. Katz has focused her research on turning the typically traumatic forensic interview into a first step toward recovery for child abuse victims, who reported feeling understood, successful and in control after drawing during the questioning. "The only thing that counts is the child's narrative and his or her narrative of the respective drawing," she said. "But forensic investigators must be very careful not to attribute meaning where none exists. For example, 'I see a penis in this drawing, please tell me about it,' is a projective strategy which usually garners false results. My strategy is to offer open-ended prompts alongside drawing, which we found to be a great facilitator of communication."

*  *  *  *  *

Story Source:  Materials provided by American Friends of Tel Aviv University. Carmit Katz, Zion Barnetz, Irit Hershkowitz. The effect of drawing on children's experiences of investigations following alleged child abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2014

Airline Company’s Breastfeeding Policy Stirs up Anger

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

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

1. outrage [OUT-reyj] (n.) – a strong feeling of being unhappy caused by a bad or hurtful event

Example: The spokesperson’s offensive remarks caused outrage among the public.

2. lash out [lash out] (v.) – to attack verbally or physically because of extreme anger

Example: The lady lashed out at the stewardess for ignoring her request.

3. sloppy [SLOP-ee] (adj.) – careless and showing little thought or focus

Example: The saleslady got fired for giving sloppy responses to customers.

4. discrimination [dih-skrim-uh-NEY-shuh n] (n.) – unfair treatment or action toward a person or a group of people

Example: Some women complain about the discrimination they experience in their workplace.

5. advocate [AD-vuh-kit, -keyt] (n.) – a person who supports a specific cause or idea

Example:  My mother is an advocate of women's empowerment.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

Twitter users expressed outrage after Delta Airlines tweeted that breastfeeding with no cover-ups will not be allowed during the flight. Before the said flight, Lindsay Jaynes [LIND-zee jeyns] inquired via Twitter if she would be allowed to breastfeed her 10-week-old son during the flight even without any cover-ups. She emphasized that her son does not drink milk when covered and cannot drink through a bottle. Delta Airlines replied, saying that she cannot breastfeed her child unless she covers herself while doing so. Because of this reply, many people on Twitter, especially breastfeeding supporters, lashed out the company, some emphasizing that most state laws support breastfeeding in public. Delta Airlines apologized for the misinformation, saying that it welcomes breastfeeding on flights. Despite the apology, fellow mothers and breastfeeding advocates were still angry. A blogger named Monica Beyer said that Delta’s sloppy handling of public relations would not be forgotten. Another blogger, Jessica Martin-Weber, suggested that authorities should normalize breastfeeding to stop discrimination against mothers. Nowadays, the media’s portrayal of breasts as sex objects has led to society’s inconsiderate view toward breastfeeding. However, actress Mayim Bialik [MA-yam bi-YA-lik], also a breastfeeding advocate, stressed that breastfeeding is not a sexual act. Although many people supported Jaynes, there were some who sided with Delta Airlines. A radio host tweeted that public breastfeeding will be accepted only when people get comfortable with men showing their private organs in public. Other tweets labeled Jaynes as an immature mother who just sought for public attention.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

         How do you find Delta Airlines’ reply to Jaynes? 

         Would you agree with a policy that allows public breastfeeding? Why or why not?

Discussion B

         In your country, how are babies usually fed, through formula/bottle feeding or breastfeeding?

         Do you think this will change in the future? Please explain your answer.

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World's oldest weather report could revise bronze age chronology

Credit: Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art

This report may adjust a date 3,600 years ago by a trivial 30 years, but it leads me to wonder about another famous historical event described in the Christian Bible and other ancient documents: The story of Noah and the Flood.

The article describes an inscription that talks of heavy rain lasting for an extended period.

Though not mentioned specifically in the article, could this have been the era of Noah's Ark? Dark skies, days and days of rain.  My understanding is that the Noah story originates from the Fertile Triangle of the Middle East, not all that far from Santorini, and east of both Santorini and Egypt, in the main weather flow patterns of the region. 

The full report follows:


An inscription on a 3,500-year-old stone block from Egypt may be one of the world’s oldest weather reports —- and could provide new evidence about the chronology of events in the ancient Middle East. A new translation of a 40-line inscription on the 6-foot-tall calcite block called the Tempest Stela describes rain, darkness and "the sky being in storm without cessation, louder than the cries of the masses."

Two scholars at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute believe the unusual weather patterns described on the slab were the result of a massive volcano explosion at Thera -- the present-day island of Santorini in the Mediterranean Sea. Because volcano eruptions can have a widespread impact on weather, the Thera explosion likely would have caused significant disruptions in Egypt.

The new translation suggests the Egyptian pharaoh Ahmose ruled at a time closer to the Thera eruption than previously thought -- a finding that could change scholars' understanding of a critical juncture in human history as Bronze Age empires realigned. The research from the Oriental Institute's Nadine Moeller and Robert Ritner appears in the spring issue of the Journal of Near Eastern Studies.

The Tempest Stela dates back to the reign of the pharaoh Ahmose, the first pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. His rule marked the beginning of the New Kingdom, a time when Egypt's power reached its height. The block was found in pieces in Thebes, modern Luxor, where Ahmose ruled.

If the stela does describe the aftermath of the Thera catastrophe, the correct dating of the stela itself and Ahmose's reign, currently thought to be about 1550 B.C., could actually be 30 to 50 years earlier.

"This is important to scholars of the ancient Near East and eastern Mediterranean, generally because the chronology that archaeologists use is based on the lists of Egyptian pharaohs, and this new information could adjust those dates," said Moeller, assistant professor of Egyptian archaeology at the Oriental Institute, who specializes in research on ancient urbanism and chronology.

In 2006, radiocarbon testing of an olive tree buried under volcanic residue placed the date of the Thera eruption at 1621-1605 B.C. Until now, the archeological evidence for the date of the Thera eruption seemed at odds with the radiocarbon dating, explained Oriental Institute postdoctoral scholar Felix Hoeflmayer, who has studied the chronological implications related to the eruption. However, if the date of Ahmose's reign is earlier than previously believed, the resulting shift in chronology "might solve the whole problem," Hoeflmayer said.

The revised dating of Ahmose's reign could mean the dates of other events in the ancient Near East fit together more logically, scholars said. For example, it realigns the dates of important events such as the fall of the power of the Canaanites and the collapse of the Babylonian Empire, said David Schloen, associate professor in the Oriental Institute and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations on ancient cultures in the Middle East.

"This new information would provide a better understanding of the role of the environment in the development and destruction of empires in the ancient Middle East," he said. For example, the new chronology helps to explain how Ahmose rose to power and supplanted the Canaanite rulers of Egypt -- the Hyksos -- according to Schloen. The Thera eruption and resulting tsunami would have destroyed the Hyksos' ports and significantly weakened their sea power.

In addition, the disruption to trade and agriculture caused by the eruption would have undermined the power of the Babylonian Empire and could explain why the Babylonians were unable to fend off an invasion of the Hittites, another ancient culture that flourished in what is now Turkey.

A tempest of rain
Some researchers consider the text on the Tempest Stela to be a metaphorical document that described the impact of the Hyksos invasion. However, Ritner's translation shows that the text was more likely a description of weather events consistent with the disruption caused by the massive Thera explosion.

Ritner said the text reports that Ahmose witnessed the disaster -- the description of events in the stela text is frightening.

The stela's text describes the "sky being in storm" with "a tempest of rain" for a period of days. The passages also describe bodies floating down the Nile like "skiffs of papyrus." Importantly, the text refers to events affecting both the delta region and the area of Egypt further south along the Nile. "This was clearly a major storm, and different from the kinds of heavy rains that Egypt periodically receives," Ritner said.

In addition to the Tempest Stela, a text known as the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus from the reign of Ahmose also makes a special point of mentioning thunder and rain, "which is further proof that the scholars under Ahmose paid close and particular attention to matters of weather," Ritner said.

Marina Baldi, a scientist in climatology and meteorology at the Institute of Biometeorology of the National Research Council in Italy, has analyzed the information on the stela along with her colleagues and compared it to known weather patterns in Egypt.

A dominant weather pattern in the area is a system called "the Red Sea Trough," which brings hot, dry air to the area from East Africa. When disrupted, that system can bring severe weather, heavy precipitation and flash flooding, similar to what is reported on the Tempest Stela.

"A modification in the atmospheric circulation after the eruption could have driven a change in the precipitation regime of the region. Therefore the episode in the Tempest Stela could be a consequence of these climatological changes," Baldi explained.

Other work is underway to get a clearer idea of accurate dating around the time of Ahmose, who ruled after the Second Intermediate period when the Hyksos people seized power in Egypt. That work also has pushed back the dates of his reign closer to the explosion on Thera, Moeller explained.

*  *  *  *  *

Story Source: Materials provided by University of University of Chicago. "Ancient stormy weather: World's oldest weather report could revise bronze age chronology." ScienceDaily.

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Humans met sabre-tooth cats 300,000 years ago

Source:  blenderartists.org

"This is not going to end well," thinks Blorg.  "Where the hell did 

Ombagish get to?  Never around when you need him".

This must have been an interesting first meeting all those years ago.  

"Look at the size of the fangs on that kitty cat," says Blorg, soon to be the late leader of the Ombosh tribe.

"That's one big cat," says Omgabish, his second in command and likely successor.  "What do you think they eat?"

"Anything they can catch, I assume," says Blorg.

"Bye," says Omgabosh, lacing up his custom made bush-hog Nikes and he was gone.

So was Blorg about one cat burp later.

Humans met saber-toothed tigers

in Germany 300,000 years ago

Suggested reading
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Scientists excavating at the Schöningen open-cast coal mine in north-central Germany have discovered the remains of a saber-toothed cat preserved in a layer some 300,000 years old -- the same stratum in which wooden spears were found, indicating that early humans also inhabited the area, which at that time was the bank of a shallow lake.

The discovery sheds new light on the relationship between early humans and beasts of prey. It is highly likely that humans were confronted by saber-toothed cats at the Schöningen lakeside. In that case, all the human could do was grab his up to 2.3m long spear and defend himself. In this context, the Schöningen spears must be regarded as weapons for defense as well as hunting -- a vital tool for human survival in Europe 300,000 years ago.

Officials from the Lower Saxony heritage authority and archaeologists from the Universities of Tübingen and Leiden uncovered a first tooth of a young adult homotherium latidens in October 2012. Measuring more than a meter at the shoulder and weighing some 200kg, the saber-tooth was no pussycat. It had razor-sharp claws and deadly jaws with upper-jaw canines more than 10cm long.

The find shows that the saber-toothed cat died out later in central Europe than previously believed. Along with the sensational wooden spears, the same level has yielded bones and stone tools indicating that early humans -- probably homo heidelbergenis -- hunted horses and camped along a 100m stretch of the lakeside.

The new finds demonstrate that a long time before anatomically modern humans, homo sapiens sapiens have reached Europe some 40,000 years ago, early man was able to defend himself against highly dangerous animals with his weapon technology. The results of the researchers' study have just been published in a report by the Lower Saxony heritage authority, the Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege.

*  *  *  *  *

Story Source:  Materials provided by Universitaet Tübingen. "Humans and saber-toothed tiger met in Germany 300,000 years ago." ScienceDaily.

Controversial Injection Can Turn Body Fat Liquid

【Unlocking Word Meanings】

　今日の単語・フレーズ

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

1. urinate [YOO R-uh-neyt] (v.) – to excrete or discharge urine from the body

Example: He urinates a lot because he drinks lots of water.

2. liquefy [LIK-wuh-fahy] (v.) – to turn into or become liquid

Example: Much of the ice has liquefied because of too much heat.

3. side effect [sahyd ih-FEKT] (n. phrase) – an undesirable or unpleasant effect after a drug or treatment is taken

Example: The drug’s side effects are dizziness and vomiting.

4. contour [KON-too r] (v.) – to mold or shape into something desired

Example: Some people undergo surgical treatments to contour their body into a slimmer figure.

5. bloodstream [BLUHD-streem] (n.) – the flow of blood through a person or animal’s circulatory system

Example: The drug entered the bloodstream and quickly spread throughout the body.

【Article】

　ニュース記事

Read the text below.

Experts have recently invented an injection that can liquefy body fat, making it possible for people to urinate it. Known as Aqualyx, this new treatment is a water solution injected into the areas of the body with excess fat. The formula, which contains plant polymers, liquefies the fat cells. The dissolved fat cells are then eliminated from the body in the form of urine. The makers of this formula say that it completely destroys the fat cells, ensuring that they would not grow back. At £250 ($330) per session, the treatment is claimed to be an effective and affordable alternative to liposuction [LIP-uh-suhk-shuh n, LAHY-puh‐]. The formula can be injected into several areas of the body, including the thighs [thahys], stomach, knees, buttocks, chin, neck, and back. According to Mills Medical Service, Aqualyx is the only registered fat removal injection on the market. It has no side effects except for a little bruising and swelling of the injected area for 48 hours. However, the makers stressed that the formula is not for weight loss. It is mainly used to contour the body and slim down the fatty areas. They also added that healthy diet and exercise are necessary to help prevent the growth of too much fat. On another note, Dr. Arun Ghosh of Spire Hospital in Liverpool warns people about this treatment. He explained that it is dangerous to re-absorb fatty acids into the bloodstream because if it dissolves into salt, it would increase cholesterol levels too high. Another medical doctor also discourages using any injections to remove fat until more research and trials are done. Patients are encouraged to undergo full consultation before using the injection.

【Viewpoint Discussion】

　ディスカッションテーマ

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.  

Discussion A

         If given the chance, would you try this formula? Why or why not?

         In your opinion, how will this formula sell in your country?

Discussion B

         Why do you think some people spend money to look better?

         Do you approve of cosmetic surgery? Please explain your answer.

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