week5- Alphago

Artificial intelligence: Go master Lee Se-dol wins against AlphaGo program

A master player of the game Go has won his first match against a Google computer program, after losing three in a row in a best-of-five competition.

Lee Se-dol, one of the world's top players, said his win against AlphaGo was "invaluable".
The Chinese board game is considered to be a much more complex challenge for a computer than chess, and AlphaGo's wins were seen as a landmark moment for artificial intelligence.
A fifth game will be played on Tuesday.
Go is a game of two players who take turns putting black or white stones on a 19-by-19 grid. Players win by taking control of the most territory on the board.

Commentator Michael Redmond said AlphaGo had been playing well up until the middle of the game, but at move 78, Mr Lee played brilliantly.
Speaking after his victory, Mr Lee said: "I've never been congratulated so much because I've won one game."
Google representatives said the defeat was "very valuable" for AlphaGo, as it identified a problem which they could now try to fix.
In the first game of the series, AlphaGo triumphed by a very narrow margin - Mr Lee had led for most of the match, but AlphaGo managed to build up a strong lead in its closing stages.
After losing the second match to Deep Mind, Lee Se-dol said he was "speechless" adding that the AlphaGo machine played a "nearly perfect game".
In the third game commentators said that Lee Se-dol had brought his "top game" but that AlphaGo had won "in great style".
The AlphaGo system was developed by British computer company DeepMind which was bought by Google in 2014.
It has built up its expertise by studying older games and teasing out patterns of play.
DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis said AlphaGo "played itself, different versions of itself, millions and millions of times and each time got incrementally slightly better".
"It learns from its mistakes," he told the BBC.
Go is thought to date back to several thousand years ago in China.
Using black-and-white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents pieces with their own.
The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves, compared with about 20 in chess - there are more possible positions in Go than atoms in the universe, according to DeepMind's team.
It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct.

Who- Go master Lee Se-dol
What- A master player of the game Go has won his first match against a Google computer program .
When- Not mentioned
Where- Not mentioned
Why- Not mentioned
How- He won the game after losing three in a row in a best-of-five competition.

Keywords
1.landmark 里程碑
2.commentator 解說員
3.triumph 勝利
4.brilliantly 輝煌地
5.tease out 梳理出
6.incrementally 遞增地
7.instinct 天才

week1 茲卡病毒

Zica virus: Health minister to meet WHO officials

MANGALURU: As international health officials has announced a special meeting to discuss the situation arising out of Zika virus is in the Americas, the State Health Officials will meet representatives of World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday to discuss screening protocols required at airports to prevent entry of the deadly virus, suspected to have caused outbreak of microcephaly in Brazil.

Health minister UT Khader told TOI: I had a discussion about Zika virus with WHO representative on Thursday. I will meet them again on Friday to understand about the screening protocols at airport since very little is known to us. We will go according to the advice given by the WHO. If screening is required, we will have experts deployed at airports to screen flyers exhibiting symptoms of Zika virus infection and help stop further spread of the deadly virus.

Zika virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a vector which transmits dengue and chikungunya, has seen Brazilian women deliver babies with microcephaly - abnormally small head and incomplete brain development. But physician Dr B Srinivas Kakkilaya says there is no need to panic as the Zica virus is asymptomatic in 80% of the cases and in only 20% it causes symptoms like mild rash, mild fever and mild joint pain. ``The only risk group pregnant women in the first three months for whom tests have to developed to screen for Zica virus to see whether the growth of baby is normal,'' he said.

He also said the health minister instead of trying to screen people at airports - most of whom will be asymptomatic - should concentrate on eliminating breeding sites of mosquitoes especially Aedes aegypti mosquito. ``Chile and Canada are at zero risk since the Aedes mosquito is not found there,'' he noted.

 He also pointed out that since there are reports that the first case was confirmed in South East Asia in 1966, and in the late 1970s it was documented in Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia, the virus may be dormant in Indian population. ``what is the possibility that it is not already in Indian population,'' he questioned. Regarding Zica virus causing Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), Dr Kakkilaya said even in Mangaluru we have GBS cases. ``But we do not know whether it is related to Zica virus,'' he said.

Pan American Health organisation says that an increase in GBS has been observed in areas where a Zika virus epidemic has been documented like French Polynesia and Brazil.

What are the symptoms? The most common symptoms of Zika virus infection are mild fever and skin rash, usually accompanied by conjunctivitis, muscle or joint pain, and general malaise that begins 2-7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

One out of four infected people develops symptoms of the disease. Among those who do, the disease is usually mild and can last 2-7 days. Symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito. Neurological and autoimmune complications are infrequent. - Sources -WHO.

Who international health officials

What has announced a special meeting to discuss the situation arising out of Zika virus is in the Americas, the State Health Officials will meet representatives of World Health Organisation (WHO)

When Friday

Where Friday

Why discuss screening protocols required at airports to prevent entry of the deadly virus, suspected to have caused outbreak of microcephaly in Brazil

How meeting

Keywords

1 representative 代表

2 protocol 草案；協議

3 deploy 部署

4 flyer 飛行物

5 vector 傳染媒介

6 asymptomatic 無症狀的

7 dormant 潛伏的

8 epidemic 傳染病

9 conjunctivitis 結膜炎

10 autoimmune 自體免疫的

week3-twelve night

Film Triggers Debate on Plight of Taiwan’s Homeless Dogs                      

6:31 am HKT
Dec 13, 2013

A new documentary about the plight of animals in Taiwan’s shelters has sparked a public discussion about the treatment of stray dogs and cats on the island, prompting the government to amend its policies.

“Twelve Nights,” shot almost entirely inside a government-run animal shelter in southern Taiwan, follows the fate of several stray dogs, starting from their initial capture on the streets. After 12 days in the shelter, the animals are destroyed, have died of disease, or, if they are lucky, end up in the arms of a new owner.

Although the problem of street dogs isn’t a fresh one in Taiwan, the movie has attracted a throng of animal lovers. As of the beginning of this week, “Twelve Nights” had pulled in more 30 million New Taiwan dollars (US$1 million) since its release on Nov. 29, according to the film’s distributor, a considerable amount for a documentary in Taiwan.

The film opens with a black-and-white puppy named Jumpy prancing happily in a well-manicured neighborhood and other harmless-looking dogs wandering the streets.

The scene quickly changes. Animals — including a kitten and a basket full of puppies — are jerked and tossed around by workers as they are taken to the shelter.

At the shelter, the camera pans across rows of rusty metal cages crowded with dogs, some of which try to gnaw their way out of confinement. Feeble dogs curl up in the corners, watching their peers being dragged around the shelter by their metal collars.

The film shows many dogs entering the shelter looking healthy but later falling ill or dying due to the rampant transmission of canine distemper and other diseases inside the facility.

Some critics of the film say producer Giddens Ko, a popular author and filmmaker, should have used his influence to highlight social problems affecting humans before helping stray animals. It’s the first documentary produced by Mr. Ko, whose 2011 coming-of-age comedy “You Are the Apple of My Eye”, which he directed, found commercial success and critical acclaim.

“I will be the first to admit to my own imperfections,” Mr. Ko, the owner of a rescued labrador, said in an interview. “However, I had no idea that I had to be a flawless saint and make sure all the children in the world have enough to eat before I can speak up for animals.” He said that he had also been called a hypocrite because he’s a meat-eater, and intends to remain so.

“I have no good rebuttal about my meat-eating habit, except to say, ‘Who set the rule that one has be a perfect vegetarian saint before he can save animals?’ ”

The film has done what Mr. Ko and the movie’s director, who goes by just the name of Raye, say it set out to do — stir up discussion about Taiwan’s stray animals and influence the government to address the problem.

Many Facebook users have joined Mr. Ko’s cause by adding the movie’s logo to their profile pictures. Several veterinarians have also publicly expressed their indignation over how the shelters are managed.

Raye said that her goal isn’t to condemn the shelter workers, because they, too, are victims of the system. The purpose of the film, she said, is to influence policy makers with more effective solutions on reducing the stray-animal population, including adoption, laws requiring pet owners to implant microchips in their pets for ID purposes, and neutering or spaying animals.

Since the film’s release, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture has announced plans to implement new programs starting next year to promote responsible pet ownership, such as additional subsidies for neutering, free vaccinations, and gifts for animals that are adopted from a public shelter.

Taiwan’s public animal shelters took in more than 11,400 animals last year, during which time 50% were destroyed and 29% were placed in new homes, according to the Council of Agriculture. (Most of the remaining 21% died while in the shelter.)

“We understand that most people who watch this movie already like dogs, and those who should watch it may opt not to,” Raye said. “But that’s fine, because we believe the movie will start a domino effect [of awareness] that begins with the animal lovers.”

Raye, who ended up adopting Jumpy just before he was slated for lethal injection, said that the film’s box office is important because “each ticket represents one person who wants to see the system changed.”

Mr. Ko and Raye said that all proceeds from the movie will be donated to promote animal-protection awareness in Taiwan.

Who-A new documentary about the plight of animals in Taiwan’s shelters

What-sparked a public discussion about the treatment of stray dogs and cats on the island

When-2013

Where-Taiwan

Why-prompted the government to amend its policies

How-Not mentioned

Keyword

1.plight 苦境

2.stray 流浪的

3.distributor 分發者

4.prance 騰躍

5.manicured 修剪整齊的

6.jerk 扭；猛拉

7.veterinarian 獸醫

8.condemn 譴責

9.neuter 閹割

10.vaccination 接種疫苗

week2-Myanmar landslide

99 killed in landslide at Myanmar mining site

PUBLISHED

NOV 23, 2015, 5:00 AM SGT

Dozens of shanty huts crushed; death toll likely to rise with 100 more still missing

YANGON • Nearly 100 bodies have been pulled from a landslide near a jade mine in Myanmar's war-torn northern Kachin state and an estimated 100 people are still missing, a rescue official said.

The landslide happened in the early hours of Saturday in Hpakant, an area that produces some of the world's highest-quality jade but where the mines and dump sites for debris are rife with hazards and landslides are not uncommon, though rarely this deadly.

The disaster happened at about 3.30am local time (5am Singapore time) and lasted just a couple of minutes, said Mr Zaw Moe Htet, a gems trader whose village overlooks the devastated area.

"Even people living in villages farther away could hear the cries of those who rushed to the scene," he told Agence France-Presse.

Video footage of the area shot on Saturday shows men carrying several bodies slung in blankets as a crowd in a dusty plain near the village of Sai Tung watched.

Those killed were thought to have been mainly itinerant miners, who scratch a living scavenging through mountains of waste rubble dumped by mechanical diggers used by mining companies at the centre of a secretive multi-billion-dollar jade industry.

The massive landslide crushed dozens of shanty huts, home to an unknown number of people.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said yesterday that many of the miners were sleeping in the huts when the landslide occurred.

An official with the Hpakant Township Fire Brigade told Reuters by telephone yesterday that 99 bodies had been recovered by late yesterday afternoon and that this number was likely to rise.

"We are sure the death toll will go up since many are still missing," he said.

The official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the accident occurred near a mining site controlled by Triple One Jade Mining.

It was unclear as to what triggered the landslide in the remote and mountainous region, which is almost entirely off-limits to foreigners.

A lawmaker also confirmed the figure. Mr Zaw Htay, a senior official from the President's Office, said rescue efforts were being carried out by the local authorities.

Officials said they have little hope of pulling people out from under the rubble alive.

"We are seeing only dead bodies," said Ms Nilar Myint, an official with the local administrative authorities in Hpakant. She added that because the men were mostly migrant workers, the authorities were struggling to identify those killed.

Myanmar's jade industry is extremely opaque and much of the jade mined in Hpakant is believed to be smuggled to China, where the stone is highly valued.

According to researchers from environmental advocacy group Global Witness, the value of jade production in Myanmar is estimated to have been as much as US$31 billion (S$44 billion) last year.

Many of the jade mines are connected to government officials, members of armed ethnic groups and cronies with close ties to the former military government, the group found.

Safety measures at the mines and surrounding dumping sites are minimal.

"These crony-owned mining companies piled this giant mine dump near the village without any consideration for the safety of the village," the fire official said.

Who 100 people

What Nearly 100 bodies have been pulled from a landslide near a jade mine in Myanmar's war-torn northern Kachin state 

When Nov 23,2015

Where Yangon,Myanmar

Why landslide

How Not mentioned

keywords

1.shanty 棚屋

2.depris 殘片

3.rife with 充斥著

4.sling in (slung in) 扔進

5.itinerant 流動的

6.scavenge 在...中尋找有用之物

7.administrative 管理的

8.smuggle 走私；私運

9.dump 突然落下

10.crony 密友

week1 福斯汽車

Volkswagen: The scandal explained

What is Volkswagen accused of?

It's been dubbed the "diesel dupe". In September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that many VW cars being sold in America had a "defeat device" - or software - in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve results. The German car giant has since admitted cheating emissions tests in the US.

VW has had a major push to sell diesel cars in the US, backed by a huge marketing campaign trumpeting its cars' low emissions. The EPA's findings cover 482,000 cars in the US only, including the VW-manufactured Audi A3, and the VW models Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat. But VW has admitted that about 11 million cars worldwide, including eight million in Europe, are fitted with the so-called "defeat device".

The company has also been accused by the EPA of modifying software on the 3 litre diesel engines fitted to some Porsche and Audi as well as VW models. VW has denied the claims, which affect at least 10,000 vehicles.

In November, VW said it had found "irregularities" in tests to measure carbon dioxide emissions levels that could affect about 800,000 cars in Europe - including petrol vehicles. However, in December it said that following investigations, it had established that this only affected about 36,000 of the cars it produces each year.

---

This 'defeat device' sounds like a sophisticated piece of kit.

Full details of how it worked are sketchy, although the EPA has said that the engines had computer software that could sense test scenarios by monitoring speed, engine operation, air pressure and even the position of the steering wheel.

When the cars were operating under controlled laboratory conditions - which typically involve putting them on a stationary test rig - the device appears to have put the vehicle into a sort of safety mode in which the engine ran below normal power and performance. Once on the road, the engines switched out of this test mode.

The result? The engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in the US.

What has been VW's response?

"We've totally screwed up," said VW America boss Michael Horn, while the group's chief executive at the time, Martin Winterkorn, said his company had "broken the trust of our customers and the public". Mr Winterkorn resigned as a direct result of the scandal and was replaced by Matthias Mueller, the former boss of Porsche.

"My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group - by leaving no stone unturned," Mr Mueller said on taking up his new post.

VW has also launched an internal inquiry.

With VW recalling millions of cars worldwide from early next year, it has set aside €6.7bn (£4.8bn) to cover costs. That resulted in the company posting its first quarterly loss for 15 years of €2.5bn in late October.

But that's unlikely to be the end of the financial impact. The EPA has the power to fine a company up to $37,500 for each vehicle that breaches standards - a maximum fine of about $18bn.

The costs of possible legal action by car owners and shareholders "cannot be estimated at the current time", VW added.

How widespread are VW's problems?

What started in the US has spread to a growing number of countries. The UK, Italy, France, South Korea, Canada and, of course, Germany, have opened investigations. Throughout the world, politicians, regulators and environmental groups are questioning the legitimacy of VW's emissions testing.

VW will recall 8.5 million cars in Europe, including 2.4 million in Germany and 1.2 million in the UK, and 500,000 in the US as a result of the emissions scandal.

No wonder the carmaker's shares have fallen by about a third since the scandal broke.

---

Will more heads roll?

It's still unclear who knew what and when, although VW must have had a chain of management command that approved fitting cheating devices to its engines, so further departures are likely.

Christian Klingler, a management board member and head of sales and marketing is leaving the company, although VW said this was part of long-term planned structural changes and was not related to recent events.

In 2014, in the US, regulators raised concerns about VW emissions levels, but these were dismissed by the company as "technical issues" and "unexpected" real-world conditions. If executives and managers wilfully misled officials (or their own VW superiors) it's difficult to see them surviving.

---

Are other carmakers implicated?

That's for the various regulatory and government inquiries to determine. California's Air Resources Board is now looking into other manufacturers' testing results. Ford, BMW and Renault-Nissan have said they did not use "defeat devices", while other firms have either not commented or simply stated that they comply with the law.

The UK trade body for the car industry, the SMMT, said: "The EU operates a fundamentally different system to the US - with all European tests performed in strict conditions as required by EU law and witnessed by a government-appointed independent approval agency."

But it added: "The industry acknowledges that the current test method is outdated and is seeking agreement from the European Commission for a new emissions test that embraces new testing technologies and is more representative of on-road conditions."

That sounds like EU testing rules need tightening, too.

Environmental campaigners have long argued that emissions rules are being flouted. "Diesel cars in Europe operate with worse technology on average than the US," said Jos Dings, from the pressure group Transport & Environment. "Our latest report demonstrated that almost 90% of diesel vehicles didn't meet emission limits when they drive on the road. We are talking millions of vehicles."

Car analysts at the financial research firm Bernstein agree that European standards are not as strict as those in the US. However, the analysts said in a report that there was, therefore, "less need to cheat". So, if other European carmakers' results are suspect, Bernstein says the "consequences are likely to be a change in the test cycle rather than legal action and fines".

---

It's all another blow for the diesel market.

Certainly is. Over the past decade and more, carmakers have poured a fortune into the production of diesel vehicles - with the support of many governments - believing that they are better for the environment. Latest scientific evidence suggests that's not the case, and there are even moves to limit diesel cars in some cities.

Diesel sales were already slowing, so the VW scandal came at a bad time. "The revelations are likely to lead to a sharp fall in demand for diesel engine cars," said Richard Gane, automotive expert at consultants Vendigital.

"In the US, the diesel car market currently represents around 1% of all new car sales and this is unlikely to increase in the short to medium term.

"However, in Europe the impact could be much more significant, leading to a large tranche of the market switching to petrol engine cars virtually overnight."

Who  Volkswagen

What  The German car giant has since admitted cheating emissions tests in the US.

When  September

Where  US and Germany

Why  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that many VW cars being sold in America had a "defeat device" - or software - in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve results.

Keywords

1 diesel 柴油機

2 trumpeting 鼓吹

3 modifying 修改

4 mode 模式

5 legitimacy 合法

6 breach 違反

7 campaigner 活動者

8 regulator 監管機構

9 fundamentally 從根本上地

10 tranche 一期款項；(收入或股票的)一份

week3-敘利亞難民

Migrant crisis: Drowned boy's father speaks of heartbreak

The father of a three-year-old Syrian boy found drowned on a beach in Turkey has told the BBC of the harrowing circumstances of his death.

Alan Kurdi's father Abdullah said that shortly after their boat left Turkey for the Greek island of Kos it was hit by waves and the captain swam off.

"I tried to catch my children and wife but there was no hope. One by one they died," Mr Kurdi said.

The family were among thousands fleeing Syria and seeking a new life abroad.

Images of Alan's body being recovered from a beach near Bodrum caused an outpouring of sympathy for the plight of those fleeing Syria's civil war and criticism of European governments for not doing enough to answer the crisis.

Thousands of migrants have died this year trying to reach Europe by sea.

"I tried to steer the boat but another high wave pushed the boat over. That is when it happened," Mr Kurdi said.

"My children were the most beautiful children in the world. Is there anybody in the world for whom their child is not the most precious thing?" Mr Kurdi said.

"My kids were amazing. They woke me every day to play with me. What is more beautiful than this? Everything is gone.

"I would love to sit next to the grave of my family now and relieve the pain I feel," he said.

Alan, his five-year-old brother Ghalib and mother Rehanna were among 12 Syrians who died after two boats capsized soon after setting off for Kos.

Turkish police have arrested four suspected traffickers over the deaths. The four men are all Syrian nationals aged between 30 and 41, according to the Turkish Dogan news agency.

Alan and the rest of the group his family was travelling with are believed to have been Syrians from the besieged town of Kobane who had fled to Turkey last year to escape advancing militants from the Islamic State (IS) group.

A Turkish hospital official told AFP news agency that the bodies of the family would be flown to Istanbul and then to Suruc on the Turkish border before reaching Kobane.

Abdullah's sister in Vancouver, Teema Kurdi, said she had wanted to bring him and his family to Canada but had first tried to sponsor another brother - an application that had failed.

Canada's department of citizenship and immigration confirmed that there was no record of an application for Abdullah Kurdi and his family.

Who  Alan Kurdi's father Abdullah 

What  He has told the BBC of the harrowing circumstances of his son's death.

When Not given

Where Not given

How Not given

Why The harrowing circumstances of his son's death

Keywords

1 harrow 傷痛；使痛苦

2 circumstance 命運；境遇

3 flee 逃離

4 outpouring 湧現(n.)

5 steer 操縱；掌舵

6 capsize 翻覆

7 trafficker 販子；做違法勾當者

8 besiege 圍攻；圍困

9 militant 激進份子

10 sponsor 資助

week2-天津爆炸

China explosions: What we know about what happened in Tianjin

Two massive explosions in the port of Tianjin, northern China, have killed more than a hundred people, left hundreds more injured and devastated large areas of the city.

Much of what took place, or is still happening now, is unclear - but here is what we do know.

How did the blasts happen?

They took place at a warehouse at the port which contained hazardous and flammable chemicals, including calcium carbide, sodium cyanide, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and sodium nitrate.

Officials insist it is not yet clear what triggered the blasts and say they are still investigating. Chinese media said that at least one member of staff from Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics, which owns the warehouse, has been arrested.

Before the explosions, several firefighters were already at the scene trying to control a blaze. There have been suggestions that water sprayed on some of the chemicals could have led to the blasts.

Calcium carbide, known to be at the site, reacts with water to create the highly explosive acetylene.

Chemical experts suggest an acetylene blast could then have detonated the other chemicals for a much larger blast.

How big were the explosions?

The China Earthquake Networks Centre said the initial explosion, in a city with a population of around 15 million, had a power equivalent to three tonnes of TNT detonating, while the second was the equivalent of 21 tonnes.

The second was so big that satellites orbiting Earth picked it up as well.

How bad is the devastation?

The explosion destroyed a significant amount of goods stored at and around the port, in the Binhai New District.

Large shipping containers were tossed into the air like matchsticks and were crumpled by the blasts.

A logistics park containing several thousand cars was incinerated by the fireball. Renault says some 1,500 of its cars were lost, while Hyundai said it had around 4,000 cars on the site - although it has not yet assessed the level of damage.

The blast wave rippled out several kilometres from the port into residential areas.

The impact rocked entire buildings, shattered windows and tore doors off their hinges.

More than 720 people were taken to hospital, of whom nearly 60 are either critically or seriously injured. Reuters reports that several thousand people living near the port have had to leave their homes, and are now staying in local schools.

How are the blasts being dealt with?

More than 1,000 firefighters were dispatched to the scene to contain the fires. On Monday, authorities said they were putting out one last area that was still burning, and the last of the toxic chemicals would be neutralised and disposed of by the end of the day.

More than 200 chemical and biological experts from the military were on site earlier.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have vowed to hold a thorough investigation and ensure "open and transparent information disclosure to the public".

China has also ordered a nationwide check on dangerous chemicals and explosives.

Is it safe?

About 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide was present at the site. It is soluble in water and, when dissolved or burned, it releases the highly poisonous gas hydrogen cyanide.

Authorities on Monday confirmed that three waste water discharge monitoring stations within the evacuated area saw excessive levels of cyanide, with one station recording a level 27.4 times the normal limit, reported People's Daily.

But authorities have insisted that the pollutants are contained and not at risk of spreading beyond the evacuated area.

What impact will this have on Tianjin port?

Tianjin is a significant industrial port near Beijing, and is a gateway for goods going in and out of the capital and China's industrial north. It is also a main trading hub for metals and steel.

The port remains partially open as the explosion was contained in one section.

But authorities have imposed stringent checks and movement in and out of the port has slowed down, which is likely to affect some industries, the Mysteel.com news portal reported.

Mining giant BHP Billiton saw some disruption to its port operations and shipments.

On Monday, carmaker Toyota said it was closing production lines at its factories near Tianjin until the end of Wednesday, while agricultural machinery maker John Deere said it suspended work indefinitely. Both saw some of their workers injured by the blasts.

Who- not given

What- two explorsions

When -not given

Where- Tianjin

Why- not given

How- It killed more than a hundred people, left hundreds more injured and devastated large areas of the city.

Keywords

1.devastated 毀壞的

2.flammable 易燃的

3.calcium carbonate 碳酸鈣

4.trigger 引起

5.blast 爆炸

6.acetylene 電石氣

7.matchstick 火柴

8.neutralize 中和

9.transparent 光明正大的

10.stringent 嚴格的