Thursday, December 29, 2011

A legend of Waiting for husband stone

A long time ago, in a small village there was a poor family. The parents had to work hard every day to make ends meet. They left their two children at home. The parents told their son that he had to take good care of his little sister, keep her safe and happy. The mother, knew that the boy liked to play outside with other boys in the village, usually said that if he teased his sister or made her cried, he would be punished. The two little children played and took care of themselves from early morning until the late evening when their parents came back. One day, the boy was peeling a sugar-cane,sudden his knife was slipped out of his hands and hit his sister’s head. The little girl screamed loudly then fainted away. Her blood dyed...

Nigeria Christians 'to defend churches from Boko Haram'

Nigerian Christians will have "no other option" but to defend themselves if attacks by Islamist militants continue, a coalition of churches has said. The Christian Association of Nigeria said the Boko Haram group had declared war with its recent violence. More than 40 people were killed in attacks on churches across the country on Christmas Day. Since then, some 90,000 people have fled their homes amid clashes between Boko Haram and police in Damaturu. Earlier on Wednesday, six children and an adult were injured when a homemade bomb was thrown into an Islamic school in southern Delta state. A police spokesman said the bomb had been thrown from a moving car - it was not clear who was behind the attack,...

US warns Iran over threat to block oil route

Admiral Habibollah Sayari says Iran could easily close the Strait of Hormuz The US Navy has said it will not tolerate disruption to a vital oil-trade route, following an Iranian threat to close it. Iran warned it would shut the Strait of Hormuz if the West imposed more sanctions over its nuclear programme. The US and its allies believe Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon - a charge Tehran denies. Reacting to Iran's warning, a US Fifth Fleet spokeswoman said it was "always ready to counter malevolent actions". The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf - and the oil-producing states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - to the Indian Ocean. About 40% of the world's tanker-borne...

North Korea to end mourning period for Kim Jong-il

The BBC's Charles Scanlon said Kim Jong-un's prominence was the most notable thing about the funeral The official mourning period for the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is due to end after an elaborate funeral was staged in the capital, Pyongyang. Regime officials have joined his son and anointed successor Kim Jong-un at a national memorial service. Thursday's final stage will be preceded by a three-minute silence, after which all trains and ships expected to sound their horns in unison. Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on 17 December, aged 69, state media said. On Wednesday, thousands stood weeping and wailing in the snow as the funeral cortege passed, images from state television showed. White snow Kim Jong-un cried as he...

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

LEGEND OF SON TINH (MOUNTAIN SPIRIT) AND THUY TINH (SEA SPIRIT)

Once upon a time, Emperor Hung Vuong the Eighteenth had a beautiful daughter, Princess Mi Nuong. Her beauty was so renowned that many suitors from foreign lands came to ask the Emperor for her hand. However, the Emperor did not believe that any one of them was good enough for his beautiful daughter. He wanted Mi Nuong to marry someone really distinguished and powerful. Her mother, the Empress was very much concerned for Mi Nuong's future. The Empress looked at her daughter saying: "It is time you should get married, my darling. I hope your father will find a suitable man for you". Image: Just Description. The Princess could not hide her emotion and happiness, her beautiful eyes were blurred with tear. She said "Mother, thank you so...

Master TOEFL - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 UNDERSTANDING THE TOEFL: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension Section Developing a good English vocabulary is the most important way to prepare for the vocabulary you will see on the TOEFL. In addition to developing a good English vocabulary, it is very important to know the kind of vocabulary you will see on the TOEFL and to understand how it is tested. Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension make up Section 3 of the TOEFL. This section contains 30 vocabulary questions and 30 reading comprehension questions. Remember that your general vocabulary is tested in all sections of the TOEFL. However, it is in this section of the TOEFL where your knowledge of specific vocabulary is tested. You will have 45 minutes to complete this section of the TOEFL. Many test takers report...

Monday, December 26, 2011

China and Japan plan direct currency exchange agreement

China has been pushing for the yuan to becomean alternate reserve currency along with the US dollar China and Japan have unveiled plans to promote direct exchange of their currencies in a bid to cut costs for companies and boost bilateral trade. The deal will allow firms to convert the Chinese and Japanese currencies directly into each other. Currently businesses in both countries need to buy US dollars before converting them into the desired currency, adding extra costs. It is the latest step by China as it seeks a more global role for the yuan. "Given the huge size of the trade volume between Asia's two biggest economies, this agreement is much more significant than any other pacts China has signed with other nations," Ren Xianfang...

S. Korean Groups in North Korea to Pay Respects

Two private South Korean delegations have crossed the heavily fortified border into North Korea to pay respects to its late leader Kim Jong Il. The wife of the late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Lee Hee-ho, center, and Hyundai Group chairman Hyun Jeong-eun, right, prepare to depart from the Inter-Korean Transit Terminal from the border village of Paju in the demilitarized zone, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. The delegation were led by the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, whose late husband had ties to the North. South Korea only is allowing the two groups to visit and pay condolences for Mr. Kim's death. Pyongyang ...

Head of Arab League Mission Reaches Syria

A Sudanese general arrived in Damascus Sunday to head an Arab League observer mission to Syria, as the country's top opposition leader urged the group to bring the United Nations into the effort to stop the government's bloody crackdown on dissent. General Mohammed al-Dabi traveled to Syria after meeting Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby in Cairo, where he outlined a "road map" for the mission's work. A group of 50 more monitors is expected to arrive Monday. A young Syrian Kurd protests outside the Arab League offices in an eastern neighborhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut on December 25, 2011. In a video message broadcast Sunday, Paris-based Syrian National Council leader Burhan Ghalioun said the league should step up pressure...

Pope: World Youth Day example of "new evangelization put into practise" against the crisis of faith

Finding an answer to "faith fatigue" is the true "reform" that the Church has needed in recent years. World Youth Days have a sense of belonging to the Church, the gift of their time, adoration of God, awareness of need of forgiveness, joy in being loved by God  Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A new experience of the universality of the Church, doing good "simply because doing good is good", adoration of God for the "certainty of God’s tangible love," recognizing that " that we need forgiveness over and over again, and that forgiveness brings responsibility" to have the joy that comes from the certainty of being loved. These characteristics of the World Youth Day are, according to Benedict XVI, an example of "new evangelization...

Pakistan Imran Khan rally draws tens of thousands

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool said thousands had turned up for the rally Tens of thousands of people have turned out at a rally in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi for former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan. Mr Khan, who has been an established politician for many years but has struggled to win votes, has seen his support increase recently. Correspondents say he has been riding a wave of disillusionment, particularly among the urban middle class. The next national elections are scheduled for 2013. 'Potent power' The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, at the rally, says there were posters, banners and T-shirts espousing hope - clearly reminiscent of the sentiment that carried President Barack Obama to office in the US. One supporter there...

'Anonymous' hackers hit US security firm Stratfor

Stratfor urged its members to notify authoritiesabout any suspicious credit card activities The activist hacker group Anonymous says it has stolen thousands of emails, passwords and credit card details from a US-based security think-tank. The hackers claim they were able to obtain the information because the company, Stratfor, did not encrypt it. They say Stratfor's clients include the US defence department, law enforcement agencies and media organisations. The Austin-based company says it has now suspended the operation on its servers and email. An alleged member of Anonymous posted an online message, claiming that the group had used Stratfor clients' credit card details to make "over a million dollars" in donations to different charities....

Friday, December 23, 2011

Vietnam power utility's salaries subject to further inspection

The labor ministry will inspect salaries at the state-owned power utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and some of its member companies, Tuoi Tre quoted Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen as saying Thursday. Chuyen made the statement after the State Audit of Vietnam’s inspection revealed that EVN failed to “guarantee harmonious benefits among its units,” and to offer reasonable salaries to its employees, given huge losses it is suffering. The minister said it is unknown when the inspectors will conclude their reviews, but the ministry will urge them to announce their findings as soon as possible, the newspaper reported. It is impossible for corporations that don’t make profits like EVN to offer high salaries,...

HCMC aims to protect tourists from robberies

Group of security guards help foreign tourists cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City authorities are deploying measures to protect tourists in response to the increasing number of robberies aimed at foreigners in the city. Last Friday afternoon, Trung Hieu, a security guard at Ben Thanh market’s East gate heard two tourists shouting “Robbers, robbers” from a distance. On arriving at the scene, he found a Japanese woman in her 20s panicking, crying on her boyfriend’s shoulder. Hieu and his colleagues quickly followed two bag snatchers riding a Dream bike towards Le Loi Street. Stopped by locals at the Le Loi- Nguyen Trung Truc intersection, the thieves threw their bike down and ran away. However, they were soon...

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