Business English Speakers Can Still Be Divided by a Common Language

download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)Read and listen to the article. Then open the activities on the right side of the page to improve your English!Business is the most popular subject for international students in the United States.  At last count, 21% of foreign students at American colleges and universities were studying business and management.The Institute of International Education in New York says engineering is the second most popular field, in case you were wondering.Thomas Cosse is a professor of marketing and business at the University of Richmond in Virginia.  He says international students who want to study business need to have good English skills – and not just to study at his school.“At...

Read more »

Posted in: Learning English

Turkey's Murder Rate of Women Skyrockets

Women activists carry a mock coffin of Ayse Pasali, who was shot to death by her ex-husband, during a demonstration, planned as an alternative to Valentine's Day, in central Istanbul, February 14, 2011In Turkey the murder rate of women increased by 1,400 percent between 2002 and 2009, the last date for which data is available. The statistic was revealed by the country's justice minister, in response to a parliamentary question. The revelation shocked the country and has put a spotlight on the government's record on women's rights, which could have implications for its European Union bid.A recent Turkish news report focused on the murder of a woman in the streets of Istanbul. The mother of four was gunned down in the streets in broad daylight....

Read more »

Posted in: Society

India-Asean trade to grow 40 percent

India is a fast emerging as a key trading partner for the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), with both parties benefiting from each other’s relative strengths. Trade between the two partners has now exceeded $50 billion a year, with policy makers setting their sights on a target of $70 billion next year. Having already signed a free trade agreement for goods, both sides are now pushing to finalize an FTA for services by August. “There is no denying that India and Asean complement each other,” Shri Anand Sharma, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, said at the opening of the India-Asean Business Fair and Business Conclave on Wednesday, March 2. This week’s meeting in New Delhi is the first gathering to bring together top business and government leaders from both sides. Asean...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

German Officials: Suspect Confesses to Shooting of US Airmen

A bus is towed away after a gunman fired shots at US soldiers on the bus outside Frankfurt airport, Germany, March 2, 2011 German officials say the suspect in the fatal shooting Wednesday of two U.S. airmen at Frankfurt airport has confessed to the crime. The suspected gunman, Arid Uka, 21, from Kosovo, issued the confession before his expected appearance Thursday in a German court. Two other U.S. airmen were wounded, one critically, when the suspect opened fire on a bus transporting U.S. Air Force members at the Frankfurt airport. German federal prosecutors say they believe the shooting was motivated by Islamic extremism. On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said he is saddened and outraged by the attack.  German...

Read more »

Posted in: Politics

Kabul: Obama Regrets Afghan Civilian Casualties

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday U.S. President Barack Obama had expressed “deep regret” for recent Afghan civilian casualties caused by coalition forces. Mr. Karzai's office said both leaders discussed the situation after NATO's top commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, on Wednesday apologized for the deaths of nine children during a coalition airstrike in eastern Kunar province earlier this week. Afghan officials say as many as 64 civilians were killed during separate NATO operations in the same province late last month. Mr. Karzai reportedly told President Obama the increasing number of civilian casualties posed a serious problem, while the U.S. leader said he told his military officials to work to decrease civilian casualties. Meanwhile, officials at a meeting...

Read more »

Posted in: Politics

Tokyo Stocks Up, Dollar Down

Japanese share prices ended higher Friday, while the dollar slipped against the yen. Tokyo's Nikkei index gained one percent , to close at 10,694. In currency trading, the dollar was selling at 82.34 yen, down a tenth of a yen from late Thursday. The Taipei market gained half a percent , to close at 8,784. From: ...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

Obama: Gadhafi 'Must Leave'

An Egyptian watches US amphibious assault ships USS Kearsarge as it sails at the Suez canal in Ismailia , Mar 2 2011 President Barack Obama issued his strongest call yet on Thursday for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to leave. The president also authorized the use of U.S. military aircraft to help Egyptians who have fled to Tunisia to return home to Egypt. President Obama said the United States and the world are outraged by what he called the “appalling” violence against the Libyan people. And he urged Libya’s leader to step down. “The violence must stop. Moammar Gadhafi has lost legitimacy to lead, and he must leave," the president said.  "Those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable.” In...

Read more »

Posted in: Politics

Vietnam reviews religious policies

Providing a framework for religious activities is of great significance as it would contribute to economic development and social stability. The making of such a framework should be based on the specific characteristics of each religion and religious followers should be encouraged to take part in productive social activities rather than in adverse actions against authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said this at a conference held on 27th Feb in Hanoi to review state management of religion in 2010 and set out the working plan for this year. Nhan said in addition to simply recognising existing religious organisations, relevant agencies should determine the minimum requirements in order to become a recognised organisation. "The relevant agencies must be able...

Read more »

Posted in: Society

How do you feel

What amazing surpris...

Read more »

Posted in: Entertainment

This is Why Innovation is Rare in US Companies

In a survey of 1,500 CEOs by IBM’s Institute for Business Value, creativity was viewed as the single most important attribute needed to lead a large corporation. So companies are aware that, at least hypothetically, they need leaders who are creative. But how do people react when faced with someone who actually expresses creative ideas? Not well, it turns out. Jennifer Mueller, a professor at Wharton, Jack A. Goncalo of Cornell, and Dishan Kamdar of the Indian School of Business conducted a series of experiments to find out how creative people were viewed by their colleagues. Individuals who expressed creative ideas were viewed as having less leadership potential than individuals whose ideas were less creative. “It is not easy to select creative leaders,” says Mueller. “It takes more...

Read more »

Posted in: Experimental Society

This is Why Innovation is Rare in US Companies

In a survey of 1,500 CEOs by IBM’s Institute for Business Value, creativity was viewed as the single most important attribute needed to lead a large corporation. So companies are aware that, at least hypothetically, they need leaders who are creative. But how do people react when faced with someone who actually expresses creative ideas? Not well, it turns out. Jennifer Mueller, a professor at Wharton, Jack A. Goncalo of Cornell, and Dishan Kamdar of the Indian School of Business conducted a series of experiments to find out how creative people were viewed by their colleagues. Individuals who expressed creative ideas were viewed as having less leadership potential than individuals whose ideas were less creative. “It is not easy to select creative leaders,” says Mueller. “It takes more...

Read more »

Posted in: Experimental Society

Welcome to this

Let look at these girls. I hope all men don't have a girl like t...

Read more »

Posted in: Entertainment

Clouds Amplify Ecological Light Pollution

ScienceDaily (Mar. 3, 2011) — The brightness of the nightly sky glow over major cities has been shown to depend strongly on cloud cover. In natural environments, clouds make the night sky darker by blocking the light of the stars but around urban centers, this effect is completely reversed, according to a new study by a group of physicists and ecologists at the Free University of Berlin (FU) and the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)."We found that overcast skies were almost three times brighter than clear at our rural location, and ten times as bright within the city itself," says the lead author of the study, Dr. Christopher Kyba, physicist at the Institute for Space Sciences at the FU. Their research...

Read more »

Posted in: Science

Vietnam’s agriculture fails to attract FDI

In the last 10 years, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the agriculture sector has dropped from 8 percent in 2001 to 1 percent in 2010, leading some to ask what has led to such a steep decline in the country's primary industry. Tran Van Cong, director of the Division of Global Integration and Investment, an affiliate of the International Co-operation Department (ICD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, cited three reasons for the situation. First, the transfer of all agricultural and animal feed projects to the industrial sector. Second, the rapid increase of FDI going to infrastructure and real estate projects while agricultural sector investment has remained the same. And third, investment in agriculture is risky, as production depends so heavily on...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

Cách vào facebook

Ngoài cách vào Facebook bằng cách thêm lisp4 đằng sau www. thì còn một cách khác hay hơn để vào Facebook mà không bị làm phiền hoặc không phải dùng đến các chương trình đổi IP hay DNS.Mở chương trình Notepad. Đối với các bạn sử dụng dụng Win 7, bật Start Menu lên, trong hộp Search gõ “notepad” nó sẽ tìm ra chương trình Notepad, Right-click vào đó, chọn Run As Administrator.Chọn File | Open (nhớ chọn All File (*.*) để thấy được file hosts) . Tìm đến file C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts và tiến hành chỉnh sửa. Thêm vào các dòng sau:153.16.15.71 www.facebook.com153.16.15.71 www.logins.facebook.com153.16.15.71 facebook.com153.16.15.71 logins.facebook.com153.16.15.71 apps.facebook.com153.16.15.71 upload.facebook.com153.16.15.71 static.ak.connect.facebook.com153.16.15.71...

Read more »

Posted in: Computer

In Class With Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa, Asia

Amanda Pease is a Peace Corps science teacher in Sierra LeoneLink to download: download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)This is the VOA Special English Education Report.This week marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Peace Corps. President John Kennedy began the program in nineteen sixty-one. The Peace Corps sends American volunteers to provide technical assistance in education and other areas in developing countries.Amanda Pease is one of almost forty volunteers serving in rural schools in Sierra Leone.(SOUND)Ms. Pease teaches science at Saint Joseph’s, a high school in eastern Sierra Leone. She studied chemical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She decided to serve for two years in the Peace Corps after...

Read more »

Posted in: Learning English

Clinton: US Far From Decision on Libya No-Fly Zone

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a hearing on Capitol Hill, March 2, 2011U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration is "a long way" from making any decision about whether to take part in a "no-fly zone" operation over Libya. At the same time, she said situation in Libya has the potential to descend into Somalia-like chaos.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there may well be a role for U.S. and other countries’ military assets in delivering humanitarian assistance to those caught up in or fleeing the Libyan violence.But reflecting a sense of caution shared by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Clinton is making clear the United States will not be rushed into joining in a no-fly-zone regime in Libya...

Read more »

Posted in: Politics

Vietnamese PM outlines inflation measures

(25 Feb, 2011) The Vietnamese government announced a package of measures approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday aimed at controlling inflation, maintaining economic stability and ensuring social welfare, including cuts to State spending and tighter credit policies. "Controlling inflation is the first priority of the government," said Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung. "The austerity measures are not aimed at wages or government policy beneficiaries but to pause new equipment acquisitions, reduce energy spending and cut non-essential expenditures." Vietnam has been grappling with high inflation, with the consumer price index rising at an annual rate of 12.24 percent in February, the highest rate of increase in the past two years. The government will...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

Brackish water arrives early in Mekong Delta

Salt water intrusion in coastal provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta has occurred earlier this year than previous years, affecting thousands of ha of rice.Salt water intrusion had already penetrated 30 kilometers inland in Ben Tre Province by late last month, Nguyen Van Hanh, director of Ben Tre Province's Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre, said."Salt water intrusion this year has occurred earlier and has a higher saline content compared to the same period last year, meaning the effects could be worse," Hanh said.Tra Vinh Province‘s Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre forecast that with the current low water levels at river mouths, sea water would penetrate 60 kilometers inland in Tra Vinh Province this year, directly affecting Duyen Hai, Cau Ngang and Tra Cu districts.More than...

Read more »

Posted in: Society

New words fro learning

wunderkind \VOON-duhr-kint\, noun;plural wunderkinder \-kin-duhr\:1. A child prodigy.2. One who achieves great success or acclaim at an early age.It was even written that, at 20, his best days were behind him. He had gone from a wunderkind to an object of sympathy, a hero struggling not to be forgotten.-- "Owen shines like a beacon amid the wrecks", Times (London), May 29, 2000In the mid-thirties, he became the youngest and best state director of FDR's National Youth Administration, a Texas wunderkind who at age twenty-eight beat several better known opponents for a south-central Texas congressional seat.-- Robert Dallek, Flawed GiantWunderkind comes from German, from Wunder, "wonder" + Kind, child.masticate \MAS-tih-kayt\, transitive verb:1. To grind or crush with or as if with the teeth...

Read more »

Posted in: Learning English

Vietnam trade in gold bars banned

Gold bars will be banned on the free market and gold trading tightly controlled under Government Resolution 11/NQ-CP recently issued to stabilise the macro-economy. The State Bank of Vietnam has been asked to submit to the government a decree on the management of gold-trading activities that would gradually stop gold bars trading on the unofficial market. The resolution also said that gold smuggling across the border must stop. Following the announcement, local gold prices dropped by VND150,000 per tael (1 tael equals 1.2 Troy ounces). An official from the central bank, who declined to be named, said under the proposed decree, gold shops would not be allowed to trade gold bars, except for jewelery gold. Buying bars would become...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

Vietnam faces water crisis

Vietnam is suffering a severe shortage of water – not for the first time. But never before has the drought been as obvious as now. And it is not a localised problem, the whole country is affected. Electricity of Viet nam (EVN) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held intense discussions earlier this year on the release of water from hydroelectric reservoirs to irrigate crops in the north. The EVN said that after 2.9 billion cubic metres of water was released for irrigation its three biggest reservoirs – Hoa Binh, Thac Ba and Tuyen Quang – were now close to empty, despite the fact that less reservoir water was used for irrigation than in previous years. Water levels are alarmingly low in major rivers in the central...

Read more »

Posted in: Society

Giảm thiểu tình trạng trớ sữa ở trẻ nhỏ

Nếu bé (dưới 6 tháng tuối) thường bị trớ sau khi bú mẹ (hoặc bú bình), bạn nên chia nhỏ các cữ bú trong ngày cho bé. Tư thế cho trẻ bú không đúng cũng làm cho trẻ dễ bị nôn (trớ). Vì vậy, hãy thực hiện các cách sau để giảm thiểu tình trạng trên ở trẻ.Sau khi bé bú, bạn không nên đặt bé nằm ngay. Thay vào đó, bạn nên bế bé với tư thế thẳng người; tiếp đến, bạn dùng tay vuốt nhẹ lưng bé. Nếu bé xuất hiện dấu hiệu ợ hơi thì việc bé bị trớ sẽ giảm hẳn sau đó. Bạn không nên cho bé bú nằm bởi vì: khi bú nằm, sữa sẽ không xuống được phía dạ dày mà thường trào ngược lên thực quản, khiến trẻ bị trớ sữa . Lưu ý: Nếu hiện tượng nôn trớ của bé không đi kèm với những dấu hiệu khác như bé bị ốm, sốt, kém bú... thì bạn không nên quá lo lắng. Sau 6 tháng...

Read more »

Posted in: Health

Wanted: Better products, and an even better attitude

(An Audi waiting its turn at a gas station in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.)My father once told me: “You lose not because your rivals are too strong to be defeated, but because you’re not strong enough to win. So, make yourself strong first.” I think this lesson should be applied to the current problem facing the Vietnamese economy: the crazy import of luxury goods. The General Statistics Office recently announced that Vietnam imported luxury goods worth a total of US$10 billion last year. It’s not a shocking figure these days, considering how frequently we see cars costing millions of dollars, mobile phones costing hundreds of millions of dong, or foreign liquor bottles that cost the annual income of a civil servant....

Read more »

Posted in: Experimental Society

For want of a word, a world is lost

The site of an accident at Ghenh Bridge, Dong Nai Province on February 6, when a train ploughed into six cars, killing two and injuring 24 others. Two taxi drivers arguing over who should give way first led to the shocking accident. Sorry. As children, we are taught to say this every time we make a mistake, and often the “mistakes” were something that were understood as such by adults, while we were just having fun or doing something “cool.” We said sorry often, even when we thought we were not in the wrong, because it was easier than having to argue or explain things. We understood, perhaps instinctively, that it was easier to say sorry and move on, and that we were none the worse for having apologized....

Read more »

Posted in: Experimental Society

Vietnam central bank to punish lenders that fail to cut credit

The State Bank of Vietnam said on Tuesday it will double reserve requirements for banks which fail to bring down their credit growth this year, as policymakers try to curb double-digit inflation. Banks are required to reduce loans for non-production activities to 22 percent of total credit by June 30 and to 16 percent by the end of this year, the central bank said in a directive on its website (www.sbv.gov.vn). The central bank will double reserve requirements for banks which fail to meet the targets, and restrict their operation in the second half of this year and in 2011, the directive said. It did not say what percentage of total credit went toward non-production activities now. Bank reserve requirements range...

Read more »

Posted in: Business

Hanoi opens HIV/AIDS hospita

Hanoi inaugurated the city's first hospital dedicated to those living with HIV/AIDS in the outlying district of Thanh Tri. The hospital, officially known as Hospital 09, contains 200 patient beds. City officials said it will provide regular check-ups and outpatient treatment for the city's HIV carriers in addition to inpatient care for AIDS patients. The hospital has also been tasked with contributing to international research efforts related to HIV/AIDS diagnosis, care and treatment. Last month, the Hanoi Health Department unveiled the city's HIV/AIDS Patients Fund to provide quality medical treatment and help patients integrate into the community. Hanoi is among one of five locations in Vietnam with the highest...

Read more »

Posted in: Health

Mẹ bị cúm có nên cho con bú?

Bà mẹ cho con bú giống như mọi giai đoạn khác của cơ thể, không có khả năng phòng chống đặc hiệu đủ mạnh để không bị nhiễm cúm. Việc bà mẹ bị nhiễm cúm là hoàn toàn có thể xảy ra trong mùa dịch. Vậy khi bà mẹ bị cúm, có nên tiếp tục cho con bú hay không?Cúm dễ lây truyềnVốn là một bệnh do virut gây ra, bệnh cúm là một bệnh truyền nhiễm có khả năng lây lan nhanh và tiến triển thành vụ dịch. Bệnh lây truyền qua đường hô hấp, virut cúm có thể lan qua sự tiếp xúc trực tiếp với người bệnh, qua những hạt nước nhỏ li ti mà người bệnh bắn ra hay qua sự tiếp xúc với các đồ đạc nhiễm virut. Bằng những phương thức này mà từ một người bị nhiễm, virut cúm nhanh chóng lan ra cả cộng đồng dân cư.Cơ quan đích của virut cúm là bộ phận đường hô hấp...

Read more »

Posted in: Health