Anti-corruption journalist Hoang Khuong arrested

Journalist Hoang Khuong smiled while police were searching his house

Police in Ho Chi Minh City Monday noon arrested Tuoi Tre newspaper’s journalist Hoang Khuong on charges he indirectly gave bribes to a police officer. Mr. Khuong is a prize-winning journalist famous for exposé articles into police corruption.


The receiver of the bribe is Huynh Minh Duc, former traffic officer in Binh Thanh District who had been arrested earlier.

The police also searched Mr. Khuong’s house and work office.

Traffic police officer Huynh Minh Duc captured receiving bribes. This photo was shot by  journalist Hoang Khuong

Mr. Khuong will be detained for four months pending investigation

According to the police, 37-year-old Nguyen Van Khuong (the journalist’s real name) was indicted since he, through Ton That Hoa, gave VND15 million (US$713) to former police cop Duc in exchange for Duc’s help in releasing a motorbike that had been impounded in a traffic violation case.

Ton That Hoa is director of Duy Nguyen Private Enterprise and has been detained for brokering the bribe.

In early 2011, amidst the serious traffic violation situation causing concerns among the public, Tuoi Tre newspaper’s Editorial Board, in line with the Government’s orientation, published a series of articles on the topic “preventing traffic accidents.”

Many of Tuoi Tre’s reporters and contributors wrote a number of articles under the topic to show the traffic reality and possible solutions to reduce traffic accidents.

Hoang Khuong also wrote many investigative articles, including "F..k you, pay the road bribes", "Where road accidents are settled off the records" and "Traffic cop takes bribe to return bike,” which were  published on Tuoi Tre’s Vietnamese-language daily newspaper.

As shown in the latter article, the Binh Thanh district police, during their crack-down on a large scale illegal motorbike race in April 2011, temporarily impounded the motorbike of Tran Van Hoa, a young man who had ridden the vehicle in dangerous manner.

At that time, Ton That Hoa suggested Duc help release the motorbike of Tran Van Hoa and Duc agreed.

The then traffic police officer Duc later received the VND15 million bribe and returned the bike to Tran Van Hoa.

On November 28, the HCMC investigation police requested Tuoi Tre and the Press Department “to review the case and revoke the press card of reporter Nguyen Van Khuong”.
According to Khuong’s report to the Editorial Board, he had committed “professional shortcomings” when he was involved in indirectly giving the bribe money to Duc.

After reviewing Khuong’s acts, Tuoi Tre Editorial Board has given him a reprimand and suspended him.

The Editorial Board and Khuong’s family have invited lawyer Phan Trung Hoai, head of the Phan Trung Hoai Law Office, and lawyer Phan Duc Linh, of the HCMC Bar Association, to defend Khuong’s rights and interests.

Lawyer Hoai was at the scene when police searched Khuong’ house.
In 2010, Mr. Khuong won second prize at the city Press Award for an article about bribery at customs checkpoints.

Source Tuoitrenews.vn

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Posted in: Society,Vietnam

William Hague: Burma to free more 'political prisoners'

Burma has vowed to free more political prisoners, William Hague said after meeting his counterpart during the first visit to Burma by a UK foreign secretary for 55 years.

Wunna Maung Lwi also promised that changes in Burma were "irreversible".
But he later did not use the word political when referring to prisoners.

William Hague is the first British foreign secretary to visit Burma since 1955

Mr Hague's visit is the latest by top world diplomats after Burma's first elections in 20 years which brought in a nominally civilian government.
Since then the new administration has freed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and begun a process of dialogue.
Last month she formally registered her National League for Democracy as a political party, after boycotting the 2010 polls because of electoral laws that prevented her taking part.
In December US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Burma, in what was seen as an endorsement of the reform process - although Western observers say much more is needed.
Stress on development Mr Hague is the first British foreign secretary to visit Burma since 1955.
In the capital Nay Pyi Taw he was due to hold talks with President Thein Sein, a former top general who stepped down to contest the polls as a civilian, and a host of other top officials.
He will then travel to Rangoon, Burma's commercial capital, to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, representatives of some of Burma's ethnic minority groups and dissidents.
Ms Suu Kyi's party plans to contest by-elections in April that could see her elected to parliament. Her party secured a landslide victory in polls in 1990 but was never allowed to take power.
William Hague made the comments after meeting his counterpart in Nay Pyi Taw.

Analysis

Rachel Harvey BBC News, Rangoon

William Hague is the latest in a series of high-profile diplomats to seek to engage the new government in Burma and to try to bolster nascent signs of reform.
Western officials have been encouraged by recent changes, including legalising trade unions, lifting some media restrictions and a limited release of political prisoners.
But there are still grave concerns about Burma's human rights record and the fact that several hundred political detainees remain behind bars.
The different messages by the two senior diplomats after their talks in Nay Pyi Taw may be due to the different audiences they were addressing.

"The foreign minister has reaffirmed commitments that have been made to release political prisoners," he told reporters.

"He said the changes are irreversible and I welcome that way of thinking," Mr Hague added.
"I stressed that the world will judge the government by its actions."
But in an interview with the BBC Burmese service later, Wunna Maung Lwi said Burma did not acknowledge there were political prisoners.
They are all criminals, he said, and it was up to the president to decide when prisoners were released - adding that prisoners had already been freed on three recent occasions.
The government, he said, was focused on the development of the whole country.
Between 600 and 1,000 journalists, dissidents and monks who led anti-government protests in 2007 are thought to remain behind bars in Burma.
There is now a general acceptance that change is under way in Burma, says the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Rangoon, but it is not clear how far or how fast any transition will be.
And the different account of the talks by the two senior diplomats may merely be explained by the different audiences they were addressing, says our correspondent.

Source: BBC

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Posted in: Asia,Politics

Top China airlines to ignore EU carbon tax, body says

China is one of the world's fastest growing airline markets

China's biggest airlines will not pay a new European Union tax aimed at cutting carbon emissions, their trade body has said.

On 1 January, the EU brought airlines under its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which levies a charge on flights based on their carbon emissions.
The tax has been criticised by China, India, the US and Canada.
Chai Haibo of the China Air Transport Association said that its members would not cooperate with the ETS.
The China Air Transport Association (CATA) represents companies including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines.
Airlines which do not comply with the new EU tax can be fined and even prohibited from flying into the region.
Last year, it was claimed the plan could cost Chinese airlines 95m euros ($124m, £79m) in extra annual costs.
"The CATA, on behalf of Chinese airlines, is strongly against the EU's improper practice of unilaterally forcing international airlines into its ETS," Mr Chai said on Thursday.
China has warned that it may implement retaliatory measures against the levy.
Other nations have also been fighting the plans.
In December, the US lost its attempt to have the issue of the new airline tax blocked by the European Court of Justice.
The US had argued that its carriers were set to lose out heavily, and that the charges violate climate change and aviation pacts.

Source BBC

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Posted in: Business,China,European

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 her hair. The boy was scared. He called his sister but the girl did not answer. The boy thought his sister died and his parents would be too angry with him so he ran far away. He went through many places, did anything he could ring up himself. Time flew fast. He stopped in a fishing village in Bình Định. He was adopted by a fisher family and learnt fishing. He grew up, became a strong fisherman. The man tried to forget his hurt so he did not tell anyone about his story. He still dared not to come back to his hometown.

When he was about twenty, he met a grace girl and fell in love with her. She was an adopted daughter of a fisherman who lived nearby his village. They married in the happiness of both families. The young couple loved each other very much. When the husband went fishing, the wife stayed at home, knitting fishing-net. When he came back, the wife went to the seashore, welcomed him and took fish to sell in markets. After two years, they had a lovely son. Their small family was always full of laughing.

One day, there were heavy seas running that made the husband stay home. While their son playing in front of the house, the husband helped her wife brush her hair. Suddenly he saw a scar on her head, well covered by hair that he had not seen it before. He asked her about it, she told him about her childhood. The scared was caused by her brother when peeling a sugar-cane when she was about four or five years old. Her brother, after that, was too scare so he ran away, left her there, bleeding and faint. Luckily, her neighbor stopped by and tried to help her. They also called her parents. They hurriedly went home. After that, her parents tried to look for her brother but they did not succeed. They were too sad that they got ill and died. She was too small to live alone so her relative found a good family for her. After many years, she became a young woman in the fishing village which was very far from her hometown. She did not remember anything of her brother and hoped he had a nice life.

Listening to his wife’s story, the man had to try to hold his breath. His heart was broken. He did not know how it could become such a tragedy. He had done everything to forget his terrible memory but now it came back and got him down. He did not want to upset his wife because he knew that if she knew the truth that they were siblings she would be filled with guilt and broken heart. The man could not sleep that night. Without a goodbye, he took the boat and rowed away. He hoped that time would mend his wife’s heart and she would be happy with someone else and forgot him. The man never came home again.

The wife got up, she was so surprised when she did not see her beloved husband. When she did not find out their boat, she knew that he had gone out to the sea. She did not know what happened but she did as she had done: going to the beach and waiting for her husband. Day after day, the husband still did not come back. She climbed on a mountain, looked far away, kept waiting for her husband. Finally, the woman transferred to a limestone which had a shape that looked like a woman with her child in her arms, still waiting for her husband every day and night. People called it “Hòn vọng phu” (Waiting for husband stone). It was considered as a symbol of a faithful love.
In many places in Vietnam, people can show you a Waiting for husband stone. Every stone has its own story which is not much different from the one above. This is the first story of Waiting husband stone I've been heard - that's why I chose it to tell you al.

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Posted in: Fairy story,Vietnam

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, which has raised fears of retaliatory vigilante strikes.
'Declaration of war' "The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide will be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and property," said the leader of the Nigerian Christian Association of Nigeria, a group of Pentecostal churches.

Ayo Oritsejafor was speaking at the St Theresa Church outside the capital, Abuja, where 35 people died in the Christmas Day bombings, the AFP news agency reports.

He said the attacks were "considered as a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity," and that while he did not want to encourage acts of revenge, "Christians should protect themselves... in any way they can".
Mr Oritsejafor said the lack of response by Muslim leaders was an "abdication of their responsibilities", and that the Christian community was also "fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights".
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is a Christian, has held urgent meetings with Muslim and Christian leaders in an attempt to restore calm.
On Tuesday, Nigeria's main Muslim cleric, the Sultan of Sokoto, denounced the Christmas Day attacks and called for calm.
"I want to assure all Nigerians that there is no conflict between Muslims and Christians, between Islam and Christianity," said Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.
But the BBC's Africa correspondent Karen Allen says the continent's most populous nation faces the spectre of sectarian violence between the largely Muslim north and Christian south.
Boko Haram, which is believed to have links to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day attacks.
Last week, its militants were involved in heavy gun battles with government troops in the north-eastern city of Damaturu.
A state emergency management official said the clashes had displaced 90,000 people and that the entire district of Pompomari had been emptied as residents fled.
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden", wants the imposition of strict Sharia law in Nigeria.
The group carried out an August 2011 suicide attack on the UN headquarters in Abuja, in which more than 20 people were killed.
It was also responsible for a string of bomb blasts in Jos on Christmas Eve 2010.

Source BBC

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Posted in: Afica,Religion,violence

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 oil passes through it.
The US maintains a naval presence in the Gulf, largely to ensure the transport of oil remains open.
The strait "is not only important for security and stability in the region, but also is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, including Iran", Pentagon spokesman George Little said.
"Raising the temperature on tensions in the Gulf is unhelpful", he said, but added that he was unaware of any hostile action directed against US vessels.
US Fifth Fleet spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich told the BBC the navy would be ready to act if required: "The US Navy is a flexible, multi-capable force committed to regional security and stability, always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."
Closure 'easy' Western nations recently imposed new sanctions against Tehran following a UN report that said Iran had carried out tests related to "development of a nuclear device".
Further measures being considered to target Iran's oil and financial sectors have brought a furious response from Tehran.

Strait of Hormuz

• Narrow strip of water separating Oman and Iran
• 34 miles (54km) across at shortest point
• Used by a third of the world's tanker traffic
• Approximately 15.5m barrels of oil and 2m barrels of oil products pass through each day
• Most oil destined for Asia, US and western Europe
• 50% of China's oil passes through strait

Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that "not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz" if sanctions are widened and Iran's navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayari said that closing the strait would be "easy".

"The enemies will only drop their plots when we put them back in their place," Mr Rahimi was quoted as saying on Tuesday by the official news agency Irna.
Adm Sayari later told Iran's Press TV that closing the Strait of Hormuz would be "really easy" for Iran's armed forces "or, as Iranians say, easier than drinking a glass of water".
"But right now, we don't need to shut it as we have the Sea of Oman under control, and we can control the transit," he added.
Iran's threats to close the strait have not flustered markets and oil prices actually fell after a senior Saudi oil official said that Gulf Arab nations were ready to offset any loss of Iranian crude.
'Non-compliance' Earlier, US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said the Iranian threats were simply "another attempt... to distract attention from the real issue, which is their continued non-compliance with their international nuclear obligations".
Iran's navy has been staging wargames in international waters to the east of the strait.
Adm Sayari said the manoeuvres were designed to show Gulf neighbours the power of Iran's military over the zone.
Washington and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran's nuclear facilities if sanctions and diplomacy fail.
Iran has vowed to respond by attacking Israeli and US interests in the region.
An embargo on Iranian oil exports has been considered before but dismissed as it could also drive up global oil prices and harm Western economies, particularly in Europe.
It is believed the new measures could cut Tehran off from global energy markets without raising the price of fuel.

Source BBC

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Posted in: IRAN,Politics,USA

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 walked alongside the hearse. Rows of soldiers bowed their heads in homage in the city's main square.

Analysis

John Simpson World Affairs Editor, BBC News, Seoul

The young Kim Jong-un will have the backing and guidance of his uncle, Chang Song-taek, a senior figure in the leadership who is married to Kim Jong-il's sister, Kim Kyung-hee - a general in her own right.
Will the new team try to keep the lid on North Korea as firmly as his father did? It is much too early to tell, but it is a historical truism that a dictatorship is at its most vulnerable when it tries to ease up.
Yet if North Korea maintains its ferocious grip on the lives of its citizens, there is always the possibility that they will finally be pushed too far.
People who visited Nicolae Ceausescu's Romania as late as the summer of 1989 believed that the ferocity of his rule had wiped out the very instinct for personal freedom among ordinary people. But by late December that year they had risen up, and he and his equally tough wife had been executed.
It is a great deal easier to set up a dictatorship than to change the way it operates.

"Seeing this white snow fall has made me think of the general's efforts and this brings tears to my eyes," Seo Ju-rim, a weeping female soldier, told North Korean television.

One of the myths surrounding Kim Jong-il, who had lain in state for ten days ahead of the funeral, was that he could control the weather.
Kim Jong-un - who is thought to be in his late 20s and who has little political experience - was accompanied by his uncle, Chang Song-taek, expected to be a key player as the younger Kim consolidates power.
The procession was broadcast live on state television.
No foreign delegations have attended any of the events. However, UN offices around the world lowered their flags to half-mast.
A spokesman at the UN headquarters in New York said that the move had been requested by Pyongyang's UN mission but was part of normal protocol for the funeral of any head of state.
Correspondents say the ceremonies echoed the displays of pomp and military might that marked the death of Mr Kim's father, Kim Il-sung, in 1994.
Kim Jong-il - known in North Korea as the "Dear Leader" - was in the process of formalising Kim Jong-un as his successor when he died.
However, the transition was not complete, leaving regional neighbours fearful of a power struggle in the nuclear-armed pariah state.
Source BBC

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Posted in: Asia,Korea,Politics,Society,violence

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 much for your thoughtfulness. It is up to you and Father to decide for me. I understand that I have to get married and bear children like other women. I believe Father will choose a suitable person".

One day, at the court there appeared two young men. One of them was Son Tinh, the Mountain Spirit, and the other one was Thuy Tinh, the Sea Spirit. Both of them were equally handsome, distinguished, and powerful. The difference in character between the two men was that while Son Tinh was gentle and quiet, Thuy Tinh had a fiery temper.

Son Tinh bowed his head and respectfully said to the Emperor: "My name is Son Tinh. My kingdom includes all mountains. I reign over all creatures living on the mountains. I own all the riches of the mountains including all the beautiful trees, plants, and flowers. I can summon lions and birds, I can make the mountains grow high to the sky. I want to marry the Princess and promise to bring her happiness and an eternal life".

Thuy Tinh stepped forward, bowed his head and said: "My name is Thuy Tinh. I am the Spirit of the Seas. I reign over all creatures living in the water. I own all coral, pearls, and treasures under the sea. I can raise the level of the sea as high as the mountain top. I can make rain and gather storms. If the Princess marries me, she will become the Queen of the Sea. The most wonderful undersea world and the most magnificent undersea palace will be hers".

The Emperor listened attentively to the suitors. He was reluctant in his choice because both suitors arrived at the same time and were equally handsome and powerful. Then he said to the suitors: "Tomorrow whoever brings the wedding gifts first, will have the hand of the Princess." The suitors left the court and hurried back to their kingdoms in the hope of getting married with the Princess.

Thuy Tinh had all his men collect the best pearls and jewelry, and the most exquisite sea food and delicious seaweed. Son Tinh rushed back to the mountain. He ordered his men to collect the best diamonds and the most precious stones they could find. He also selected the most delicious fruit and most fragrant flowers on earth for the Emperor and the Empress.

The next morning, Son Tinh and a hundred attendants were the first who came to the court. He brought trays full of jewels and baskets full of mango, grapes, strawberries, roses, orchids, etc. The Emperor was delighted with all the gifts. He agreed to let Son Tinh marry his daughter. Mi Nuong bid farewell to the Emperor and the Empress. Then she stepped into the palaquin and followed Son Tinh to his Kingdom on the mountain.

Alter Son Tinh and Mi Nuong had just left the court, Thuy Tinh came with his men carrying trays of jewels, pearls, and baskets full of sea food. Thuy Tinh was so angry when he heard Mi Nuong had gone with Son Tinh just minutes before. He immediately ordered his men to pursue Son Tinh and to take Mi Nuong away.

Thuy Tinh yelled at his men and flourished his magic sword. Then the creatures in the sea turned into thousands of soldiers. Heavy rains began to fall. Gusty winds began to blow. The water level rose higher and higher. The high waves and the flood washed down thousands of trees and houses.

Son Tinh had his own magic wand, too. He turned the animals on the mountain into thousands of soldiers to fight back. He turned the mountain higher as the water rose. The war between Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh lasted for days. No one won the war. Many lives were lost. Finally, Thuy Tinh and his men ceased and withdrew to the sea.

However, Thuy Tinh could not give up the idea of taking the Princess back for himself. So, every year Thuy Tinh raises the water and gathers storms up to the mountain top where Son Tinh and Mi Nuong are living. However, he never wins the war. Every year, when the war between the two spirits breaks out, people and animals suffer, crops and properties are destroyed.

Collection

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Posted in: Fairy story,Vietnam

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 that they do not have enough time to complete the reading comprehension questions, so you should

work quickly in order to complete the vocabulary questions as soon as you can. If you follow the strategies in this book you will have more time to complete the Reading Comprehension section of

the TOEFL.

The Vocabulary Question

Vocabulary questions are written in a formal, academic style, typical of most college or university level texts and journals. The topics of these sentences are those that a first-year college student in North America would be likely to encounter. The topics come from such areas as the

natural sciences, business, liberal arts, and the social sciences. Many sentences contain references to

North American places and personalities. Others will refer to historical events and may include

dates. It is important for you to understand that your knowledge of these areas is never tested on the TOEFL. You do not have to be familiar with the content of the sentences to be successful on this section of the TOEFL.

Each TOEFL vocabulary question consists of a single sentence followed by four choices. These choices are marked by letters (A), (B), (C), (D). Most sentences have one word underlined, and less frequently, some sentences may have a phrase underlined. You must identify the word among the choices that has the same or similar meaning as the under-lined word or phrase in the question. These words are called synonyms. Let's examine a sample question.

Many organisms change their role in habitats from one season to another

(A)         diet (B)          size (C)         color

(D)         function

This question is typical of the Vocabulary section. The topic is from the natural sciences and

the sentence contains a single underlined word. The correct answer is (D) function. Function is a synonym for role. As in this example, the word you select is the one that best matches the meaning

of the underlined word. Note that all four of the choices make sense in the sentence. Vocabulary questions are written so that the con-text of the sentence seldom helps you to determine the meaning

of the word. Therefore, you must understand the vocabulary to select the correct choice

Strategies

Remember that your reading comprehension skills are not tested on this section of the test. Therefore you should not waste time reading the sentences. Simply look at the underlined word and

choose its synonym from among the four choices. This strategy will save you time and prevent

frustration.

You must choose the word that maintains the original meaning of the sentence. Be prepared

for unfamiliar vocabulary presented in unfamiliar contexts, but do not waste time reading the

sentences to determine the word's meaning. You will need this time for the Reading Comprehension section. If you do not know the word tested or can't determine its synonym, choose (B) or (C) as

your answer. On the TOEFL, (B) and (C) answers tend to be used slightly more than (A) and (D).

Also remember that answer choices that contain the same prefix or suffix or are pronounced like the underlined word are seldom the correct answers. Examine the following question.

Swallows are among the most agile passerine birds. (A)         Idle

(B)         swift (C)        fragile (D)         frail

Note that choices (A) and (C), idle and fragile, have sounds similar to agile. Such words are

not usually the correct choice. Such words are often used to distract you. Unless you are sure of the answer do not choose these words.

Let's see how to use our strategy with a sample item. Look at the sentence and look immediately to the underlined word. Do not read any other words in the sentence. Read the four choices and make your selection.

The spider wasp has a slender body with smokey or yellowish wings. (A)    tiny

(B)         long (C)          thin (D)         dark

The following is an illustration of how you should read the sentences.

+++ ++ +++ + ++++ +++ + slender ++++ ++++ ++++++ ++

+++++' +++ +++++ (A)          tiny

(B)         long (C)          thin (D)         dark

You should pay attention only to the underlined word and the choices that follow. If you

know the meaning of the word and recognize the synonym, there is no need to read the sentence. If you do not know the meaning of the underlined word, you must make an educated guess about its synonym. The context will not usually help you to determine the correct choice. All of the choices from this example fit into the sentence.

The spider wasp has a tiny body with smokey or yellowish wings. The spider wasp has a long body with smokey or yellowish wings. The spider wasp has a thin body with smokey or yellowish wings. The spider wasp has a dark body with smokey or yellowish wings.

These sentences show that the context does not help you determine the meaning of the underlined word. If you cannot decide on the answer, read the sentence. It may help you to remember any previous experience you have had with the word. If not, guess, and continue to the next question.

STRATEGIES TO REMEMBER

•             Do not waste time reading the sentences. Immediately look for the underlined word and

search for a synonym among the answer choices.

•             The sentence will not help you understand the meaning of the underlined word.

•             Analyze words quickly. Don't spend too much time studying word roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

•     Work quickly, but carefully. Conserve time for the second part of Section 3. Try to spend only 30 seconds on each question.

•     Words that contain similar sounds and spelling are usually not correct answers.

•     Always answer every question. If you must guess, choose (B) or (C) as your answer.

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Posted in: Learning English

China and Japan plan direct currency exchange agreement

China has been pushing for the yuan to become
an 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 of IHS Global Insight was quoted as saying by the Bloomberg news agency.
Source BBC

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Posted in: Asia,Business,Canada,Japan