Real-life anime girl bats her enormous eyelashes at you

VOCABULARY

1. Geek-(adj)- a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
ex. - Albert Einstein was considered a geek when he was a student.

2. Cosplay-(n)- the art or practice of wearing costumes to portray characters from fiction, especially from manga, animation, and science fiction.
ex. My nieice participates in Cosplay competitions.

3. Anime-(n)- a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sexuality.
ex. Anime TV series has become very popular all over the word.

4. miniscule-(adj)- very small.
ex. The letters were so miniscule that i can not read them even when i have my eyeglasses on.

5. unsettling-(adj)- to vex or agitate the mind or emotions of; upset; discompose
ex. The quarrel unsettled her.

In the geek world, cosplay is an art form. Sometimes it's just masks and colorful spandex. Sometimes it's elevated to a high level. Consider Anastasiya Shpagina, a 19-year-old Ukrainian whom some might call a goddess among cosplayers.

Shpagina is obsessed with anime. She's so obsessed, she turns herself into a real-life anime character, complete with giant eyes and a teensy body. She probably has a secret stash of Ramune, too.

Strategic application of eye makeup and costumes really make the anime look pop. There's definitely talent involved here, but the results are both fascinating and a little unsettling. The eyes are strange enough, but the miniscule waist is a bit of a head-scratcher. I hope it's as much an optical illusion as the eyes are.

In case you thought things couldn't get any weirder, there are also photos of real-life anime girl hanging out with real-life Barbie, a fellow Ukrainian woman named Valeria Lukyanova. Together, they could form the world's first Unrealistic Body Image Itty-Bitty Waist Committee.

This may be giving you some ideas for Halloween. If Shpagina can pull off the look, so can you (unless you're a 250-pound hairy guy, which might make it less believable). She shares her makeup tips on YouTube. Watch as she transforms herself into an anime Flower Fairy.

SOURCE :

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think of people who do these kind of things?
2. what would you tell her if you had an opportunity to meet this girl?
3. Why do you think Animes are very popular?

Human Barbie Valeria Lukyanova Opens Up to V Magazine

VOCABULARY

1. Accentuate-(v)- to give emphasis or prominence to.
ex. Women use make-up to accentuate their features.

2. artificial-(adj)- made by human skill; man-made ( opposite of natural)
ex. Some people prefer artificial flowers than real ones because they last very long..

3. flattered-(v)- to praise or compliment insincerely, effusively, or excessively.
ex. She flatters him by constantly praising his books.

4. strives-(v)- to struggle vigorously,to make strenuous efforts toward any goal
ex. He promised himself to do everything to strive for success.

5. Photoshop -(n/v)- to alter (a digital photograph or other image), using an image editing application, especially Adobe Photoshop
ex. Most models and cover girls pictures in magazines are photoshopped to make them look perfect.

The human Barbie Doll girl, Valeria Lukyanova, is back in the news and she’s looking more like the Barbie Doll than ever before. Valeria accentuates this doll look with make-up and a hair style to make her look manufactured out of plastic. According to Too Fab on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, the Barbie Doll girl sat down for an interview and did a photo shoot in NYC recently.

Valeria completely denies that her looks are from any artificial source, she also added:
"Many people say bad things about people who want to perfect themselves. It’s hard work, but they dismiss it as something done by surgeons or computer artists. Some people even spread rumors about me and retouch my pictures to hurt me. But I don’t take them seriously. I’m even flattered! It’s what success is like. I’m happy I seem unreal to them, it means I’m doing a good job."

There you have it; the woman strives to look unreal! Valeria has become so popular that even ABC News did a special on her this summer. Everyone wanted to know if she is for real or a product of today's photography techniques. Even V Magazine flew her to New York for the interview and recent photo shoot to find out.

According to Too Fab, the photo shoot seemed to confirm that her unnatural figure and doll looks aren’t the product of Photoshop. It is all her and nothing is done after her picture is taken to make her look like the doll she is striving to be!

SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/article/human-barbie-doll-girl-is-the-real-thing-valeria-lukyanova-does-nyc-photo-shoot


QUESTIONS

1. Do you believe that her looks are not a product of plastic surgery?
2. Would you undergo plastic surgery to enhance or improve anything in your body?
3. What can you say about people who undergo plastic surgery not for reconstruction but for aesthetic purposes?
4. Do you know anyone personally who has had plastic surgery of breast/butt augmentation?

Afghan Woman 'Beheaded for Refusing Prostitution'

VOCABULARY

1. lured-(v)-to attract, entice, or tempt.
ex. The beautiful woman lured the man and then robbed him while he was asleep.

2. suppression-(n)- the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling
ex. She learned that suppression of her angry feelings didn't necessarily make them go away.

3. oppression-(n)- unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power
ex. The Filipinos suffered from Spanish oppression for 400 years

4. commonplace-(adj)-anything common, ordinary, or uninteresting.
ex. We now accept cell phones and laptop computers as commonplace in our everyday life.

5. defied-(v)-to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly.
ex. Adolescents have a tendency to defy parental authority to prove to themselves and to other people that they are no longer a child.

Afghan police have arrested four people who allegedly tried to force a woman into prostitution in western Afghanistan and beheaded her when she refused, officials said Wednesday.

Mah Gul, 20, was beheaded after her mother-in-law attempted to make her sleep with a man in her house in Herat province last week, provincial police chief Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada told AFP.

"We have arrested her mother-in-law, father-in-law, her husband and the man who killed her," he said.

Gul was married to her husband four months ago and her mother-in-law had tried to force her into prostitution several times in the past, Sayedzada said.

The suspect, Najibullah, was paraded by police at a press conference where he said the mother-in-law lured him into killing Gul by telling him that she was a prostitute.

"It was around 2:00 am when Gul's husband left for his bakery. I came down and with the help of her mother-in-law killed her with a knife," he said.

The murder comes against a backdrop of a world outcry over the shooting by Taliban Islamists of a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, who had become a voice against the suppression of women's rights.

While Yousafzai's case has made world headlines, people using social media in Afghanistan have made the point that oppression and violence against women are commonplace in Afghanistan.

Abdul Qader Rahimi, the regional director of the government-backed human rights commission in western Afghanistan, said violence against women had dramatically increased in the region recently.

"There is no doubt violence against women has increased. So far this year we have registered 100 cases of violence against women in the western region," he said, adding that many cases go unreported.

"But at least in Gul's case, we are glad the murderer has been arrested and brought to justice," he said.

Last year, in a case that made international headlines, police rescued a teenage girl, Sahar Gul, who was beaten and locked up in a toilet for five months after she defied her in-laws who tried to force her into prostitution.

SOURCE: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afghan-girl-beheaded-refusing-prostitution-155624426.html


QUESTIONS:

1. What do you think is the reason why these things happen in Afghanistan?
2. How do you feel about learning that in this day and age violence against women still exists?
3. If you were in the shoes of these Afghan women, what will you do to help yourself?
4. Do you think, this is a culture or Religious thing?

BLACK FRIDAY

Vocabulary

1. Chaotic –(adj.)- a state of extreme confusion and disorder; happening in a confused way and without any order or organization.
ex. The situation at the border was chaotic, with thousands of refugees arriving every day.

2. Ventured –(v)– To go somewhere unpleasant, dangerous, or exciting; to do something that is a risk.
ex. They ventured into the dark damp forest.

3. Traffic jams –(n)- a line of vehicles waiting behind something that is blocking the road.
ex. We were stuck in a traffic jam.

4. Retailers –(n)- a person or company that sells goods directly to the public for their own use; One who sells goods or commodities directly to consumers. These items are purchased from the manufacturer or wholesaler and sold to the end user at a marked up price.
ex. Wal-Mart is a well-known large chain retailer

5. Idiom -(n) Expression whose meaning is different from the meaning of the individual words.
ex. “To have your feet on the ground” is an idiom meaning 'to be sensible'.


Black Friday refers to the day just after Thanksgiving in the US. Because so many companies have a four day weekend, many people begin their Christmas shopping on this day. (Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday in the US, and then people have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off from work.)

Black Friday is often reported as one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Shopping malls are packed with people, parking lots are crowded, and lines at stores are very, very long. Some stores even open at five or six in the morning because there are so many people. Other stores have discounts and sales to draw even more customers.

The word "black" to describe the Friday likely began in Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. Traffic jams filled the roads into the downtown area every year. The stores and sidewalks were overflowing with shoppers. The experience for so many of the people who ventured downtown was stressful and chaotic. It was a terrible, or black, day. Because other cities around the country similarly experienced traffic jams, busy stores, and too many shoppers on the day after Thanksgiving, the term spread. Black Friday became a common idiom in American English.

Although many people may see the day after Thanksgiving negatively, retailers have a very different opinion. It's their best opportunity to improve earnings for the year, and take the business out of the red (loss) and into the black (profit). For example, if sales were slow in the spring, summer, and fall, then the store must attract many customers and make many sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The first and most important day of this last chance shopping season is Black Friday.

Of course, there are some people who dislike Black Friday. There are some people who hate the day and its crowds very much. But there are also some people who strongly oppose the shopping day because they believe it harms society. They think that people should consume less and reuse resources more, and so have created a day called "Buy Nothing Day." It falls on the same day as Black Friday, and it encourages people to buy nothing, of course.

However, for most people, Black Friday just presents one more opportunity to go shopping. For those who don't like shopping, then it's one more reason to avoid the stores and shopping malls.

Questions

1. According to the article, what is “Black Friday”?
2. What is the reason why this particular Friday is described as “black”?
3. Do you think shopping on this day is risky and dangerous? Why or why not?
4. Would you venture out to the malls on a Black Friday?
5. Do you think people really save a lot of money during sales?

Loud Cellphone Talker Removed From Quiet Car By Police

Vocabulary

1. loudmouths -(n)-a person who brags or talks too loudly
ex. I try not to be a loudmouth, but I sometimes get carried away.

2. rebellious- (adj) defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.
ex. Adolescents who start smoking do so partly because of the rebellious aura attached to it.

3. yapping -( verb-slang)-to talk shrilly, noisily, or foolishly.
ex. The woman kept on yapping even when her husband told her to shut up.

4. aggressive (adj)-vigorously energetic, especially in the use of initiative and forcefulness; making an all-out effort to win or succeed; competitive
ex. Michael Jordan is an aggressive basketball player.

5. belligerent-(adj)-of warlike character; aggressively hostile; marked by readiness to fight or argue
ex. The drunk man became belligerent when policemen arrested him


Amtrak created quiet cars in 2001 when a group of passengers who rode the Philadelphia to D.C. route every morning asked if they could reserve a car where cell-phone loudmouths weren't welcome.

Ever since, the rare havens of quiet have become a battlefield between silence-loving rule-followers and rebellious cell-phone addicts.

KOMO News reports that Lakeysha Beard says she felt "disrespected" by the incident, though passengers said it was Beard who was being rude by refusing to stop yapping while sitting in one of the train's designated quiet cars. She had not stopped talking since the train pulled out of Oakland, California, 16 hours before it reached Salem, Oregon, when a passenger confronted her about the talking. That's when Beard got "aggressive," KATU reports, and conductors stopped the train so that police could remove her and charge her with disorderly conduct.

Civilians and quiet-car champions are supporting her ejection for violating policy at high volume during the 16-hour journey. It doesn't help her cause she became belligerent when confronted about it by one of her fellow passengers.


Exercise I. Comprehension Questions

1. How did Amtrak come up with a quiet car?
2. What did Lakeysha violate?
3. “A passenger confronted her about the talking” – What does this phrase mean?
4. How did Lakeysha react on her removal from the car?
5. Explain this line: “the rare havens of quiet have become a battlefield between silence-loving rule-followers and rebellious cell-phone addicts.”

Exercise II. Your thoughts count!

1. Do you agree on Lakeysha’s ejection for violating policy? Why?
2. What is cell-phone etiquette? How do you observe cell-phone etiquette?
3. Have you ever been annoyed by someone not practicing proper cell-phone etiquete?


Sources: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110518/us_yblog_thelookout/loud-cell-phone-talker-removed-from-quiet-car-by-police

CHINESE MAN SUES WIFE FOR BEING UGLY, AND WINS

VOCABULARY

1. sue (v)- To file a case in court against (a person) for redress of grievances.
ex. The Producer of the movie sued the actress for breach of contract.

2. horrified (Transitive verb)- To cause unpleasant surprise; to shock.
ex. The woman was horrified when she witnessed a terrible accident.

3. resembled (v)- To exhibit similarity or likeness to.
ex. - Peter resembled his twin brother so much, people can't tell them apart.

4. confessed (v)- To admit or acknowledge something damaging or inconvenient to oneself
ex. The suspect confessed to the crime.

5. radically (adv)-thoroughly; completely; fundamentally
ex. The surgery radically changed the criminal's facial features.


This is not new news, but it bears repeating. The crazy ruling has taken place in China and started after Jian Feng and his wife (who’s still unnamed despite her picture being beamed across websites around the world) got pregnant with their first child. The man described his daughter as ‘incredibly ugly’ when she was born and said she resembled neither him nor his wife.

Northern Chinese resident Jian Feng divorced and sued his wife for $120,000 and won! The story goes that Mr. Feng was deeply in love with his beautiful wife until they had a baby girl.

Feng was horrified at how ugly the baby was and demanded to know who his wife had cheated on him with because the baby resembled neither of the parents. Jian began to accuse her of cheating on him. After months of false accusations, Jian’s wife couldn’t take the strain any more and decided to come clean – no, she hadn’t had an affair, but the reason their daughter looked nothing like her was because in fact she’d spent $100,000 on dozens of plastic surgery procedures to transform her looks. Only she’d never told her husband about her little makeover.

His wife confessed that she had received intense plastic surgery to look radically different. Feng divorced and sued his wife under the terms that she had gotten him to marry her under false pretenses!

Not only did the woman pay $100,000 for the surgery to make her pretty, she had to pay $120,000 to a guy who apparently only loved her for the looks she paid for.

SOURCE: http://www.facebook.com/StunningFacts
Related Article :http://ph.she.yahoo.com/man-sues-wife-ugly-112500477.html

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think about the story?
2. Do you agree with the actions of the husband?
3. If you were the Judge, how will you decide on this case?
4. If you were the woman, would you tell your future husband about the surgeries before getting married?

Dog without snout taken to US for treatment

VOCABULARY WORDS

1. snout -(n)- the part of an animal's head projecting forward and containing the nose and jaws; muzzle.
ex. The dog stuck its snout under the man's hand and begged to be petted.
2. reconstructive-(adj)-Serving to rebuild, restore, or correct the appearance and function of defective, damaged, or misshaped body structures or parts
ex. The accident victim underwent reconstructive surgery.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/reconstructive#ixzz29SAC1nXi
3. motorcade -(n)- A procession of motor vehicles, as in a parade.
ex. US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas in November 22,1963.
4. prosthetic- (n)-The branch of surgery or of dentistry that deals with the replacement of missing parts with artificial structures.
ex. - Lower limb (Leg) prosthetics are devices designed to replace the function or appearance of the missing lower limb as much as possible.
5. veterinary -(n)- Pertaining to the medical and surgical treatment of animals, especially domesticated animals.
ex. They brought the sick dog to the veterinary clinic.


A dog that earned hero status in the Philippines for losing its snout in a motorcycle crash and saving two girls in the process, has been brought to the United States for treatment.

The dog, called Kabang, got its injuries when it walked into the path of a speeding motorcycle just as it was about to hit two young girls crossing a road last December in the Philippines, local media reported.

Kabang, a mixed breed who resembles a German shepherd, got her head caught in the motorcycle's front wheel. The crash ripped off her snout and upper jaw.
A nurse from New York initiated an internet campaign that raised around $20,000 for Kabang to be taken to the US for reconstructive surgery.
"Kabang was able to save the lives of two children. So now she needs our help. It's our turn to save her life," vet Anton Lim said.

After a send-off ceremony that included a motorcade with 300 dogs, a team of Filipino veterinarians brought Kabang to the United States early this week.

Surgeons at the University of California Davis Veterinary Teaching Hospital examined the dog ahead of a procedure called maxillofacial reconstructive surgery.

The first of two operations will repair the dental area and the second will fix a wound on Kabang's face.

The doctors have no plans of making a prosthetic snout or replacing the dog's jaw, US media reported the hospital as saying.

Kabang is expected to be in the veterinary hospital for six weeks.

SOURCE: Watch Related Video Here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/9606400/Dog-without-snout-taken-to-US-for-treatment.html

QUESTIONS

1. How did the dog "Kabang" lose his snout?
2. Are you a "Dog Person" or a "Cat Person"?
3. Do you believe in the saying "A dog is a man's best friend"?
4. Do you know of any similar heroic acts by animals?
5. How can we show our love for animals?

FRANKIE DID IT HIS WAY, BUT NOT IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!

Vocabulary

1. Provoke-(v)-to anger, enrage, exasperate, or vex, infuriate
ex.-The protesters provoked the policemen into a confrontation.

2. amateur-(n)- a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity;
ex. Hunting lions is not for amateurs.

3. sinister-(adj)-threatening or suggesting evil or harm; ominous, evil or treacherous, esp in a mysterious way
ex.The Man wearing black robe gave the woman a sinister glance.

4. malevolent-(adj)-wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious
ex. His failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful.

5. preeminence-(n)-high status importance owing to marked superiority; Superiority to or notable above all others; outstanding.
ex. The restaurant is known for the preeminence of its seafood dishes

Over the past decade, the Philippines has been stung by a series of killings all reportedly provoked by karaoke versions of Frank Sinatra's "My Way". At least half a dozen people have been murdered after singing the tune at karaoke, according to the New York Times.

Local media call them the "My Way Killings", and they are occurring in some of the Philippines' thousands of karaoke-filled bars, cafés and restaurants. Someone gets up, clears his or her throat, and chooses My Way from a list of songs. The lyrics appear on a screen, the music begins to play - and the trouble begins.

"The trouble with My Way is that everyone knows it and everyone has an opinion," Rodolfo Gregorio, an amateur singer from General Santos, told the newspaper. Some performers get into fights with their critics. Some are rude, some jump forward in line, and some simply sing out of tune. "I used to like My Way but after all the trouble, I stopped singing it," Gregorio said. "You can get killed."

Manila resident Alisa Escanlar recalled an incident where her uncle, a police officer, was listening to a friend sing My Way, apparently the most remade song in history, at a local bar. When someone at another table began to laugh, Escanlar's uncle drew his revolver. The people fled, she explained - but Escanlar and her relatives have now banned the Sinatra song from their karaoke parties.

Stories like these have helped My Way to gain a sinister, even malevolent reputation. While some say the violence is simply a matter of statistics - the song is one of the favourites in a country prone to violence - others blame its boastful style. Paul Anka wrote the English lyrics with Sinatra in mind, and they reflect Old Blue Eyes' preeminence. A man, his song explains, must "say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels".

Unfortunately, several people have "taken the blows" of "doing it my way". Not that My Way has pride of place. Karaoke-related violence has spanned the globe, from an attack in Seattle after a man sang Coldplay's "Yellow," to a Thai man who killed eight of his harmonising neighbours after their performance of John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads." Perhaps the real solution is singing lessons.

SOURCE: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=413191492069141&set=a.289245514463740.77512.289243791130579&type=1&theater

QUESTIONS

1. Are Karaoke/Videoke popular in your country? Do you go/sing in Karaoke Bars?
2. Do you know which song is the most popular when it comes to Karaoke singing?
3. According to the article what is the reason why Frank Sinatra"s "My Way" cause so much violence among "wannabe" singers?
4. How can Karaoke bar owners do to prevent this kind of violence?
5. Are there similar incidents of violence in your country?

Prized pairs of shoe-lover Imelda in danger

Vocabulary Words

1. infamous-(adj)-having an extremely bad reputation; notorious
Ex. The royal family of Britain was furious after the infamous naked photos of Prince Harry and the topless pictures of Kate Middleton were published.

2. notorious-(adj)-Well-known for some bad or unfavourable quality, deed, etc; infamous
Ex.- The notorious criminal escaped from prison.

3. aggravated-(v)-to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome
Ex.- His illness was aggravated by the dirty water he drank.

4. meticulous-(adj)-taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough
Ex. The old man is a meticulous craftsman.

5. astound-(v)-to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly; shock with wonder or surprise.
Ex. The Grand Canyon never ceases to amaze and astound me.

While former first lady Imelda Marcos' infamous jewelry collection is being eyed for exhibit, her equally notorious shoe collection is said to be falling into neglect.

A team of curators at the National Museum are trying to rescue some of the apparel the Marcoses left in the Malacañan Palace after the room where the items have been stored was swamped due to a leaking ceiling, an Associated Press report on Sunday said.

"There was termite infestation and mold in past years, and these were aggravated by last month's storm," the report quoted museum curator Orlando Abinion as saying.

Damaged items were part of over 150 boxes of the Marcoses' belongings transferred to the National Museum two years ago for safekeeping.

These include clothes strongman Ferdinand Marcos had worn in state occassions and some of his wife's shoe collection, which they left when they were forced into exile by the 1986 People Power Revolution.

"It's unfortunate because Imelda may have worn some of these clothes in major official events and as such have an important place in our history," Abinion said.

Imelda reportedly left over 1,200 shoes when she fled the Palace with her husband.

These are not part of the $2.24 billion worth of assets so far recovered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the report noted.

Earlier reports have meanwhile said PCGG is eyeing an exhibit of Imelda's massive jewelry collection, which are also being planned for auction.

Imelda Marcos claimed many of the shoes were gifts from Filipino shoemakers in local shoemakers in Marikina City, which in 2001 borrowed 800 of her shoes for a museum.

Dozens of pairs were damaged in a 2009 flood, however.

The surviving 765 pairs "still look remarkably new due to meticulous museum care, which includes displaying them in airtight and dust-free glass cabinets in an air-conditioned gallery, away from direct sunlight," the AP report said.

Imelda's shoes "never fail to astound people years after," the report quoted museum manager Jane Ballesteros as saying.

She added that most of the museum's daily 50 to 100 visitors ask if Imelda was able to wear all of the shoes.

"When I say, yes, look at the scratches on the soles, the next reaction is, 'Really?'" Ballesteros said.

SOURCE: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/prized-pairs-of-shoe-lover-imelda-in-danger.html

QUESTIONS

1. Do you know who Imelda Marcos is?
2. Do you think the Philippine Government should return the clothes and shoes to Imelda and her family?
3. In your opinion, can the clothes and shoes of Imelda Marcos be considered interesting enough to display in museums?
4. What can you say about the museum curators who were responsible for the neglect of these items?

Filipino street kid, 13, wins $100,000 peace prize

Vocabulary
1. prestigious-(adj)-having a high reputation; honored; esteemed
ex. He graduated from a very prestigious University

2. parcels-(n)-an object, article, container, or quantity of something wrapped or packed up; small package; bundle.
ex. The parcel was delivered at his doorstep.

3. destitute-(adj)-without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter; dirt poor
ex. The government has set aside healthcare funds for the destitutes and the homeless.

4. initiator-(n)-a person or thing that initiates or starts something.
ex. The senior students were the initiators of the tree-planting project.

5. icon-(n)-A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something
ex. Madonna is already considered as an icon in the music industry.

A young Filipino who lived off a rubbish dump and slept in an open tomb has won a prestigious children's award in the Netherlands for his work to improve the rights of his fellow street kids.

Cris "Kesz" Valdez, aged 13, was handed this year's International Children's Peace Prize at a glittering ceremony in The Hague on Wednesday, where he received a 100,000 euro ($130,000) prize.

Valdez was chosen from three finalists for the work of his "Championing Community Children" charity which raises funds to hand out gift parcels to needy children in Cavite City, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of the capital Manila.
"You are wonderful," Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu, who handed over this year's prize, told Valdez at a press conference shortly after the ceremony, held in The Hague's historic Knight's Hall.

"My message to children around the world is not to lose hope" and to remember things like hygiene, said Valdez, who added that the prize would help him get an education and perhaps realise his dream of becoming a doctor.

Through his charity, Valdez has handed out more than 5,000 gifts to destitute children that included everyday articles like flip-flops, toys, sweets and clothes, said the KidsRights Foundation, the prize's initiator.

In all, he has helped some 10,000 children in his area on health, hygiene and children's rights, the foundation added.

Some 246,000 street children are, like Valdez was as a young child, subjected to abuse, violence and child labour in the Philippines, it said.
Asked about the prize money, KidsRights Foundation chairman Marc Dullaert said a committee was now to decide, together with Valdez, to which projects it would be donated.

Archbishop Tutu, the South African peace icon who won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize is in the Netherlands for a nine-day visit.

Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/filipino-street-kid-13-wins-100-000-peace-181545820.html

Questions

1. What do you think of this 13 year old boy's achievement?
2. Are there young boys and girls in your country who are involved in charities?
3. What do you think could be the positive result of this award for the other street children in the Philippines?
4. Do you think this achievement would be an inspiration to other people not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well?
5. What should the Government officials do to help in this charity's goal?

Robot cat Doraemon receives residency in Japan city

Vocabulary

1. Feline -(adj.)- belonging or pertaining to the cat family
ex. The cat family of animals such as house cats, tigers, cheetahs and lions are considered felines.
2. exploits -(noun)- a notable or heroic act; heroic adventures
ex. The movie is about the exploits of Lt. John J. Dunbar.
3. alter -(verb)-to change or modify
ex. The dressmaker altered the wedding gown to fit her.
4. navigate -(verb)-to walk or find one's way on, in, or across
ex. It was difficult to navigate the stairs in the dark.
5. enormously -(adverb)-greatly exceeding the common size, extent, etc.
ex. the program was enormously succesful.

Doraemon, Japan's robot cat from the future, will celebrate turning minus 100 years old by being given official residence of the city where he will be born, a city official told AFP on Friday.

The electronic blue feline, whose cartoon exploits have captivated children across Asia, is to be given a residency certificate for Kawasaki, a city near Tokyo, on September 3, exactly a century ahead of his supposed birth.

The city, in which the character's creator lived, is also home to a popular museum of all things Doraemon and plans to issue copies of the time-travelling robot cat's residency certificate to fans and visitors.

"Doraemon was created and born in Kawasaki city. In that sense, he has always been a city resident," Mayor Takao Abe told reporters, according to the online edition of the local Kanagawa Shimbun newspaper.

"I hope (the residency certificate) will bring the museum closer to many people," he said.

The certificate will give Doraemon's birthday as September 3, 2112, as well as listing his likes -- pastries -- and his dislikes -- mice.

Doraemon was sent back in time from the 22nd century by a young boy who wanted to alter his family's historical misfortune.

His magic pocket provides an endless supply of fantastical gadgets that help his young friend Nobita Nobi navigate the trials of everyday life.

The character first appeared in manga strips in 1969, making the transition to small and big screen over the following decades.

Doraemon remains enormously popular in Japan, serving as an instantly recognisable cultural reference across generations.

The cartoon series also has a large following in the rest of Asia, including in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.


SOURCE: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/robot-cat-doraemon-receives-residency-japan-city-063640051.html

Questions

1. What is the article all about?
2. How popular is the Doraemon character in your country?
3. Do you think by putting up a Doraemon museum Kawasaki will attract more tourists?
4. In your opinion, Is Doraemon alreay considered a part of Japanese culture?
5. How can children (and adults) relate with Doraemon?

Beijing restaurateur develops noodle-slicing robot army

Vocabulary Words

1. Automated - (adj.)- operated and controlled by machine
ex. She withdrew cash from the automated teller's machine.
2. Restaurateur - (noun)-The manager or owner of a restaurant
ex. He is a very successful restaurateur. He owns the biggest chain of restaurants in the country.
3. Laborious - (adj.)- something that requires long, hard work; involving great exertion or long effort
ex. The team spent many laborious hours on the project.
4. Prototype -(noun)- An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version of an existing product.
ex. A prototype children's laptop, was showcased at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
5. Motion-sensored -(adj)- An equipment which detects,record movements of objects, people or animals
ex. The alarm system in our office is motion-sensored

In yet another sign that the restaurant business in Asia is becoming increasingly automated, a Chinese restaurateur is enjoying booming success after having created an army of robots that can ‘hand' slice noodles.

Using the motion of a windshield wiper, the Chef Cui shaves noodles from a block of dough in perfect strips, sparing many a Chinese chef the laborious, repetitive and often dreaded task of slicing noodles by hand.

While restaurateur Cui Runguan in Beijing first created the prototype in 2006, since going into production and launching the first commercial robo-chefs in March, creator Cui Runguan has sold 3,000 robots, according to a video report by Zoomin.TV in the UK.

The appeal? At about $2,000 USD, the Chef Cui is a bargain deal, say restaurateurs interviewed in the video: not only does a human chef cost about $4,700 USD a year, the robot chef doesn't call in sick or get tired.

The Chef Cui is the latest robo-chef to hit the Asian restaurant scene, which is light years ahead of the West in automated dining.

Fast food restaurant Wishdoing in Shanghai, became the first in the country to hire two robo-chefs to do all the cooking and washing up. Automated chefs can whip up dishes like Kung Pao Chicken or Mapo Tofu, bean curd in a chili sauce, in three minutes flat.
Motion-sensored robot waiters also cycle around the Dalu Robot restaurant in the eastern province of Shandong, China, while Japanese eatery FuA-Men -- short for Fully-Automated raMen -- uses robot chefs to make bowls of ramen.

SOURCE: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/beijing-restaurateur-develops-noodle-slicing-robot-army-162426334.html

Questions:

1. What is the Article all about?
2. What comes to your mind when you hear the words Robots/machines?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using robots in the preparation of food/s for restaurant customers?
4. Would you prefer a robot to take your orders,serve and prepare your food or would you rather have a real person to do these things?
5. Would you like a robot at home to do household chores for you?

127 Hours - The Aaron Ralston Story

Vocabulary

1. Canyon –(n) - a valley with steep sides - a good place for the sport of canyoning
ex. The Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Arizona is one of the most beautiful wonders of nature.
2. Dire straits/dire situation –(idiom) - a very difficult situation; in serious trouble or difficulties.
ex. The loss of major contracts has put the company in dire straits.
3. Ingenuity –(n)– cleverness; The quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful
ex. The prisoners were able to escape from prison because of their ingenuity.
4. Spiritual -(adj)– Pertaining to the soul and religion
ex.She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.
5. Fanatic –(adj.)- a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.
ex. Some terrorists are described to be religious fanatics
6. Gruelling -(adj)- exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe:
ex. His brother joined the grueling Boston marathon.
7. Spur of the moment –(Idiom) - If you do something on the spur of the moment, you do it as soon as you think of it, spontaneously, without any planning.
ex. He decided on the spur of the moment to buy flowers for his wife.
8. Drastic –(adj.)- extremely severe or extensive
ex. The citizens are protesting against the drastic consumption tax Increase.
9. Tourniquet –(n)- any device for arresting bleeding by forcibly compressing a blood vessel, as a bandage tightened by twisting.
ex. Before the nurse inserted the IV needle, he applied a tourniquet to lessen the flow of blood to the IV tube.

Aaron Ralston, a 27-year-old mountain sports fanatic from Colorado in the United States, found himself in dire straits alone in a canyon in the desert when a 500kg rock came crashing down the canyon to smash his right hand and trap it against the canyon wall. A terrible accident, but the situation was made all the more serious because on this occasion Aaron had failed to tell anyone where he was going. At the last minute the plans for a trip with his climbing partners had fallen through, and on the spur of the moment he decided to head out on his own to cycle up a long mountain trail, leave his bike and then walk down the Blue John canyon. No one had the slightest idea where he was.

After three days of not seeing or hearing any sign of life Aaron realised he would die there if he didn't do something drastic. The course of action was horrific, but there was no other way. He would have to amputate his right hand. Fortunately he had a small multitool knife with him and he had some straps that he could use to make a tourniquet to stop himself bleeding to death when he cut the arteries. The knife had two blades. When he tried with the larger blade he found that it was too blunt to cut the skin.

The following day he found the courage to try the shorter blade, and with that he managed to cut through the skin. Only when he had made a large hole in his arm did he realise that it was going to be impossible to use any of the little tools on his knife to cut through the bones. After another 24 hours of pain and despair the idea and the strength came to him in a flash on the sixth day. With a final burst of energy he broke both bones in his arm and freed himself.

The ordeal was not over, though. He was still a long way from help. He had to carefully strap up his right arm and then find a way of lowering himself down a 20m drop in the canyon with a rope and only his left arm, and then walk the 10 km back to his Bike. Despite his ingenuity* and all his efforts he would have bled to death if it hadn't been for a very happy coincidence: the moment he got out of the canyon into the open desert the rescue helicopter just happened to be flying overhead.

One of the doctors at the hospital recalls being impressed to see Ralston walk into the hospital on his own, in spite of his injuries and the gruelling experience of being in the desert for six days with almost nothing to eat and only a couple of litres of water. He describes the amputation as remarkable. "It's a perfect example of someone improvising in a dire situation*," he said. "He took a small knife and was able to amputate his arm in such a way that he did not bleed to death."

Slim and pale with short reddish-brown hair, Ralston believes that his story was not simply about an isolated individual who rose to a formidable challenge. For him there was a spiritual dimension to the experience. In his news conference he said, "I may never fully understand the spiritual aspects of what I experienced, but I will try. The source of the power I felt was the thoughts and prayers of many people, most of whom I will never know."


Comprehension Questions:

What Made the terrible accident terrible more serious?
What did Ralston decide to do when he realized that help is not coming?
What incident saved him from bleeding to death after he got out of the Canyon?
What is the most interesting “lesson” Ralston learned from his experience?

Related topic: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8223925/127-Hours-Aron-Ralstons-story-of-survival.html

El Nino likely to last until winter, Japan Meteorological Agency says

El Nino Likely to Last Until Winter, Japan Meteorological Agency Says

Vocabulary Words

1. El Nino phenomenon –(n)- El Nino is a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that occurs every four to 12 years resulting to extended dry periods.
ex. The Philippines was hit by the El Nino Phenomenon in 1998 resulting to shortages in food supply.

2. Disruption –(n)- to interrupt the progress of; an interruption or disturbance in a cycle, continuity, flow or movement
ex. The presentation went on smoothly without disruption.

3. Equatorial Pacific –(n)- The area of the Pacific ocean near the equator
ex. Ecuador, Peru and Colombia are just some of the countries in the equatorial Pacific area.

4. Oil refineries –(n)- An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas
ex. Many Filipino engineers work in the oil refineries in the Middle East.

5. Roil (v) - to disturb or irritate
ex. Financial markets have been roiled by the banking crisis.

6. Hampered –(v)- to hold back; hinder; impede
ex. A steady rain hampered the progress of the work. / The dancers' movements were hampered by their elaborate costumes.

7. Drought-(n)- a period of dry weather, especially a long one that is injurious to crops.
Ex. The long drought resulted to the destruction of crops.


The Japan Meteorological Agency said on Friday its climate monitoring data and models indicate the El Nino phenomenon has emerged and is likely to last until the northern winter, potentially adding strain to global food supplies.

Global food production can suffer widespread disruption from the weather caused by El Nino, particularly across Asia and Africa where harvests can be robbed of rain.

“Monitoring data for July suggests that the El Nino phenomenon has emerged,” the agency said, referring to the latest conditions in the equatorial Pacific.

“The chances are high that the El Nino phenomenon will be maintained until the winter,” the agency said in a statement on its website.

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), warned that an El Nino was almost certain to occur over the next two months.

The last severe El Nino was in 1998, when the phenomenon caused more than 2,000 deaths and inflicted billions of dollars in damage to crops, infrastructure and mines in Australia and other parts of Asia.

The Japanese agency had said last month the chances were high that El Nino conditions would emerge in the northern summer.

El Nino is a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that occurs every four to 12 years, affecting crops from Asia to the Americas as well as industries, including hurricane-vulnerable oil refineries in the U.S. Gulf.

While the arrival of an El Nino raises the chances of favorable planting conditions in South America, it can roil farmers in Asia and Africa where it can bring extended dry periods.

Its effects will be closely watched in India, where the slow development of monsoon rains has already hampered the planting of summer crops, such as rice, oilseeds and cotton, and weather forecasters have already warned of the first drought in three years.

Three years ago, an El Nino slowed development of the monsoon rains, sparking a rally in sugar prices to 30-year highs as India, the world’s second biggest producer, harvested a poor cane crop.

Keenly watched by the U.S. oil industry, the phenomenon may reduce the chances of storms forming in the Atlantic basin toward the end of the hurricane season that runs to Nov 30.

El Nino, which means “little boy” in Spanish, was first noticed by anchovy fishermen in Latin America in the 19th century.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012.
Related topics:

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/pacific-drought-flood-to-intensify-study-20120816-249ha.html

http://globalwarming.solveyourproblem.com/el-nino.shtml

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cloud+seeding

Questions

1. What is the article all about?
2. How does this phenomenon affect the people?
3. Have you ever experienced the El Nino phenomenon in your country?
4. Do you think this phenomenon is caused by climate change?
5. How can people conserve water during this event?
6. What can the government do to help the farmers?
7. Have you heard of the Phrase “cloud seeding”?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cloud+seeding

How To Quit Smoking by: Rob Mellor

VOCABULARY WORDS

1. Baffle –(v)- to restrain, or regulate (the flow of a fluid, air or the emission of sound or light)
ex. The sound-proofing material baffled the sounds coming from the room.
2. Repercussions –(n)- an effect or result, often indirect or remote, of some event or action
ex. A lack of communication among employees and supervisors can have severe repercussions.
3. Abhor –(v)-To regard with horror or loathing; detest, hate
ex. I particularly abhor his lack of attention to detail when he sends business emails.
4. Agitated –(Adj)- someone who is very distressed or troubled. ex. Being so nervous about something that you are constantly pacing is an example of agitated.
5. Fatigue –(n)- Physical or mental weariness resulting from exertion. ex. He is suffering from fatigue after driving for 12 hours.

One of the most vicious diseases in today’s times is smoking. It makes a person baffle for air 3 times more than a non-smoker. It has very many repercussions on the life of the smoker and those around him. It leads to lung cancer and various heart diseases like asthma and emphysema. We should thus abhor this deadly disease and quit smoking.

Quitting is not easy
But to actually quit smoking is not easy, because it is an addiction. However there are very many ways and methods that help us to quit smoking for instance we can opt for acupuncture therapy or aromatherapy. We can also opt for non-nicotine cigarettes or go for precise prescription by a doctor.

But first and foremost we need to decide in our heart to stop smoking and should also fix a day for the same. Inform your family about your decision and seek for their help and assistance. Throw away all the cigarette packets, ashtrays and lighters. Stop buying any more cigarettes. Rather think of the more useful and better things that you can buy with the money thus saved. Ask the other family members also, who smoke, to stop smoking. Keep yourself busy. Exercise regularly and meditate occasionally. Eat healthy food.

After doing all this you may still feel severe urges to smoke. You may also actually retort back to it, but that’s no problem, just be persistent and bring back your decision on to the right track after this break, because most of the people are successful only after 2-3 attempts.

Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms
About 80% people retort back to smoking after once leaving it and only 20% successfully accomplish the task. People retort back due to many reasons. Some say they feel agitated. Others say that the aroma when someone lights up is irresistible. But most of them do so due to the fear of symptoms that appears after that last puff viz. weight gain, aggressive thinking, dry throat, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, dizziness, hypersensitivity to stimuli, etc. but these are all just temporary symptoms and disappear in a few days. In fact after the initial bout is over the blood pressure, heart rate, pulse arte all get back to normal. You thus need to keep your will power strong and stick to your decision for a few more days.

Some people are not able to continue with the smoke cessation programs because they say that they are costly. But this is a wrong perception because they are not costlier than the price spent for buying cigarettes. And then isn’t it more logical to spend on your health rather on a disease.

QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think it is so difficult for smokers to quit?
2. What are the possible effects/consequences of smoking?
3. According to the article, what are some ways a smoker could do to be successful in quitting?
4. In your opinion, is it more effective to stop smoking abruptly or gradually stop by lessening the number of cigarettes a person smokes every day?
5. What are the symptoms of withdrawal?

http://www.speakoz.com/english-articles/smoking/

THE CITY OF SHANGHAI IS SINKING!

Vocabulary

1. Immense –(adj)- unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
ex. You did an immense job getting the project started.

2. Submerged -(adj)- under the surface of water; underwater
ex. The windows on the car were submerged in water and the victims trapped inside

3. Guzzles –(v)- to consume (food or drink) excessively or greedily
ex. They spent the whole night guzzling beer.

4. Aquifers –(n)- An underground layer of permeable rock, sediment (usually sand or gravel), or soil that yields water; underground bed or layer yielding ground water for wells and springs etc.
ex. Sandstones, unconsolidated gravels, and porous limestones make the best aquifers.

5. Droughts –(n)- A long period of abnormally low rainfall, especially one that adversely affects growing or living conditions.
ex. farmers most affected by the drought hope that there may yet be sufficient rain early in the growing season

It may sound like a science fiction problem of the future, but the reality is that China has an immense problem on its hands as 46 cities are currently headed toward being slowly submerged in water.

Why would this happen? Sinking cities are common in China because it has such a dry climate. Because it is so dry there, the government guzzles water from underground aquifers to supply the rapidly growing economy and population.

In fact, Beijing has sunk 14 inches over the past decade! The government is aware of the problem and warns its citizens to be cautious when consuming water because of their limited supply, yet because of recent droughts the problem has only increased.

Shanghai has switched to river water for most things now because the sinking was such a problem and currently descends at only two-fifths of an inch each year. However, the problem still remains throughout China, how they are going to continue with an underwater country.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=371702262884731&set=a.289245514463740.77512.289243791130579&type=1&theater

Questions

1. What is the reason why China is sinking?
2. What can the people do to conserve water?
3. Do you think the rivers could sustain the growing economy and population of China?
4. What do you think are the measures being done by the Chinese government to slow down or to eliminate the problem?

THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES

Vocabulary

1. Vibrant –(adj)- Pulsing or throbbing with energy or activity; Vigorous, lively
ex. She is enjoying the vibrant streets of a big city.

2. Paralympics –(n)- major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete
ex. Her disabled brother will compete in the 2012 Paralympic games

3. Equestrian –(n)- Pertaining to horseback riding or horseback riders ex. The princess is admired for her good equestrian skill.

4. Pentathlon –(n)- an athletic contest comprising five different track and field events and won by the contestant gaining the highest total score. ex. The athlete from Kenya won the gold medal in the Olympics pentathlon event.

5. Gymnastics –(n)– a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength, balance and agility. ex. Debbie is 6 years old and enjoys gymnastics, tennis and swimming.

In 2005, the International Olympic Committee selected London as the host city for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Summer Games. London had also hosted the Olympic games in 1908 and 1948. Athletes and spectators from around the world will gather in July, August and September to celebrate summer sporting excellence. The Games, along with the region's spectacular natural playground and its vibrant venues such as the Olympic Park, Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, The Mall, Riverbank Arena, Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, etc. will put London in the spotlight as a premier sporting destination.

The Olympic Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 will be done at the Olympic Stadium where her majesty the Queen will be greeted by the President of the IOC at the entrance of the stadium as the Head of State of the Host Country. Then we will see a procession of the participating teams in the stadium, nation by nation. Teams enter in alphabetical order, according to the language of the Host County, apart from the Greek team, which enters first for the Olympics, and the team of the Host Nation(in this case Great Britain), who march in last.

London will host the following Olympic and Paralympics events
-The 26 Olympic sports at London 2012 will be aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, basketball ,boxing, canoe and kayak, cycling, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling among others. These games will take place in 28 venues.

The 20 Paralympics sports at London 2012 will be boccia, football, goalball, paralympic archery, paralympic athletics, paralympic cycling, paralympic equestrian, paralympic judo, paralympic powerlifting, paralympic rowing, paralympic shooting, paralympic swimming, paralympic table tennis, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis which will take place in 21 venues.

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012, followed by the 2012 Paralympics Games from 29 August to 9 September. There will be 5,500 Olympic athletes and officials. Over 205 countries are expected to participate in 305 events at the Olympic Games and over 147 countries will take part in the Paralympics.

Comprehension and Viewpoint Questions

1. According to this article how will the athletes from different countries enter the stadium? Which 2 countries will enter first and last?
2. In your opinion, is winning the most important objective of the Olympics?
3. Do you like watching the games? what are your favorite events in the Olympics?
4. What do you think are the advantages for the country that is hosting the Olympics?
5. What is the most memorable Olympic games in your opinion?

Doctor’s Tests (And Meds) You Don’t Need

Vocabulary

1. Skyrocketing-(v/idiom)- shoot up abruptly, like a rocket; to rise rapidly (as in price )
Ex. The skyrocketing costs of medical treatment cause people to look for alternative medicines/treatment.
2. Foregoing –(adj)- already written or stated; previously stated
Ex. The foregoing paragraph presents the problem.
3. Radiologists –(n)- a medical specialist who uses radioactive substances and X-rays in the treatment of disease
Ex. A radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the reading and interpretation of X-rays and other medical images.
4. Academicians –(n)- a member of an association or institution for the advancement of arts, sciences, or letters
Ex. Reforms were instituted over the protests of the academicians.
5. Oncologists –(n)- A medical doctor that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Some oncologists treat patients with all forms of cancer, and others specialize in only one type of cancer.
Ex. After Jan's doctor suspected she may have cancer, he referred her to an oncologist.

With the cost of gasoline and basic commodities skyrocketing, what's to stop the medical care system from increasing their rates too?
However, higher doctor’s fees shouldn’t mean putting your health at risk by skipping your regular check-up in a bid to save money.
Instead, the answer may lie in foregoing diagnostic tests that are unlikely to aid in the treatment of your condition.

Some tests can cause harm

In the U.S., an initiative called Choosing Wisely has been launched by an American medical foundation to encourage doctors and patients “to think and talk about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary, and in some instances can cause harm.”
It also encourages physicians to use evidence-based medicine in treating their patients.

Heeding the call are nine medical societies which compiled their list of "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question" in an effort to make the patient avoid unnecessary and very often, costly, diagnostic tests.
For example, radiologists have been cautioned to avoid routine x-rays for patients checking into hospitals with a normal or “unremarkable” history and physical exam.

Overuse of CT scans and antibiotics

Also common among other groups like oncologists, family physicians and cardiologists and others are warnings against the overuse of CT scans and antibiotics.

Often, doctors choose to "over" prescribe lab tests for fear of missing out on a serious disease that the patient might have and avoiding the prospect of being sued for malpractice.

Evidence-based medicine, backed by several, large population studies, is the answer.
Decisions and choices that are supported by academicians and researchers who are the authorities in their field of specialty will give both the doctor and the patient peace of mind that they are taking the right course of action.

Questions

1. According to the article, what should people do to save money from medical bills without putting their health at risk?
2. Is it true that all medical/diagnostic tests are necessary and safe?
3. Why do doctors tend to “over-prescribe” lab tests/ antibiotics to their patients?
4. What is evidenced-based medicine?