Indonesia: Best Place for Entrepreneurs

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. trail (v.) – to fall or drop behind something

Example: The young runners trail behind those with more experience.

  

2. innovation (n.) – a new idea or invention that is introduced

Example: The telephone is a great innovation of the 20^th century.

    

3. thrive (v.) – to be successful, grow, or develop

Example: Entrepreneurs can easily thrive in countries where they are supported.

  

4. subjective (adj.) – something that depends on one’s opinion and not on data that can be easily measured

Example: To say that a person is pretty can be subjective.

5. democracy (n.) – a form of government in which individual people have the power

Example: Democracy is different from monarchy in which kings and queens rule.

Article

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In a recent survey made for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service, Indonesia is named as the world’s best place for entrepreneurs. Following the top spot are US, Canada, India and Australia, while Colombia, Egypt, Turkey, Italy and Russia trail behind.

Based on the opinion of 24,000 people from 24 countries, the results were gathered by asking participants four questions: (1) if innovation is encouraged in their countries; (2) if entrepreneurs are given importance; (3) if they can easily start a business; and (4) if their unique ideas can be easily implemented.

Results also show that entrepreneurs will thrive in most wealthy countries except in Italy. Surprisingly, they will also do well in countries that are still on the verge of development, such as Nigeria, India and China.

While the results in some regions are similar, there are significant differences in others. Four countries from East Asia and Pacific scored high, while two countries from Africa scored average. In contrast, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Colombia—all from Latin America—have different scores. The same case applies in Europe wherein Germany, UK and France are seen as more entrepreneur-friendly compared to Italy and Spain.

Despite being subjective, the results reflect only the general opinion about these countries. For instance, democracy in US is seen to be good for private business; while strong government control in Russia is not.

Some of the results came out unexpected. France scored high despite its strict labor laws, and Nigeria scored high as well despite its problems with corruption.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Are starting entrepreneurs supported in your country? If yes, how? If no, why?

·         In what ways do you think can the government support starting entrepreneurs?

Discussion B

·         What do you think are the challenges of starting a business?

·         What do you think are the advantages of having your own business?

Flight Attendants Learn Martial Arts

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. cabin crew (n.) – an airline employee who takes care of passengers’ needs during a flight

Example: The cabin crew helped me lock my seatbelt before the flight.

2. popularize (v.) – to make something well known

Example: Hamburgers were popularized by the Americans in 1904.

3. disruption (n.) – the state or condition of disorder or trouble

Example: Lack of instructions in train stations can lead to disruption.

4. unanticipated (adj.) – cannot be seen or expected in advance

Example: The strong rain yesterday was unanticipated.

5. come in handy (idiom) – to be readily useful

Example: Flashlights come in handy during an emergency.

Article
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Cabin crews of Hong Kong Airlines are learning kung fu to help them handle disorderly passengers.

Hong Kong Airlines official thought about requiring crew members of a martial arts training after seeing a wing chun performance by some crew members during a company event.

Wing chun is a form of kung fu popularized by the late Hong Kong actor Bruce Lee and the famous wing chun master Ip Man. It involves short and quick movements which enable crew members to control disruption even in a small space.

These techniques also allow them to quickly react to unanticipated situations during flights. Hong Kong Airlines’ spokesperson Eva Chan relates one situation when a flight attendant had to assist an overweight and drunk passenger. Chan says that most female flight attendants usually have difficulty assisting heavy passengers. But because of martial arts training, the flight attendant was able to do her job with ease.

Twenty three new flight attendants were recently required to attend the said wing chun training. Wing chun comes in handy for flight attendants because, on average, they usually have to manage unruly passengers at least thrice a week.  

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Do you think it’s necessary for flight attendants to learn martial arts or any form of self-defense? Why or why not?

·         In what situations do you think is it necessary for a flight attendant to use force when dealing with passengers?

Discussion B

·         What do you think are the responsibilities of flight attendants?

·         If you have a chance, would you consider becoming a flight attendant? Why or why not?

Children Can Remember Memories from Two Years Old

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. recall (v.) – to remember something (or someone)

Example: I cannot recall the lesson we had yesterday.

2. verify (v.) – to check if a piece of information is true

Example: Students verify results of their experiment by having their professor check their work.

3. aid (v.) – to help or provide help

Example: My mother was aided by the nurses when she got to the hospital for her operation.

   

4. cue (n.) – a hint or clue that leads to a certain information

Example: Actors are given cues so they can remember the script.

5. recent (adj.) – something that happened not long ago

Example: Recent news are still important to people.

Article

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Canadian researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland claim that children can remember events that happened before they were two years old but soon forget them as they become adults.

They added that most adults cannot recall events that occurred when they were three or four years old. 

In the study, researchers asked 100 children aged 4 to 13 to recall an earlier memory. The youngest participants were able to remember events that happened as early as they were 1 year and 6 months old. Researchers also verified the information through their parents.

Two years later, the same children, aided with memory cues related to their past experiences, were asked to recall three specific memories from their younger years. Surprisingly, the children could not remember anything; some even claimed they never participated in the events suggested by the cues.

Dr. Patricia Bauer from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia suggests that we may have a different way of remembering recent and old memories which explains why older memories seem to disappear.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         What could be the importance of remembering childhood memories?

·         What are some lessons you learned from your childhood memories?

Discussion B

·         What are the best memories you can think of right now?

·         What kind of memories do you think should be forgotten?

Mysterious Air France Crash May Soon be Solved

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. cockpit (n.) – a room at front part of the plane which contains the controls and the seats for the pilots

Example: Plane passengers are not allowed to enter the cockpit.

2. turbulence (n.) – a violent condition of the atmosphere

Example: Plane passengers must put their seatbelts locked during turbulence.

   

3. plummet (v.) – to drop suddenly and sharply into something

Example: The eagle plummeted from the sky to catch its prey.

4. fuselage (n.) – the main body of the plane on which the wings, engine and tail are attached

Example: Searchers recovered the fuselage a month after the accident.

5. departed (adj.) – dead or deceased

Example: We must pay respect to our departed loved ones.

Article

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Two years after the mysterious crash of Air France 447, investigators announced last Wednesday that contents of the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorder were fully recovered. French investigators explained that the data could reveal why the plane crashed over the Atlantic in June 1, 2009.

Searchers recovered the recorders earlier this May after an intense search 12,700 feet under the Atlantic Ocean. Investigators said it will take several weeks to analyze the data which include a two-hour conversation in the cockpit.

On the day of the crash, the pilots lost contact with the air traffic controllers while passing over a part of the Atlantic where strong turbulences usually occur. For reasons still unknown today, the plane plummeted into the ocean, killing all 228 people aboard it. After the crash, rescuers were only able to find 50 bodies across the ocean.

In April this year, searchers found a part of the fuselage containing two more bodies. More bodies have been located but investigators said that they will only consider lifting the bodies out if the identification of the two bodies is still possible. Bringing up the bodies won’t be that easy, they explained. It will take at least three hours for each body to be lifted out using miles of cable.    

Some family members of the victims demand the recovery of the bodies, while others choose to leave their departed relatives undisturbed beneath the ocean.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Why do you think some airlines push through flights even on a bad weather?

·         Would you cancel an important trip if the weather is not good? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         How do you think can airline companies prevent plane crash?

·         What other things do you think can cause a plane crash?

Better Insect Repellent Discovered

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. repellent (n.) – a substance that keeps or drives away something

Example: The strong smell of insect repellents drives away mosquitoes.

  

2. compound (n.) – in chemistry, it is a substance made from two or more elements

Example: H₂O is a compound composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

3. mammal (n.) – an animal that has the following characteristics: (1) body covered with some hair; (2) its young fed with milk from its breast (or mammary glands); (3) gives birth to a live young

Example: Most mammals do not lay eggs.

   

4. odor (n.) – the quality of a substance that can be identified by the sense of smell

Example: Acids release unpleasant odor.

5. confuse (v.) – to cause the inability to think clearly

Example:  I got confused in the exam because the instructions were unclear.  

Article

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Scientists from Vanderbilt University discovered a better formula which can replace DEET, a common ingredient used in insect repellents. The newly discovered compound is called VUAA1 and it works against all insects.

Scientists found out its effectiveness after studying the unique smelling process of mosquitoes. At first, scientists thought mosquitoes use their sense of smell the same way mammals do. Mammals have odor receptors (ORs) which are activated when particles of substances hit their smelling organs. Once the receptors are activated, these receptors tell the brain what kind of substance it is.

But, the research shows that mosquitoes have a different way of smelling. Their ORs do not communicate directly to the brain, but depend instead on another receptor called Orco which acts as a switch. Once mosquitoes smell a substance, Orco identifies which OR is activated and tells the brain what substance is smelled.

Scientists discovered that VUAA1 directly affects Orco unlike DEET which affects individual ORs. When Orco is stimulated, all ORs are activated confusing mosquitoes with different odors being smelled at the same time. In this way, mosquitoes cannot smell anything, not even blood.

The discovery of mosquitoes’ unique smelling process makes it possible to produce more effective repellents which can prevent diseases such as malaria.

Currently, scientists at Vanderbilt are studying the VUAA1 compound further to make sure that it is safe for consumers and the environment.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A
 

·         Why do you think companies continue to make products that are harmful to the environment?

·         Why do you think is it important to consider the effect of a certain product to the environment?

Discussion B

·         What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using insect repellants?

·         In what situations do you think should we make use of insect repellants?

Planets Outside the Solar System Spin Strangely

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. orbit (v.) – to move or travel around a curved path

Example: Planets far from the Sun orbit around it for years.

2. gaseous (adj.) – having the properties of gas or being in the form of gas

Example: Students inside the laboratory must protect themselves from inhaling gaseous substances.

   

3. phenomenon (n.) – an event or happening that can be observed and proved scientifically

Example: Scientists tried to explain the strange phenomenon through an experiment.

4. wobble (v.) – to sway unsteadily from side to side.

Example: The weak foundation of the building caused its wobble.

Article

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A scientific article from the Nature journal recently reported that some planets outside the solar system spin strangely in a direction different from that of the stars they orbit.

This backward spinning, referred to by scientists as ‘flipped orbits’, happens to gaseous planets like Jupiter which are positioned far away from the sun. However, Frederic Rasio from Northwestern University found out a much stranger fact: these backward spinning gaseous planets are actually positioned near their stars.

This finding challenges the common theory  of astronomers that most gaseous planets form far from their stars like in the case of our solar system where planets like Jupiter are located million miles away from the Sun.

Rasio explained that this strange planet behavior may have been caused by a phenomenon called ‘gravitational perturbation’. This happens when planets nearer a star pull gaseous planets closer to the star, causing gaseous planets to spin backwards.

Astronomers have been observing planets outside our solar system since 1995, but they have seen only around 500. The presence of these planets cannot be observed directly but only through the wobbling of the stars which happens as planets revolve around them. 

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Do you believe in every fact that is supported by science? Why or why not?

·         Why do you think some scientific facts are eventually proven wrong?

Discussion B

·         What do you think is the importance of studying other planets in the universe?

·         How does our knowledge of other planets help us protect our own planet?

Facebook Can Reveal a Person's Personality

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. profile (n.) – a short and informal list of information that describes a person’s life, skill, and/or likings

Example: Companies study the profiles of their employees to make sure they are qualified for the job.

2. personality (n.) – a part of a person’s character (or inner traits)

Example: The man who often jokes around has a pleasant personality.

   

3. extrovert (n.) – usually refers to a person who is friendly and outgoing

Example: Extroverts usually have a lot of friends because they can easily talk to anyone.

4. do away with (idiom) – to end or to stop doing something

Example: Some people cannot do away from keeping unnecessary things.

Article

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A recent study claims that companies may soon use the popular social networking site, Facebook, as a tool to find the right employee for the job.

Jennifer Golbeck , an American computer science professor, discovered that a person’s Facebook profile—which includes information like favorite books, movies and activities—reveals his or her personality.

After studying around 300 profiles, Golbeck asked the participants to take a personality test which measures their “openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.”

After the said test, she found out that about 10% of a participant’s test score can be known through studying his or her Facebook profile. As an example, Golbeck pointed out how extroverts usually have large networks of friends in Facebook. Meanwhile, those with long surnames tend to be easily angered and worry a lot. Golbeck assumes that this might be because their surnames are repeatedly being misspelled. 

But Sam Gosling, a psychologist from University of Texas, said that there are some aspects of a person that cannot be measured using this kind of study. The study only measured behavior, he added.

However, Gosling admits that social networks provide a new way of studying human behavior and personality which are crucial factors in decision-making.

In contrary, Golbeck claims that this study enables companies to do away with personality tests as Facebook profiles alone make it possible for them to know job applicants.

Golbeck plans to support her claims by conducting another study using Twitter accounts.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         Do you believe everything that you read about a person online? Why or why not?

·         What other ways do you think can be done to get to know people better?

Discussion B

·         How can companies benefit from online profiles like Facebook?

·         What are the disadvantages of using online profiles to find the right employee?

Drinking Alcohol at Work Can Be Good

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. revive (v.) [ri-vahyv]  – to bring something back to life

Example: New singers usually revive old popular songs.

2. start-up (n.) [stahrt-uhp] – a company or business which started recently

Example: Twitter is one of the most successful start-up companies in social networking.

   

3. brainstorm (v.) [breyn-stawrm] – to think of ideas in a free and uncontrolled manner

Example: When we brainstorm ideas, we try to write down everything that we can think of.

4. harassment (n.) [huh-ras-muhnt, har-uhs-muhnt] – the act of disturbing, scaring or attacking someone repeatedly

Example: Forcing people to buy a product is a kind of harassment.

Article

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Drinking alcohol may soon be encouraged during work hours says Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University.

Sutton observes that many hi-tech firms today are reviving an old European tradition of taking alcohol breaks in between or after work. Hi-tech firms, like Hewlett-Packard (HP), was known for its so-called ‘Friday afternoon beer bashes’ back in the 1950s. Today, start-ups like internet companies such as Twitter, Yelp and Crowd Flower, make alcohol available for employees’ free consumption.

Drinking alcohol helps people to freely express themselves and to instantly connect to others. Sutton explains that companies grow stronger as employees bond and brainstorm ideas in casual situations, like drinking.

However, Sutton speculates that another reason is that many start-up companies are in need of talented and young employees and most of the potential workers are mostly in their partying stage. Companies likewise think that allowing alcohol breaks enable their workers to work over extended hours. 

Sutton warns though that when drinking gets out of hand and if uncontrolled, it may weaken productivity, encourage rudeness and harassment, and affect the mental and physical health of workers. Moreover, Sutton advises that companies should also consider and protect employees who refuse to drink alcohol.

Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A

·         In what kind companies do you think is drinking an effective social activity?

·         What are other ways or activities can promote bonding at work?

Discussion B

·         In your opinion, how does drinking alcohol affect the performance of employees at work?

·         Do you think drinking alcohol benefits workers and companies? Please explain your answer.