week six-U.S-Cuba relations

Celebrate new day for U.S-Cuba relations

August 14, 2015


  In 1999, I was communications director of a federal agency then known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service. I worked with the Department of Justice and State on the case of Elian Gonzalez, an adorable 5-year-old Cuban boy who was found floating in an inner tube off the coast of Florida late that year after his mother and others died attempting to reach the U.S.

  The case triggered a major political and cultural firestorm when Elian's father asked for his son to be returned to him in Cuba. The struggle that ensued was just another chapter in the island nation's storied, stormy and (nearly) nuclear past with the United States -- and back then I could hardly have imagined that this day could come.

  But it has, and today Secretary of State John Kerrymade history in Havana, Cuba, as he reopened the U.S. Embassy there. The visit marks the first time a secretary of state has traveled to Cuba in 70 years, and celebrates the official thawing of the relationship since the Cold War-era establishment of the Cuban embargo in 1962.

  Restoring diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, a step first announced last December, carries political controversy for President Obama. The vast majority of congressional(國會) Republicans(共和黨) and a few Democrats(民主黨) have harshly criticized the administration for having the audacity to step into what is known in Cuban American circles as the third rail of politics.

  But while the pain and the anger felt by the Cuban exile community about this issue is real and needs to be fully acknowledged, we also must admit that the embargo has been a failure, that we must take a different course.

  Last month President Obama noted that "there are those who want to turn back the clock and double down on a policy of isolation. But it's long past time for us to realize that this approach doesn't work. It hasn't worked for 50 years. It shuts America out of Cuba's future, and it only makes life worse for the Cuban people." He is right.

  After more than 50 years of isolation, it is time for the United States to change its strategy towards Cuba. We are no longer in the throes of the Cold War. We are not in a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union(前蘇聯). For 55 years, the United States has done everything possible to shut off key resources to the island in hopes of weakening the Castro regime to the point where it would collapse or be easily overthrown.

  But the perseverance and the staying power of the Castro regime has befuddled many, and the embargo has only worsened the suffering of the Cuban people. It has failed to spur the desired changes. Moreover, no other country in the world maintains an embargo against Cuba, making ours ineffective.

  Today's reopening of the embassy in Havana is an important step in restoring full diplomatic relations, but Obama can only do what is within the limits of his presidential powers. Only Congress can end the embargo, and President Obama has urged them to do so quickly. But in this do-nothing Republican Congress that opposes everything President Obama proposes, there is scant hope of this.

  The issue has even bled into the 2016 Presidential race, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner, delivering a key speech calling for ending the embargo, and closer ties with Cuba. She gave the speech at Florida International University, where Sen. Marco Rubio, a contender for the Republican 2016 presidential nomination, is a part-time teacher. In sharp contrast with Clinton, Rubio adamantly opposes any thawing of our relations with Cuba, or any loosening of the embargo.

  But Sen. Rubio and Republicans should take note that the country agrees with President Obama and the Democrats' approach to Cuba. In a survey by the Pew Research Center, 73% of Americans said they supported the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba. And 77% of respondents in five Latin American countries surveyed by Pew -- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela -- also supported the U.S. decision.

  Republicans oppose restoring ties because they believe it is a gift to the brutal Cuban dictatorship that has made tens of thousands of its citizens suffer and continues to violate their human and civil rights. But let us be very clear: This policy change does not reward the regime or deny human rights abuses by the regime. The United States will continue to denounce and condemn arbitrary harassment against Cuban citizens who seek to express their opinions.

網址:http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/14/opinions/cardona-cuba-relations/

 Structure of the Lead：

who: Obama and Raúl Casor

when:August 14, 2015 

what:reopening of the embassy

why:cold war

where:U.S. and Cuba

how:The United States will continue to denounce and condemn arbitrary harassment against Cuban citizens who seek to express their opinions

keywords:
embargo:禁止進入港口
shut off切斷
strategy:策略

restoration恢復

week seven-Nice Terror attack

Terror attack kills scores in Nice, France, Hollande says

July 15, 2016

  Scores of people were killed Thursday night when a large truck plowed through a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, in what President Francois Hollande called a terror attack.

   The death toll grew through the night, with Hollande saying 77 people died. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 80 people were killed.

  The driver first shot a gun into the crowd before driving two kilometers along the Promenade des Anglais, the main street in Nice, mowing down people who had gathered to watch fireworks, regional President Christian Estrosi told CNN affiliate BFM-TV.

  Police shot and killed the driver, said Pierre-Henry Brandet, a spokesman for the French Interior Ministry(法國內政部). Police found firearms, explosives and grenades in the truck, Estrosi said.

  "We cannot deny that it was a terror attack," Hollande said in a national television address. He added that the choice of the day -- Bastille Day, when France celebrates its post-French Revolution republic -- was particularly poignant.

   He said that the day is a "symbol of liberty," and that "human rights are denied by fanatics and France is quite clearly their target."

  Hollande recommended that an existing state of emergency, put in place in the wake of the Paris attacks in November 2015 and due to expire later this month, be extended for three further months.

  So far, no group has claimed responsibility. Anti-terror prosecutors(反恐檢察官) have taken over the investigation, according to BFMTV, citing the prosecutor's office.

  Leaders around the world have denounced the brutal incident.

  U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement saying, "We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack."

  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: "Canadians are shocked by tonight's attack in Nice. Our sympathy is with the victims, and our solidarity with the French people." Brazilian President Michel Temer tweeted: "It is regrettable that on the day [that] eternalized fraternity as the motto of the French people, an attack destroyed the lives of so many citizens."

  The United Nations condemned what it termed a "barbaric and cowardly" terror attack in Nice.As Asia woke up to the horrific news, India, China and South Korea's leaders added their voices to the chorus of condemnation.

  "India shares the pain (and) stands firmly with our French sisters (and) brothers in this hour of immense sadness," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

網址:http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/14/europe/nice-france-truck/

 Structure of the Lead：

who: score of people

when:Bastille Day, Thursday night

what:a large truck plowed through

why:not given

where:in Nice, in France

how: 80 people died, and the driver was killed by the police.

keywords:　

plow through 奮力穿過

terror attack 恐怖攻擊

gather 聚集

firearm 槍械

grenade 手榴彈

week four--Mars

Rover Curiosity lands safely on Mars

By Elizabeth Landau, CNN

Updated 0516 GMT (1316 HKT) August 6, 2012

  NASA's $2.5 billion rover, Curiosity, will make its dramatic entrance into Martian territory in a spectacle popularly known as the "seven minutes of terror." This jaw-dropping landing process, involving a sky crane and the world's largest supersonic parachute, allows the spacecraft carrying Curiosity to target the landing area that scientists have meticulously chosen.

  The spacecraft is "healthy and right on course," according to the latest update from NASA. Curiosity has been traveling away from Earth since November 26.

  In these layers, scientists are looking for organic molecules, which are necessary to create life. But even if Curiosity finds them, that's not proof that life existed -- after all, these molecules are found in bus exhaust and meteorites, too, says Steve Squyres, part of the Mars Science Laboratory science team.

  If there aren't any organics, that may suggest there's something on the planet destroying these molecules, says James Wray, assistant professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology and collaborator on the Curiosity science team. But if Curiosity detects them, Wray said, that might help scientists move from asking, "Was Mars ever habitable?" to "Did Mars actually host life?"

  "A successful landing will grant a huge breath of relief to the entire Mars science community tonight," Wray said in an e-mail. "And it will certainly keep NASA at the forefront of Mars exploration for at least the next few years."

  Liquid water is not something scientists expect to be apparent on Mars because the planet is so cold and dry, Squyres said. If the planet does harbor liquid water today, it would have to be deep below the surface, perhaps peeking out in a few special places, but not likely to be seen by Curiosity, Squyres said.

  It's hard to know how long ago liquid water would have been there because there's no mechanism to date the rocks that rovers find on Mars, Squyres said.

  Evidence from the spacecraft NASA has sent to Mars so far suggests that the "warm and wet" period on Mars lasted for the first billion years of the planet's history.

  "In order to create life, you need both the right environmental conditions -- which includes liquid water -- and you need the building blocks from which life is built, which includes organics," Squyres said. The Mars Science Laboratory is a precursor mission to sharper technology that could do life detection, Grotzinger said.

  There aren't specific molecules that scientists are looking for with Curiosity. The attitude is: "Let's go to an interesting place with good tools and find out what's there," Squyres said.

  Curiosity is supposed to last for two years on Mars, but it may operate longer -- after all, Spirit and Opportunity, which arrived on Mars in 2004, were each only supposed to last 90 Martian days. Spirit stopped communicating with NASA in 2010 after getting stuck in sand, and Opportunity is still going.

網址:http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/05/tech/mars-rover-curiosity/

Structure of the Lead：

who:Curiosity

when:August,6,2012

what:Curiosity has been traveling away from Earth since November 26

why:scientists are looking for orgsnic molecules,which are necessary to create life   

where:Mars

how:in order to create lige, you need both the right environmental conditions--which includes liquid water--and you need the building blocks from which life is built,which includes organic  

keywords:

Curiosity:好奇號

Mars:火星

organic molecules:有機分子

liquid water:液態水

cold and dry:冷又乾

week five--SpaceX makes historic rocket landing

 Fri April 08, 2016
  For the first time, SpaceX has successfully landed part of its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship. That occurred in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday afternoon.

  SpaceX launched the rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 4:43 p.m., sending the Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station.

  Elon Musk, head of the private space exploration company, held a press conference with NASA after lift off to speak about the launch and the landing of the rocket at sea -- a feat that was attempted numerous times by SpaceX in the past.

  "What was different about this [landing] is that the rocket landed instead of putting a hole in the ship or tipping over," Musk joked.

  As humans venture farther into space, there will be benefits to landing a rocket in the water versus landing one on Earth.

  "For half our missions, we will need to land out to sea. Anything beyond Earth is likely to need to land on the ship," Musk said, referring to the potential of future space habitats extending beyond Earth's orbit. Right now, ISS lies in lower Earth orbit.

  SpaceX and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin have been trying to master rocket landings for some time. SpaceX's landing could lead to possibilities of the company reusing rockets for future launches, potentially saving the company money and even time.

  "Reusability is important. It will take us a few years to make that efficient," Musk said. In the future, the billionaire businessman hopes that launches will be as frequent as every few weeks.

  "We will be successful when this become boring," Musk said.

  There was excitement all around with the SpaceX crew in Mission Control, Musk said. President Barack Obama shared a tweet congratulating Musk and NASA for their hard work and innovation.

  So what can top an historic rocket landing out at sea? There's a few upcoming projects that Musk is excited to see, such as recovering the Falcon 9's payload fairing, a structure that protects satellites when they are launched into orbit.

  Friday's ocean landing is one of many big moments to come, Musk explained.

  "This a really good milestone for spaceflight another step towards the stars," he said.

  As for the Dragon spacecraft, it is healthy and on its way to delivering 7,000 pounds worth of experiments and supplies to the International Space Center. It is set to arrive on Sunday, according to NASA.
網址:https://www.google.com.tw/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2016/04/08/tech/spacex-historic-rocket-landing-irpt/index.html?client=ms-android-samsung

Structure of the Lead：

who:Space X

when: Fri April 08, 2016

why:As humans venture farther into space, there will be benefits to landing a rocket in the water versus landing one on Earth .

where:is likely to need to land on the ship

how:not give

keywords:

Space X:太空探索科技公司

Falcon 9 rocket:獵鷹9號火箭

launch:發射

landing:著陸

drone ship:無人機船

orbit:軌道

payload fairing:有效載荷整流罩