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[Doo ^^]

[TOPIC 01] Cho’s death brings copycat fears

After the death on Sunday of Cho Sung-min, the ex-husband of late actress Choi Jin-sil and former professional baseball player, there are worries that interest in the story may lead to copycat deaths.

Cho, 39, was found dead in an apparent suicide on Jan. 6 at around 3:40 a.m., at his girlfriend’s apartment in Dogok-dong, Seoul, according to Suseo Police Station.

This shocking news is feared to encourage other people to attempt copycat suicides. When suicide is frequently talked about on the Internet, the suicide rate of South Korea is found to increase.

According to reports from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the fluctuation of Korea’s suicide rate from year 2005-2010 often matches the amount of relevant information searched on the Internet. In 2003, the number of people who died by suicide reached 28.1 per 100,000 people in South Korea.

The figure went down to 26.2 in 2006, but soon climbed again, reaching 33.5 in 2010.

“The frequency of typing the keyword ‘suicide’ into Google also increased,” said Song Tae-min of KIHASA.

Celebrity suicides are thought to have contributed to the increase. According to Song, vulnerable people may consider copycat suicides after going online, as celebrity cases tend to go viral on the Internet.

“During an unexpected increase of keywords such as ‘suicide’ or ‘stress’ on online search engines, providing various policy services to alleviate people’s urge to end their lives is necessary,” he added.

1. Why do you think people commit suicide?

2. Have you ever thought about committing suicide?

3. Why do you think people are more affected by celebrity suicides?

4. The suicide rate of South Korea is the No. 1 in the world. Let's talk about how to reduce the country's suicide rate?

5. When you get stress, how do you get rid of it?

[TOPIC 02] 2013 to be great for English students

The year 2013 will without doubt be a great year for many of us wondering what's in store for us. Expert forecasters are predicting it will be one of the best years ever. It will be one of those years when record numbers of people will stick to and keep their New Year's resolutions. That means millions of smokers will quit smoking and the overweight will make a more conscious effort to trim their waistlines. It should also be an easier year on the pocket as the world economy recovers slightly from its recent shocks and downturns. In technology, all eyes will be on Apple to see if it will launch another revolutionary product. Industry insiders say rumours are spreading of an Apple television.

There is also good news for those hoping to make gains with their English. An abundance of great new tools will hit the shelves of both online and traditional stores throughout the year. These will provide students with an unprecedented variety of products to help them in areas they want to improve on. The Internet will also see a lot more sites aimed at providing students with ways to interact with others around the world in English. More and more learners will study English in cyberspace from a growing army of online teachers. 2013 will also see record numbers of people studying abroad, but not just English - millions will start learning Chinese, as China grows increasingly important in business.

1. How do you use the Internet to study English?

2. Is online learning better than studying in a classroom?

3. What do you think of the idea of having an online teacher?

4. How was 2012 for you?

5. Are you full of optimism about 2013?

6. What are your New Year's resolutions and will you keep them?

[Gina(진아)]

땡큐 두^-^

[Positive kim]

감사합니다 ^^

[Victor Yun]

토픽 감사합니다~ 토요일날 만나요~

[Gina(진아)]

빅터~ 오랜만^-^

[Teddy(두희)]

수고했엉~~ ㅎㅎ

[Dexter(한동욱)]

토픽 감사드립니다.
6시 주제에 관하여 PRE-STUDY가 있으니 영어 토론이 부담스러우신 분은 참석하시면 되겠습니다.

[Bill Lee]

내일 굿모닝팝스 진행자 이근철 선생님 특강에 가게 됐습니다. 자꾸 불참해서 죄송스럽네요. MVP자격이 없는 것 같아요 저 ㅠㅠ. 다음주엔 꼭 참석하도록 할게요.