[Topics on 11.16} Please Make Sure to Touch Topics in Advance & Post a Comment

[Bill Lee]

Topic 1. Singapore tackles jobs controversy

This park - just slightly smaller than a football field - is the only place that Singaporeans are allowed to gather to protest. Earlier this month, a few hundred gathered to demonstrate against a government proposal to boost the nation's population to nearly 7 million from the current 5 and a half. On an island that's just 700 square kilometres large, it's more than an issue of overcrowding, it may mean foreigners taking away jobs. Decades-long government controls has meant that political protests like these in Singapore are rare, but already there's been three of these gatherings this year: a sign of just how strongly Singaporeans feel about the issue.

Some of these recent government measures include requiring companies to consider hiring locals before foreigners. But boasting a low unemployment rate of just around 2 percent, the problem isn't about lack of jobs but salaries that have stayed stagnant for many locals. An influx of lower-cost workers from abroad has kept salaries in blue-collar jobs, in particular, low. It's meant Singapore now has amongst the widest gaps between rich and poor in the world. It may be part of the reason why Singapore's government, led by the ruling party PAP, has been losing popularity amongst voters.

★ football field 축구장 (미국영어 : soccer field)

★ demonstrate 보여주다, 시위에 참여하다= take part in a public demonstration:

e.g. thousands demonstrated in favour of the government

= give a practical exhibition and explanation of (how a machine, skill, or craft works or is performed):

e.g. computerized design methods will be demonstrated

e.g. she demonstrated how to cook chops (Oxford)

★ overcrowding 초만원, 과밀

e.g. severe overcrowding at a football match

★ feel strongly about something ~에 대해 강하게 느끼다, 확고한 견해를 갖다

e.g. This is an issue I feel strongly about. (Oxford)

★ measure (noun) 조치, 정책, 방안

e.g. a temporary/an emergency measure 임시/비상조치 (Oxford)

★ local (noun) 현지인, 주민

e.g. The locals are very friendly. 지역 주민들이 아주 친절하다. (Oxford)

★ stagnant 침체되다, 정체되다, 부진하다 = showing no activity; dull and sluggish:

e.g. stagnant economy (Oxford)

★ influx 유입 = an arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things:

e.g. a massive influx of tourists (Oxford)

★ ruling party 여당 (↔ opposition party 야당)

1. Have you ever thought of overseas employment? Why?

2. Have you ever taken part in working holiday? If so, How was it?

3. If you have the opportunity of overseas employment, what country do you want to go?

4. If you are forced to choose between wage and satisfaction, what would you choose? or Do you have anything else?

5. If you currently work at, what kind of things do you like or not in your company? If you don't work, what kind of company benefits do you want?

6. Have you ever suffered for preparing your job?

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Topic 2. Spinal Implant Promises Back Pain Relief

Maria Tricoli says for the first time in five years, she's enjoying playing with her three kids, pain free. But chronic back pain also kept her from everyday duties like cooking or cleaning for her family. “It's a gnawing, sometimes burning, sometimes stabbing. It could stop me in my tracks.” Maria and a slew of doctors tried everything from massage to herbal medicine. “I saw more than 27 specialists. I must have done physical therapy six separate times. I had tried holistic acupuncture.” In 2010 when her back pain began turning her arm cold and blue, Maria says she was forced to give up her job. “For the first time in my life, I was not in control. The pain kind of controlled me.” Finally, Maria saw a doctor who suggested a spinal cord stimulator, a device surgically implanted near a person’s spine, designed to send electrical pulses to the spinal cord. In theory, these pulses interfere with the nerve impulses that make you feel pain.

★ chronic back pain 만성적인 허리 통증/ ★ physical therapy 물리 치료/ ★ holistic acupuncture 심신통합 침술, 전인적 의료로서의 침술/ ★ stop me in my tracks 발길을 멈추게 하다/ ★ spine 척추/ ★ spinal cord 척수/ ★ spinal cord stimulator 척수신경자극기/ ★ a slew of 수많은/ ★ herbal medicine 한약/ ★ specialist 전문의/ ★ give up one’s job 직장을 그만두다/ ★ in theory 이론적으로/ ★ electrical pulse 전기 자극/ ★ nerve impulse 신경 자극

1. How many times have you ever fallen ill?

2. Have you ever undergone any surgery?

3. What kind of disease made life difficult for you the worst?

4. Between Oriental medicine and Western medicine, what would you prefer more?

5. How many home remedies or wrong knowledges about remedies do you know?

6. Do you happen to believe the Placebo effect like Yakson?

[Teddy(두희)]

good job billy~^^//

[Positive kim]

빌리 고맙다 ㅋㅋ이번주는 봅세

[코리강_강효중]

Good!