Internal Training Systems

Samoa to change its time zone

Aaron — Sat, 14 May 2011 10:45:53 +0000

The Pacific island of Samoa is planning to move forward to a different time zone to help boost business. Samoa is currently 21 hours behind Australia, which is one of its biggest trading partners. The change in time zone is due to happen later in 2011.

Reporter: Mike Wooldridge

Samoa markets itself as the last place on earth to see each day's sunset

When Samoa put itself on the east side of the international dateline back in 1892, it was apparently to do same-day business with Californian traders across the Pacific. Now the main trading partners are nearby New Zealand and Australia and countries in East Asia.

But on Sunday when Samoans are in church, cities such as Sydney and Brisbane are already into Monday and the new working week. And while Samoans are still doing business on Friday, Australians and New Zealanders have already begun their weekend.

There will be a price to pay: Samoa markets itself as the last place on earth to witness each day’s sunset. But to compensate, the prime minister has another proposition for those who enjoy travel curiosities. By making a flight of less than an hour from the US territory of American Samoa, which isn’t moving across the dateline, it will be possible to celebrate the same day twice – and on the same date, have two birthdays, two anniversaries or even two weddings.

Mike Wooldridge, BBC News
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Vocabulary

the international dateline
the imaginary line which runs from north to south across the Pacific Ocean, marking the final place where one day ends and the first where a new one begins
same-day business
trading between people or companies which happens on one day
traders
here, people who buy and sell fruit and other crops
in church
attending a church
into Monday
living in Monday (while it is still Sunday in Samoa)
a price to pay
a negative result or consequence
to compensate
to make up for it
proposition
serious suggestion or suggested course of action
travel curiosities
surprising or interesting journeys or experiences
anniversaries
here, the day each year when a couple celebrate the date they got married or when their relationship started
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What do you think?
Does this mean it will now be the first place on earth to start the day?
are they going to lose a day or gain one
if you are late for work, do you just hop over to the next island and call your boss from there?

Microsoft is buying Skype

Aaron — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:46:36 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed it will buy the internet phone service Skype. The $8.5 billion deal will connect Microsoft with the 663 million people around the world who use Skype. It is the most money Microsoft has spent to buy another company.

Reporter: Rory Cellan-Jones

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (left) and Skype boss Tony Bates

One is the giant business, whose software powers more than 90% of the world’s computers. The other is the firm, which has revolutionised the way many communicate. Now Skype is being swallowed up by Microsoft.

It’s just eight years since Skype started helping people to make calls over the internet for nothing, and this is the third time it’s been bought and sold.

Microsoft has been struggling to prove it can compete with the likes of Google and Apple. Now as it tries to make an impact on the mobile-phone world, it wants Skype to help it become a bigger force.

Skype is now used by 170 million people around the world (each month), not just on their computers, but on the move – on their mobile phones and even on their tablet devices.

Microsoft wants to tap in to this connected community, but it’s paying a huge price for a business that isn’t even profitable.
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Vocabulary

powers
here, runs, or allows the computer to operate effectively
revolutionised
introduced very big changes or new ideas to
swallowed up
here, bought and taken over by a larger company
over the internet
using a computer connected to the internet
the likes of
here, companies such as
to make an impact on
to be successful and have a strong effect on
a bigger force
here, a larger organisation with more influence
on the move
while travelling
to tap in to
to become involved in or to make use of
connected community
group of people who are linked or in contact with each other ____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think?
The investors are going wild trying to convert their money into goods prices are soring! time for the next bubble to burst?
What do you think?

Portugal reaches financial aid deal

Aaron — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:01:50 +0000

Portugal’s caretaker prime minister Jose Socrates says he has reached agreement on a financial aid deal with the EU and the International Monetary Fund. The plan includes cuts in government spending as well as selling off state-owned assets.

Reporter: Alison Roberts

Portuguese opinion is split over the bail out

In a statement with distinctly political overtones, no doubt with next month’s general election in mind, the prime minister on Tuesday night focused more on what is not included in the €78 billion package than what is.

There will, he assured the Portuguese people he was addressing in a live television broadcast, be no more cuts in public sector salaries, no abolition of holiday and Christmas bonuses, and no freeze in the lowest pensions – some of which in Portugal, are well below €300 a month.

Essentially, Mr Socrates stressed, the plan coincides with the austerity package parliament rejected last month, leading to the minority Socialist government’s resignation, but is more far-reaching in some areas and calls for rigorous analysis and monitoring of progress. And, he said, it also includes some labour market reforms that he did not detail.

More information, and less politics, is expected from IMF and EU officials on Wednesday. Portugal’s right-of-centre opposition parties, which have been consulted by the visiting officials during the past two weeks, had said they backed the bailout bid in principle.

Alison Roberts, BBC News, Lisbon
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Vocabulary

overtones
suggested qualities or characteristics, which are not displayed openly
abolition
official ending or stopping
well below
here, a number much less than
austerity package
government policy to save money, including large spending cuts
far-reaching
affecting something greatly, in many ways
rigorous
thorough and detailed
labour market
all the people who want to work at a particular time, and the number of jobs available for them
detail
explain or specify
right-of-centre
political view which is slightly conservative or right-wing
backed
supported _____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think?
Is this the beginning of the end? After Greece and Ireland now Portugal has had immense loans forced upon an economy that couldn’t sustain itself. What will happen if this carries on? Could it mean the downfall of a complete monetary system? What do you think?

Inventor of show business machine dies

Aaron — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:17:23 +0000

Engineer Hubert Schlafly Jr, inventor of a machine that changed show business forever, has died aged 91. The teleprompter or autocue, used by actors, newsreaders and politicians worldwide, helps them remember what to say.

Reporter: Maddy Savage

US President Barack Obama stands behind his teleprompter

Almost anyone who’s given a speech, led a meeting or acted on stage will recognise that sick feeling you get when you can’t remember what you were about to say next.

More than half a century ago, a team of engineers at one of America’s biggest film studios was asked to help solve the problem for Hollywood’s stars of the moment. Hubert J Schlafly Junior was a key member of the group, which arranged for the actors’ lines to be printed on a scroll of paper – which was put on a moving motor inside a suitcase next to a camera. The actors could glance at the paper if they forgot what was coming up.

The device was tested on the set of a US soap opera and adopted by the former US President Herbert Hoover – two years later. Updated electrical versions are still popular with politicians and actors around the world. In fact, the machine is used so widely that some have been criticised for relying on it.

According to a close friend, Hubert Schlafly didn’t use a teleprompter himself until three years ago, when he was rehearsing a speech for his induction into the Cable Television Hall of Fame.

Charles Dolan, who chairs one of America’s leading cable companies, has described him as the industry’s ‘most innovative engineer’.

Maddy Savage, BBC News
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Vocabulary

that sick feeling
extreme nervousness, a sense of approaching disaster
half a century ago
50 years previously
stars of the moment
celebrities who were most popular at the time
lines
words that are said during a film, play or speech
a scroll of paper
a roll of writing material
glance at
quickly look at
soap opera
regular TV or radio programme telling the story of a group of people in a dramatic or sentimental way
relying on
depending on, needing, trusting
induction into
introduction to, inclusion as a new member of
innovative
creative, original _____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you think?

I think this is just another device that stops us using our brain!
years ago a five page sheet was memorised, now it is read word for word of a sheet of glass!
is this better ?

Goodbye to typewriters

Aaron — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:04:58 +0000

The typewriter, rather than the computer, was responsible for creating the modern office. But now, the only company in the world that still makes and sells them says there are just 500 left, and no more are to be made.

Reporter: Mark Gregory

Computers have largely replaced typewriters today

India is well known for its legions of computer programmers, but the country also has another face as the last bastion of the typewriter. Manual typewriters stayed popular in India long after developed nations had entirely switched to the keyboard and
mouse.

As recently as the 1990s, the Mumbai plant of a company named Godrej and Boyce was turning out 50,000 typewriters a year. They were popular in a nation where reliable electricity supplies – essential for computers – are still by no means guaranteed.

But even in India, typewriter sales have slumped in the last ten years. Gradually, every manufacturer stopped making them, leaving only Godrej’s Mumbai plant – and that switched to making fridges two years ago. And now the firm says it only has 500 typewriters left in stock.

It’s a far cry from the heyday of the 1950s, when India’s then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru held up the humble typewriter as a symbol of the nation’s independence and industrialisation.

The first commercial typewriters were produced in the United States in the 1860s. The typewriter was the dominant office technology for more than a century until the computer came along.

Mark Gregory, BBC News
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Vocabulary

legions of
large numbers of
another face
a different side or aspect to
the last bastion
the final supporter, the last safe place
manual
here, non electric
turning out
producing, making, manufacturing
slumped
fallen severely, become very low in numbers
in stock
available for sale
a far cry from
extremely different to
the heyday of
the most popular and successful time of
humble
modest, lowly, meek
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What do you think?

Or should I say, “what do you remember”?

Have you ever used a typewriter, did you do a course to learn how?

I can remember thinking that an electric typewriter was modern!!

Just goes to show how old I am

Female players get football league in England

Aaron — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:59:43 +0000

A new Super League is being launched for some of the top English ladies’ teams including Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. England’s Football Association is hoping the league will attract more supporters to the sport.

Reporter: Maddy Savage

Women's football is growing in popularity

Women’s football – or soccer as it’s known in many countries – has been played in England for more than a hundred years. But, unlike men’s football, it’s always been an amateur game. The new Super League will be the first semi-professional competition for women, with eight teams from across the country competing for the title.

The players will get paid for their efforts, although their salaries will be nothing like those given to top male football stars. The Football Association says it hopes to avoid uneven competition, where a country’s richest clubs get access to all the best players.

Each club in the women’s Super League will have a maximum annual budget of around $400,000. Some clubs, like Arsenal and Everton, will be helped by their respective male clubs, but others are trying to match their incomes by coaching school pupils or raising money through social events.

Organisers are hoping the league will eventually attract the world’s best female players and stop England’s top stars heading to Germany and the United States, where there are already major professional competitions.

Maddy Savage, BBC News
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Vocabulary

unlike
not similar to
amateur
not professional, not done for money
efforts
attempts to do something
avoid
stay away from, prevent meeting
uneven
unbalanced, unequal
budget
amount of money available
to match
to equal
incomes
monies or amounts regularly earned
eventually
some time in the future, probably after delays or problems
heading to
going to, leaving for

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This sounds like a good idea, even though I don’t like footbal!

this will certainly show how money driven the male side of it is

What do you think?

Jordan launches largest online antiquities catalogue

Aaron — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:52:02 +0000

The newest and biggest online database of historic objects in the world has been launched in Jordan. The Middle Eastern Geodatabase for Antiquities, Mega, has information on all of Jordan’s 11,000 historic sites.

Reporter: Dale Gavlak

The temples at Petra, Jordan are a popular tourist attraction

Lying at the crossroads of three continents, Jordan hosts a number of World Heritage sites. The most famous is the spectacular 2,000 year-old rose rock city of Petra, which draws some one million tourists every year. But the country also is chock full of other historic sites dating from the Neolithic Age, through Biblical times to the Crusades and Ottoman times.

The online system will define the boundaries of each Jordanian site, which is key to preventing urban encroachment on antiquities zones. Government authorities can use the system to plan strategies for research and tourism development. Meanwhile, field inspectors can quickly report theft or damage by those visiting the sites.

Mega is expected to be used elsewhere, particularly in neighbouring Iraq, which has witnessed wide-scale damage and theft of its extensive archaeological treasures.

Dale Gavlak, BBC News, Amman
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Vocabulary

at the crossroads of
at the meeting point of
hosts
is home to
draws
attracts
chock full of
packed with
key to
essential in
urban encroachment
the expansion of towns and cities into areas where people do not normally live
antiquities zones
sites where items of historical importance have been dug up
field inspectors
here, experts who visit and study historic sites
neighbouring
directly next to, or adjoining
witnessed
here, experience
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This sounds like a good move as long as they spend more time keeping an eye on the tourists instead of just their money. Petra has suffered a lot through stupid tourists actually carving their names into the rock – how unappreciative, stupid and childish can you be?

What do you think?

India ‘telecoms scam’ goes to court

Aaron — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 06:32:30 +0000

India’s former telecoms minister has appeared in court over allegations of an almost $40 billion fraud. He is charged with accepting bribes in return for selling mobile phone licences for much less than they were actually worth.

Reporter: Sanjoy Majumder

Andimuthu Raja was forced to resign from the Indian government

Andimuthu Raja and seven others, including two former bureaucrats, will be produced in a special court, which is expected to hold daily hearings, in one of the most high-profile trials in India. He’s been charged with conspiracy, forgery and abuse of power. If convicted, he faces seven years in prison.

Mr Raja is accused of selling second-generation mobile phone licenses in 2008, at a fraction of their real value, an action estimated to have cost the government nearly $40 billion in lost revenue. He was forced to resign from the government and was arrested in February and has been in prison since.

The telecom scam has badly damaged the reputation of the government, which has been hit by a series of corruption scandals. Last week, wide public protests, led by an anti-corruption crusader, forced it to begin proceedings to strengthen India’s anti-graft laws.

Sanjoy Majumder, BBC News, Delhi
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Vocabulary

bureaucrats
officials who work for governments or other large organisations and follow rules very strictly
conspiracy
planning to carry out illegal activities
forgery
production of false or fake copies of something valuable (e.g. money or documents)
abuse of power
taking advantage of a position of authority in a selfish way
a fraction of
a small amount of
lost revenue
money which could have been earned
scam
illegal or dishonest scheme for making money
hit by
badly affected by
proceedings
an organised series of events or actions
anti-graft laws
regulations preventing powerful people from obtaining money dishonestly
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What do you think?
The First and foremost rules of cheating or stealing have to be followed to avoid this 1. don’t get caught 2. if you do get caught, make sure enough of the cash is left over to bribe your accusers

Japanese garbage island moves towards US

Aaron — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 08:15:52 +0000

Following the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami disasters, a massive amount of rubbish has washed into the Pacific Ocean. The US Navy is watching the garbage with interest as it floats towards Hawaii and the west coast of the United States.

Reporter: Mark Lobel

The debris is floating towards the west coast of America

Entire houses, bodies, car parts, tractors and many upturned boats have amassed off the east coast of Japan on an epic scale.

The floating objects have been declared a maritime hazard by the American Navy, which warned they could pierce the body of a boat, or destroy engines in the Pacific’s shipping lanes.

The island of debris of most concern, 110 kilometres long, is being closely monitored by the US Navy’s seventh fleet, as experts predict it could hit Hawaii’s shores in two years and the American west coast a year later.

Hawaiian scientists put it bluntly. They warned that a vast mess that originated in a few moments of destruction in Japan, could eventually foul beaches and reefs off the Eastern North Pacific and kill marine life.

The American Navy’s working with civilian construction companies from the earthquake-hit country, as huge cranes and boats are deployed to clear the seas of this vast bobbing mass of wreckage of household furniture, wood, tyres, fishing equipment and other garbage, sweeping eastwards.

Mark Lobel, BBC News
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Vocabulary

amassed
gathered or collected a large amount
an epic scale
a big or impressive size
a maritime hazard
a danger, encountered while at sea
pierce
puncture or damage the outer layer of
shipping lanes
routes travelled by ships and boats at sea
island of debris
here, large mound of wreckage or garbage
bluntly
honestly or directly
foul
here, make a dirty mess on
deployed
sent or assigned
bobbing
moving up and down with the currents of the sea
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What do you think?
This is a major tragedy that isn’t over with yet but it is also a good idea for getting rid of rubbish! Sorry, bad sense of humour!

Australia’s plan to ban cigarette logos

Aaron — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:42:39 +0000

Australia has unveiled what it claims are the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world. They would completely ban logos and branding on packets of cigarettes. Packets would also be plain olive green; the colour that smokers apparently find least attractive.

Reporter: Nick Bryant

The Australian government wants to put people off smoking

The colour olive green is the latest weapon in the ongoing battle between the Australian government and big tobacco. Under aggressive new proposals, billed as the toughest in the world, every packet of cigarettes sold in Australia would be packaged in that colour after research showed that olive green was the most off-putting for smokers.

Logos and any form of distinct branding would be completely banned. Instead, the brand names would appear in a standard size and font, making them as bland and anonymous as possible. A greater area of the packaging would also be taken up with grotesque pictures of cancerous tumours and the health effects of tobacco.

Claiming a global first, the Australian government says it wants to remove any remaining glamour from cigarettes, but the big tobacco companies have questioned the legality of the legislation.

Worried about the possible worldwide knock-on effects of Australia introducing such stringent regulations, they’ve vowed to put up a fight – saying the new measures infringe international trademark and intellectual property laws.

Nick Bryant, BBC News
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Vocabulary

proposals
suggestions or plans
off-putting
repellent, or something which makes you want to avoid it
branding
designs or logos which identify a product as being made by a certain company
anonymous
unidentified, or unrecognisable
grotesque
very unpleasant or ugly in appearance
glamour
something which is viewed as attractive and exciting
legislation
a law or laws passed by a government
knock-on effects
things which happen as a result of an earlier event
stringent regulations
strictly or tightly controlled rules and laws
infringe
violate or breac
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What do you think?

What a load of rubbish! As if we didn’t have enough problems in the World today, the politicians have got nothing better to do than further restrict the individual. These people really do blow like flags in the wind. When are these people going to wake up to what is really important in life? If they would spend half the time they spend on stupid ideas like and spend that time sorting out conflicts and the economy, the press would have nothing bad to report on anymore. Did you know that an approximate 45% of the population in Germany has an alcohol problem and with this causes immense costs and unnecessary deaths each year? Why is that not on the news and why aren’t they bring out better laws to curb this waste?

What do you think? Or haven’t you got a voice?