Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line

Amazon is testing a grocery store in downtown Seattle that lets customers walk in, grab food from the shelves and walk out again, without ever having to stand in a checkout line. The Seattle-based company calls it, "Just walk out technology."

Customers tap their cellphones on a turnstile as they walk into the store, which logs them into the store's network and connects to their Amazon account through an app.The service is called Amazon Go. It uses machine learning, sensors and artificial intelligence to track items customers pick up. These are then added to the virtual cart on their app. If they pick up an item they later decide they don't want, putting it back on the shelf removes it from their cart. When the customer leaves, the app adds up everything the customer has taken and charges their Amazon account.

Amazon said it began to work on the project in 2012. It is currently being tested by Amazon employees at the location at 2131 7th Ave., near Amazon's offices, but will open to the public in early 2017, the company said.

The technology "is amazing," said Phil Lempert, a food marketing expert based in Los Angeles. He's even more intrigued by the multiple images of "meal kits" show in Amazon's video. These "everything you need to cook a quick, high-quality dinner" kits have become popular, but the economics of delivering them has meant they're difficult to make economically viable. Stores such as Amazon Go may provide a sweet spot for them.

"When you look at the store itself in the video (and presumably it is the actual store), they have done a great job of merchandising, and having "meal kits" available is simply brilliant. As the meal-kit industry struggles due to the shipping/logistics aspect," Amazon Go could be a venue where they could succeed, said Lempert.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. You don’t need to wait for change at the new store.

b. The customers’ bill is calculated by an app.

c. The store has been opened to the public recently.

d. Shoppers don’t have access to meal kits at the actual store.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following question in your own words.

a. What advantages does the new-concept store have for the customers?

b. What great job have they done at the store and why?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. follow (par.2)  b. at present (par.3)  c. distribute (par. 4) have problems, fight (par.5)  d. have problems, fight (par5)    e. ready for use (par. 6)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a.     The store is called Amazon Go and is being tested in Seattle.

 They …………………

b.     “We ackowledge some people may never be comfortable with the idea”

  The analysts said that ……..

c.     The grocery store markets are tough nuts to crack. Profit margins are low and competence is intense.

   If profit margins …………

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

What is your favourite store, and why?

Child labour

Global firms behind popular brands use palm oil produced by child workers in dangerous conditions, Amnesty International has claimed. The human rights organisation traced a range of well-known products back to the palm oil company Wilmar, which it alleged employs children to do back-breaking physical labour on refineries in Indonesia.

            In a 110-page report accompanied by a video, Amnesty alleged products sold by those companies were “tainted by appalling human rights abuses ... with children as young as eight working in hazardous conditions”. It called on the companies implicated to tell customers whether the palm oil in individual products were made using child labour.

            “These findings will shock any consumer who thinks they are making ethical choices in the supermarket when they buy products that claim to use sustainable palm oil,” said the senior Amnesty investigator Meghna Abraham. “There is nothing sustainable about palm oil that is produced using child labour and forced labour. Something is wrong when nine companies turning over a combined revenue of £260bn in 2015 are unable to do anything about the atrocious treatment of palm oil workers earning a pittance.” She said allegations of child labour at Wilmar were not “isolated incidents but are systemic and a predictable result of the way Wilmar does business”.

            In the report, Amnesty alleged that children aged from eight to 14 were carrying out dangerous work without safety equipment, were exposed to toxic pesticides and regularly carried sacks of palm fruit weighing 25kg. One 10-year-old boy, who claims he started working for a Wilmar supplier aged eight, said he gets up at 6am to gather fruit and works every day but Sunday. “I don’t go to school ... I carry the sacks with the loose fruit by myself but can only carry it half full. My hands hurt and my body aches,” he said.

            When approached by Amnesty, seven of nine companies admitted that they use palm oil from Wilmar’s Indonesian supply network but only two offered any detail about which products were affected. The two companies cited “traceability” as a factor in why they had not been aware of abuses at the plantations supplying them palm oil through Wilmar.

            “Using mealy mouthed excuses about ‘traceability’ is a total cop-out from those companies,” said Amnesty’s business and human rights programme director, Peter Frankental. “You can be sure that if one of these companies’ products were contaminated and had to be taken off the shelves of supermarkets, they would ensure that they could trace the source to specific plantations.”

            Wilmar said it was aware of allegations about labour rights abuses before it was contacted by Amnesty and was already taking steps to remedy any failings.  “Wilmar has put a lot of effort and systems in place to deal with labour and social issues in our operations and supply chain,” the company said. “We acknowledge that there are ongoing labour issues in the palm oil industry, and these issues could affect any palm company operating in Indonesia.

“The focus on Wilmar, as the largest processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils worldwide, is often used to draw attention to problems in the wider palm oil industry.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. A ten-year-old boy couldn’t carry a 25 kg palm fruit sack.

b. The companies investigated helped Amnesty.

c. Wilmar was trying to solve the problem before Amnesty’s report appeared.

d. Wilmar is only the tip of the iceberg.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. Why could some customers be shocked?

b. Does Mr Frankental accept the companies excuses for using Wilmar’s products? Why?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. dangerous, risky (p.2)                       b. do, fulfil (p.4)                                   c. collect (p. 4)

d. certain (p. 6)                         e. know (p. 7)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Wilmar employs children to do back-breaking physical labour.

            Children…

b. There is nothing sustainable about palm oil that is produced using child labour and forced labour.

            There isn’t...

c. The company said: “We acknowledge that there are ongoing labour issues in the palm oil industry, and these issues could affect any palm company operating in Indonesia.

            The company said that...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Living in the “first world” has many advantages.

Companies do not pay attention to human rights.

Don't wear white shirts or brown shoes if you want City job

Graduates who wear brown shoes and white shirts are missing out on top jobs at investment banks in the City, new research has found.

            A new study by the government’s social mobility watchdog found that employers are still using unspoken dress codes to weed out the wrong sort of person in City job interviews. Bright working class candidates are often rejected for jobs as they are unaware of the "opaque" dress codes that richer children grow up with, experts found.

            Firms also often select recruits who display “polish” and place as much importance on a person’s speech, accent, dress, behaviour and skills as on their skills and qualifications, researchers said.

            "Relatively opaque codes of conduct also extend to dress,” the report said. "To provide one example, for men, the wearing of brown shoes with a business suit is generally, though not always, considered unacceptable by and for British bankers within the investment banking, corporate finance division."

            A candidate from a non-privileged background was told at one bank that while he was “clearly quite sharp”, he was “not quite the right fit” and that his tie was “too loud”.

            One anonymous banker admitted that such discrimination was commonplace: “In corporate finance, if you've got the wrong cut of suit, if you are wearing the wrong shoes, or tie, or you look awkward in a suit, you're done before you start."

            The report also found that banks mostly hire from a handful of universities including Oxbridge and the London School of Economics (LSE)

            Alan Milburn, the Commission's chairman, said: "Bright working-class kids are being systematically locked out of top jobs in investment banking because they may not attend a small handful of elite universities or understand arcane culture rules. While there are some banks doing excellent work in reducing these barriers, there are still too many that need to wake-up and realise that it makes sound business sense to recruit people from all backgrounds.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Candidates are aware of the best way to dress to be recruited.

b. The more qualifications you have, the better to get a job in the City.

c. This way to choose a candidate is widely accepted among employers.

d. This way of recruiting employess is starting to change.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following question in your own words.

a. What aspects do companies take into consideration when recruiting?

b. Why was a candidate discriminated for a post in a bank?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. hidden (par.2) b. enigmatic (par.4)  c. ordinary (par.6) d. smart (par.8)  e. a few (par.8)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a.  Graduates who wear brown shoes and white shirts are missing out on top jobs at investment banks in the City.

            If graduates...

b.  Bright working-class kids are being systematically locked out of top jobs.

            Employers are...

c.  “There are some banks doing excellent work in reducing these barriers, there are still too many that need to wake-up”, he said.

            He said that...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Appearance is highly considered these days. What do you think?

Toblerone's trim: Is this the thin end of the wedge?

Here's the good news. There's no need to plan your January diet this year. The food brands are doing it for you. They're selling you a slimmed down version of their product for the same price.

            So while the checkout till rings up the same total as usual, your shopping bag may be considerably lighter because manufacturers are shaving costs by giving us slightly less chocolate, or fish or ice cream, in what looks like the usual packet. It's known as "shrinkflation". If the portion size is getting stingier - shrinking - but the price stays the same, then you're effectively paying more - inflation.

            For instance, as you'll no doubt have heard, the Toblerone is being redesigned for the UK market; its Alpine peaks are being eroded to compensate for the rising cost of ingredients, and a lighter bar is being sold for the same price. The 400g bar is now a 360g bar and instead of 15 peaks it boasts only 11.

            But - and here's the bad news - there could be more of it to come. According to the consumer organisation Which?, several brands were guilty of this "sneaky way of increasing prices" last year. Tropicana reduced the size of its Orange and Raspberry juice by 15%, packets of McVitie's Digestive dark chocolate biscuits lost around 10% in weight, and Princes is putting less mackerel in each of its tins. But thanks to the pound's recent weakness and higher costs of ingredients, manufacturers may be tempted to go further.

            "I think it's going to happen even more," says Ratula Chakraborty, retail specialist at the University of East Anglia. Manufacturers want to keep their prices low, and inflation is happening, commodity prices are changing, so who is going to pay for it? It will be you and I who pay for it." She thinks we should keep an eye on products across the board in coming months."I would say we should be watching out everywhere, food products, fresh produce, household products, grocery products."

            Toblerone's owner Mondelez says,” It is cost pressures that are behind the change. Cocoa in particular has risen sharply in price over the last decade. And the weaker pound since the UK's vote to leave the EU means it's even more expensive to pay for those kinds of raw ingredients on the world market.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Food packets change according to the amount of the product inside.

b. The Toblerone bar will be smaller everywhere.

c. Some other chocolate and biscuit brands reduced the weight of their products before   Toblerone did it.

d. Ratula Chakraborty is afraid that "shrinkflation" will be applied to a lot more products in the future.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words

a. How has the Toblerone bar changed?

b. What has made Toblerone’s manufacturers redesign its bar?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. reduce (par.1)              b. tricky, dishonest  (par.4)     c. attract, invite (par.4)

d. look closely (par.5)      e. unprocessed (par.6)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) They're selling you a slimmed down version of their product for the same price.

You ……………………………………………….

b) Cocoa prices will go down next year but prices won’t be reduced.

Even if …………………………………………..

c) Mondelez says,” It is cost pressures that are behind the change. Cocoa in particular has risen sharply in price over the last decade.”

Mondelez said …………………………………

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Which addictions are safer than others? Is it good to be addicted to something like chocolate?

Indian government declares Delhi air pollution an emergency

The Indian government has declared severe levels of toxic air pollution in Delhi an “emergency situation” as administrators announce a plan to temporarily shut construction sites and a coal-fired power station to bring the situation under control.

                Schools in the capital will be closed for three days and traffic may be rationed, following six days of heavy smog and concentrations of harmful particles so high they cannot be measured by most air quality instruments. The level of PM2.5 pollutants, which are the most harmful because they can reach deep into the lungs and breach the blood-brain barrier, have reached at least 999 in parts of the city this week, more than 16 times the safe limit of 60.

                On Sunday, Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced emergency measures aimed at protecting residents, including a five-day ban on construction and demolition, thought to be a major contributor to pollution levels.

                Kejriwal has called on neighbouring states to enforce laws against burning agricultural waste. Around this time each year, hundreds of thousands of farmers in Haryana and Punjab set their fields on fire to dispose of crop remnants, sending smoke billowing across India’s northern plains. The Delhi government is preparing to reintroduce a temporary scheme to only allow cars to drive on odd or even days depending on the last digit of their registration numbers.

                Airborne pollution in Delhi rarely stays within safe levels, even during summer, when winds are stronger and dust and droplets disperse more easily in the hot air. It is traditionally worst in the winter months, beginning with Diwali, when hundreds of thousands of fireworks are let off across the city. They leave a haze that usually last for two or three days, but has persisted for almost a week this year.

                The Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based NGO, has said the air quality is the worst the Indian capital had seen in 17 years. Hospitals in the city have reported increased admissions of people suffering respiratory diseases – of which India has the highest rate in the world, with 159 deaths per 100,000 people in 2012, according to the World Health Organisation. Children are particularly vulnerable, a 2015 study finding about half the city’s 4.4 million schoolchildren had stunted lung development and would never completely recover.

                Arti Maria, an associate professor of paediatrics at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital told local media the air was “killing presently”. “[The] presence of even little smoke is considered harmful for newborn and toddlers. The air quality right now can lead to slow brain development, mental irritation and psychological problems,” she said.

                The city struggled with poor air quality in the 1990s but managed to clear its atmosphere by raising emissions standards for vehicles, mandating its fleet of taxis and buses use compressed natural gas and moving some heavy industry to the outskirts of the city.

                Other than smoke from fires in neighbouring states, the city’s poor air is attributed to a combination of road dust, exhaust fumes, industrial emissions and open fires, including those lit by poorer residents to cook and keep warm.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a.  It is known how much pollution was reached.

b.  Farmers are used to burning their fields after harvesting.

c.  Fireworks make pollution increase.

d.  Smoke causes only respiratory diseases.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a.  When is there less pollution in India? Why?

b. How was pollution reduced before?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. toxic (par.2)                                     b. proposed to (par 3)                                       c. make stronger (par 4.)

d. harmless (par 5)                             e. fought (par 8)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. The Centre for Science and Environment has said the air quality is the worst the Indian capital had seen in 17 years

                The air quality...

b. The PM2.5 pollutants are the most harmful because they can reach deep into the lungs.

                Since...

c. Schools in the capital will be closed for three days and traffic may be rationed.

                The government...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Traffic shouldn’t be allowed in city centres. Do you agree?

Japan's high life expectancy linked to diet, study finds

The high life expectancy enjoyed in Japan is largely due to the nation's healthy diet, according to a new study. The population of the island nation, which has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world, eat diets high in certain carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits as well as fish and meat. Such foods make for a diet low in saturated fats, processed foods and high in carbohydrates gained from both rice and vegetables. 

The Japanese government outlined a recommended food guide for the nation in 2005. Around a decade later, researchers at the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo investigated how following the food guide affected the country’s mortality rate. The team analysed food and lifestyle questionnaires completed by 36,624 men and 42,920 women aged between 45 and 75, who had no history of cancer, stroke, heart or chronic liver diseases. The participants were tracked for 15 years. Researchers found that participants who closely followed the food guide had a 15 per cent lower mortality rate. Such participants were less likely to have cerebrovascular vascular disease: a term used to describe conditions caused by problem with blood supply to the brain. 

The study concluded: “Our findings suggest that balanced consumption of energy, grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs, soy products, dairy products, confectionaries, and alcoholic beverages can contribute to longevity by decreasing the risk of death, predominantly from cardiovascular disease, in the Japanese population.” 

James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute who was not involved in the study,said : “We can learn a lot about how to be healthy from the Japanese, and it really comes down to ‘eat real food’ and ‘exercise.” He added that the combination of high quality foods low in saturated fats was particularly important. 

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Most Japanese people follow a vegetarian diet.

b. The people who followed thr food guide suffered less brain disease.

c. Those involved in the study had to answer some questions about their eating habits.

d. If you want to stay healthy, you shouldn’t drink any alcohol.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What has the Japanese government done to keep the mortality rate low?

b. What kind of things can you consume to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. treat (par.1)                   b. word  (par.2)                               c. lasting a long time (par.2)

d. sweets (par.3)               e. reduce (par.3)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a “We can learn a lot about how to be healthy from the Japanese, and it really comes down to ‘eat real food’ and ‘exercise.”

James Dinicolantonio said that ………………………………

b. Your risk of death is higher if your consumption of alcohol is not balanced.

If your consumption ……………………………………….         

c. Japanese people enjoy a high life expectancy due to their healthy diet.

Japanese people enjoy a high life expectancy because …………………..

           

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

                Is it possible to have a healthy life in modern world?

Chocolate makes you smarter, study suggests

Eating chocolate is good for your heart, reduces the risk of strokes and even helps protect your skin from the sun. Now, another apparent benefit has been added to the list of chocolate's nutritional qualities: it makes you smarter. A study, published recently in the journal Appetite, indicated that people who eat chocolate at least once a week saw their memory and abstract thinking improve.

            “It's significant as it touches a number of cognitive domains,” psychologist Merrill Elias, one of the leaders of the study, told the Washington Post. Mr Elias began studying the cognitive abilities of more than 1,000 people in the state of New York in the 1970s, initially looking at the relationship between people's blood pressure and brain performance.

            About 15 years ago, he decided to ask participants what they were eating, adding a new set of questions about dietary habits. Leading the analysis of the study was Georgina Crichton, a nutrition researcher at the University of South Australia. Ms Crichton recognised the study presented a unique opportunity to examine the effects of chocolate on the brain, using a large sample size.

            Examining the scores on cognitive tests of participants who ate chocolate less than once a week and those who ate it at least once a week, the researchers found eating chocolate was strongly linked to superior brain function. The benefits would mean you would be better at daily tasks "such as remembering a phone number, or your shopping list, or being able to do two things at once, like talking and driving at the same time".

            "Our study definitely indicates that the direction is not that cognitive ability affects chocolate consumption, but that chocolate consumption affects cognitive ability". They found cognitive ability does not predict whether you a chocolate eater or not.

            Why this is the case remains uncertain. However, previous studies have shown that food containing nutrients called flavanols, such as chocolate, improves brain function.In 2009, another research found mental arithmetic became easier and chocolate has also been found to help ward off memory loss, even in the elderly.

           

            However, Mr Elias stressed they weren't suggesting people stuffed their faces with chocolate bars all week. "I think what we can say for now is that you can eat small amounts of chocolate without guilt if you don't substitute chocolate for a normal balanced healthy diet," he added.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Diet was a key factor in the study at first.

b. The number of participants in the study offered favourable circumstances to the researchers.

c. It's not only chocolate that helps make your brain function better.

d. The study recommends eating much more chocolate.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What are some of the benefits of eating chocolate mentioned in the text?

b. What is Mr Ellias last recommendation?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. marks p.3                                       b. exceptional p.3                   c. chores p.4

d. to protect against p.6                     e. fault, blame p.7

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Georgina Crichton is a nutrition researcher. Ms Crichton recognised the study presented a unique opportunity.

            Georgina Crichton...

b.   Examining the scores on cognitive tests, the researchers found eating chocolate was strongly linked to superior brain function.

            If the researchers...

c. Chocolate has also been found to help ward off memory loss.

            Researchers...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

“Eating recommendations are constantly changing”. What do you think?

Comet in night sky this month will be closest for 246 years

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1037432/original.jpg

On March 22 this year, comet P/2016 BA14 PanSTARRS – will soar past the planet at a distance of just 2.1 million miles, or nine lunar distances.  It is the closest a comet has flown to the Earth since July 1770, when Lexell’s Comet passed at 1.4 million miles, so close that astronomer Charles Messier recorded that its coma looked four times the size of the full Moon.

Captain Cook, sailing in the South Pacific, saw the comet for the first time shortly before dawn on August 30 and measured its tail at 42°.

However, Pan-STARRS– named after the observatory in Hawaii that first spotted it – is unlikely to put on such a spectacular display. Travelling at 31,345 miles per hour (50,445 km/h), its course means that although it is close to our planet, it is far away from the Sun, making it look very dim. It will be the third-closest known comet to pass our planet in recorded history and it may produce some meteors in the 48 hours leading up to its approach.

It is the first time the comet has ever been spotted and some astronomers have speculated that it may be a piece of comet 252P/LINEAR 12 which has broken off.  252P/LINEAR 12 will pass at a distance of 3.2 million miles on March 21.

Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Association.  “252P/Linear 12 will need very large binoculars or a decent telescope, and P/2016 BA14 will be even fainter.

Professional stargazers are planning to use the Hubble Space Telescope to look at both comets in detail.  Light given off by the comets acts like a fingerprint so scientists will be able to work out if the bodies were originally one.

Comets are different to asteroids as they are made up of gas and ice rather than rock or metal. It is thought they could have seeded Earth with the building blocks of life, bringing huge amounts of chemicals and water.

Question 1 (2 points)  Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a.  P/2016 BA14 PanSTARRS will pass nearer to the earth than Lexell’s Comet did.
b.  PanSTARRS was first seen by scientists in Hawaii.
c.   PanSTARRS might have originally been part of another comet.
d.  Comets contain the same material as asteroids.

Question 2  (2 points)  Answer the following questions in your own words.
a.   What did Messier and Captain Cook note down about Lexell’s Comet?
b.   How are professionals going to observe the comets?

Question 3 (1·5 points)  Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. fly high  (para. 1)     b.  not bright  (para. 3)     c.  to suggest  (para. 4)  
d.  to emit   (para. 5)   e.  large  (para. 6)

Question 4   (1.5 points)  Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a.  PanSTARRS’ course means that it is far from the sun, making it look very dim.
If PanSTARRS’ course ….
b.  People will need very large binoculars or a decent telescope to see the comet.
Very large …
c.  “Light given off by the comets acts like a fingerprint so scientists will be able to work out if the bodies were originally one.”
Scientists explained that light ….

Question 5  (3 points)  Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic: 
Why should we spend money on space exploration when we have so many problems here on planet Earth?