DAY146 University ends use of Mr, Ms and Mrs A university in South Africa has decided to no longer use titles such as Mr Ms or Mrs. The University of the Witwatersrand said it will stop using these titles on any form of communication with students. It took this decision to support people who were transgender or gender nonconforming. A statement from officials read: "The university realizes that it is invalidating and distressing for a person who for example was...female at birth but identifies as male to be constantly addressed by a nonaffirming title." It added that people who were transgender or non-binary are choosing the gender-neutral title "Mx," which is legally recognized in many countries across the world. The decision has been widely welcomed by the university community. The university said it, "opposes all public and private discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression". A university official said: "We want people in our university community to feel safe supported and ultimately respected. As a transgender person myself it means a lot being in a space which is welcoming." A law professor said the action was, "the most wonderful moment for true equality across a multitude of spectrums". She added: "It's a triumph for an understanding of the diversity of gender identity sexual orientation and the right to be respected for whomever you are." WORD CHECK UP Transgender Invalidating Affirm GIVE YOUR BEST ANSWER The article said a university will stop using the titles 'Dr' and 'professor'. T / F The university wants to stop using titles to support transgender people. T / F The university said it can be distressing for people to have to use titles. T / F Many transgender people are choosing to use the title 'Mx'. T / F Who does the university want to support? What did the university say titles might be, besides invalidating? What title are many transgender people choosing to use? Who has widely welcomed the decision not to use titles?
DAY 147 Hard sell!!! Gordon I finally made that sale. Alex Way to go! I know it was a hard sell. Gordon Tell me about it. Alex I'll treat you to a coffee to celebrate. It's not every day that you sell two million dollars worth of products. Gordon In that case, make mine a double cappuccino with extra foam. Alex Great! Here's the money. I'll have the same thing. Explanation : Hard sell - a method of selling in which the seller tries very hard to persuade the customer to buy something Example : Those brokers who call us at dinnertime find me a hard sell -- I usually just hang up on them. KEY WORDS AND PHRASE
DAY 148 Scientists record the sounds of the Sun What does the Sun sound like? Perhaps you have never thought about what kinds of sounds the Sun makes, but scientists have found out. Researchers from the European Space Agency, NASA and the Solar and Heliospheric Agency studied 20 years of data to listen to the Sun. They say the Sun produces a low, deep "heartbeat" sound. The scientists used a solar observatory to measure vibrations from the Sun. They translated these vibrations into different sounds. These can tell the scientists what is happening inside the Sun. They can now understand more about solar flares, chemical reactions and other phenomena that happen inside the Sun and on its surface. The scientists explained how they created the Sun's sound. Researchers from the Stanford Experimental Physics Lab turned data from the space agencies into a "song". Dr Alex Young said: "We don't have straightforward ways to look inside the Sun. We don't have a microscope to zoom inside the Sun, so using a star or the Sun's vibrations allows us to see inside of it." Dr Young continued: "Waves are travelling and bouncing around inside the Sun, and if your eyes were sensitive enough, they could actually see this." He added: "We are finally starting to understand the layers of the Sun and the complexity. That simple sound is giving us a probe inside a star. I think that's a pretty cool thing." SYNONYM MATCH GIVE YOUR BEST ANSWER What did the scientists say the Sun sounds like? What did the scientists measure and translate? What kind of reactions did the article say scientists could understand? What did Stanford scientists turn data into? The article said scientists used the Sun's sounds to make a poem. T / F Scientists said they have a big microscope to look at the Sun. T / F Scientists said many people could see waves bouncing around the Sun. T / F A scientist said it was cool that we could probe inside a star. T / F
Day 149 Cold calls!!! Stuart My finger is killing me. Moore Did you hurt it playing tennis? Stuart No, I've been making cold calls all day long. Moore Any luck? Stuart No. I think I need to try something different. Any suggestions? Moore Be tactful. Customers don't like a pushy salesperson. Stuart You might be right. That could be why I'm always getting hung up on. Explanation : Cold call - A telephone call or visit made to someone who is not known or not expecting contact, often in order to sell something. Example We were cold-called by a company offering savings on our phone bill. KEY WORDS AND PHRASE
DAY150 Doctors warn over application of suntan lotion Doctors are warning people to use suntan lotion correctly or risk serious burns or skin damage. The warning comes as much of the northern hemisphere swelters in record-breaking and deadly heatwaves. Japan has declared its heatwave a natural disaster as at least 80 people have died from heat-related conditions. The doctors say people are getting less than half the protection from the sun than they think. Their advice is to use lotion with the highest sun protection factor (SPF) possible. Many people wrongly believe SPF 15 is sufficient to block the sun's harmful UV rays. However, researchers say people need to use SPF 30 or 50 to make sure they are protected. The doctors highlighted another problem related to our use of suntan lotion - we do not use enough of it. Apparently, we are skimping on how much lotion we apply to our skin. Professor Anthony Young said most people apply lotion too thinly and often do not spread it on areas of the skin that are at risk. He said most people only get 40 per cent of the expected protection from SPF 50 lotion because they are applying it too thinly. People need to apply at least six teaspoons (36g) to cover their body. Doctors say we need to use more than half a teaspoon to cover the face, neck and ears. They warned us not to forget to put lotion on our ears, which we often neglect and are particularly prone to burning. PHRASE MATCH Give your best answer Doctors say we don't spread suntan lotion on thickly enough. T / F Doctors say people do not put lotion on at-risk areas of the skin. T / F People need over six teaspoons of lotion to cover their body. T / F Most people remember to put suntan lotion on their ears. T / F What SPF do researchers say we need? What additional problem did doctors describe? How do most people do wrong when applying suntan lotion? How many teaspoons of suntan lotion do we need to cover our body?