Extensive Reading Lesson 44

金浩茶油致癌物超标

据新华社报道，湖南省质监官员周二时承认，5个月前金浩公司曾秘密召回致癌物苯并(a)芘严重超标的金浩茶油。据悉，金浩公司是该省著名食用油生产商。此前，《世纪周刊》报道称，召回的金浩茶油的苯并(a)芘含量超标6倍。金浩公司昨天向消费者发出致歉信，并在信中披露了被召回产品的详细信息。

儿童免费接种麻疹疫苗

据《新京报》报道，中国卫生部将在本月11至20日开展全国范围内的麻疹疫苗接种工作，1亿名14岁以下儿童将免费接种。本次接种采用自愿原则，家长可以主动带孩子去定点医院接种。儿童在麻疹疫苗接种完成以后，必须要在现场留观半个小时，防止过敏现象发生。我国计划在2012年完全消灭麻疹传染病。

巴以谈判启动

据美联社报道，在中东新一轮暴力阴云的笼罩之下，美国总统奥巴马于周三召集以色列与巴勒斯坦进行两年来的首次直接谈判。巴勒斯坦总统马哈茂德·阿巴斯和以色列总理本杰明·内塔尼亚胡定于周四在美国国务院开始进行面对面的谈判。谈判声称是为了在保证以色列安全的同时，建立一个巴勒斯坦主权国家。内塔尼亚胡表示以方渴望的是长久和平，而非战争间的停火间隔。阿巴斯呼吁以方停止在巴勒斯坦未来的国土上建设定居点，并停止对加沙地带的封锁。定居点问题乃是阻止巴以达成持久和平的核心障碍。

维基泄密创办人再遭调查

据美联社报道，瑞典高级检察官于周三重启对维基泄密创办人朱利安·阿桑奇的调查，阿桑奇被控强奸。上周法院决定不受理此案，因为没有足够的证据证明阿桑奇强奸一瑞典女性。但此妇女的律师进行就此决定进行了上诉。检察官玛丽安·妮决定重启此案，表示她于周二掌握了新信息。阿桑奇对指控予以否认，暗示这是维基泄密反对派的诬蔑伎俩。

快走降低患癌风险

据英国《每日电讯报》报道，专家表示，如果人们每天快走一会或做些强度较大的家务活等锻炼，那么英国每年就可以减少癌症1万例。世界癌症研究基金会科学家表示，人们每天中等强度锻炼45分钟，仅仅英国每年就可以减少乳腺癌5500例。同理，人们每天锻炼30分钟就可以使英国每年肠癌至少减少4600例。综合而言，每天锻炼30—45分钟，可以使乳腺癌和肠癌的危险降低12%。

苹果推社交网络Ping

据英国《每日电讯报》报道，苹果推出了一种专门针对音乐迷的新型社交网络Ping。Ping被整合在用来下载音乐的iTunes软件里。苹果CEO史蒂夫·乔布斯说：“你可以追随你喜欢的艺术家们，还可以知道你的朋友们喜欢和下载的歌曲。”

云南保山市发生山体滑坡

新华社消息，云南保山市隆阳区瓦马乡河东村大石房村民小组1日晚发生山体滑坡灾害。截至2日6时，山体滑坡灾害涉及20户71人，已获救11人，3人死亡57人失踪。

“探索”总部劫持者被击毙

据英国广播公司报道，警方已成功解救“探索频道”总部被劫持的3名人质，持枪劫持者被警方击毙。劫持者名叫詹姆斯·李，是一家savetheplanetprotest.com网站的运营者。他在2008年时，就曾在探索频道楼外用数千美金以“洒钱”的方式招募路人帮他一起抗议而被捕，原因是他认为探索频道的节目与拯救地球毫无关系。

中方拟调查钾肥商并购

据路透社报道，就必和必拓对加拿大钾肥公司390亿美元的收购投标，中国有可能启动反垄断调查。加拿大钾肥公司控制着世界上约两成的钾肥生产，而中国从此公司购买的肥料占其产量的7%。中国国内的钾肥需求每年以5-8%的速度增长，较其它化肥都要快。

男子跳下39楼 奇迹生还

据美联社报道，周二，22岁的托马斯·马吉尔试图自杀，从位于纽约63西街一座39层公寓楼的楼顶纵身跳下。他掉在了一辆车上，砸碎了风挡，落在后座区域。马吉尔的腿被摔折。警方说他的情况还很危险。

Jinhao tea seed oil contaminated

Local health authorities Tuesday admitted they waited five months before announcing that secret recalls of camellia oil had been ordered by Jinhao, a well-known edible oil maker based in Hunan Province, after the oil was found to contain excessive amounts of a carcinogen known as Benzo(a)pyrene, Xinhua reported. The benzo(a)pyrene level in the recalled oil was five times the national limit, according to a report in The Century Weekly. Jinhao released the information about the recalls yesterday in an apology letter to customers.

Children get free measles vaccine

China's Ministry of Health is planning a nationwide measles vaccination campaign September 11-20. Vaccines will be free to around 100 million children under 14 years' old, the Beijing Newsreported. Immunization is optional and parents can take the children to an appointed hospital to get the injection. Children vaccinated will have to remain in the hospital for at least half an hour as a precaution against allergic reactions. China plans to eradicate measles by 2012.

Israeli-Palestinian talks begin

Under the shadow of fresh violence in the Mideast, U.S. President Barack Obama convened the first direct Israeli-Palestinian talks in two years on Wednesday, AP reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begin face-to-face talks on Thursday at the State Department. The declared aim of the talks is to create a sovereign Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Netanyahu said Israel wants a lasting peace, not an interlude between wars. Abbas urged Israel to freeze settlement construction in areas the Palestinians want as part of their new state, and to end the blockade of Gaza. The settlements issue is the central obstacle to achieving a permanent peace.

Swedes reopen Assange rape case

A senior Swedish prosecutor reopened a rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday, AP reported. The charge was dropped last week for lack of evidence that Assange had raped a Swedish woman, but the woman's lawyer appealed the decision. Director of Public Prosecution Marianne Ny decided to reopen the case, saying new information had come in on Tuesday. Assange has denied the allegations and suggested they are part of a smear campaign by opponents of WikiLeaks.

A brisk walk can prevent cancer

More than 10,000 cases of cancer could be prevented each year in Britain if people took more exercise, such as going for brisk walks or performing vigorous household chores, the Daily Telegraph reported. Scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund believe that just 45 minutes of moderate exercise a day could prevent 5,500 cases of breast cancer in Britain annually. Similarly, at least 4,600 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented if people exercised for 30 minutes daily. That would cut down cases of both types of cancer by 12 percent.

Apple's CEO presents new toys

Apple has launched Ping, a new social-networking service designed specifically for music fans, theDaily Telegraph reported. Ping is built in to Apple's iTunes software, a program used for downloading songs. "You can follow your favorite artists and friends and discover what music they like and are downloading," Apple's CEO Steve Jobs said.

Deadly landslide in Yunnan

Xinhua reported that a landslide occurred in a village near Baoshan City, Yunnan Province late on September 1. As of 6 a.m. today, 11 people had been rescued, 3 are confirmed dead and another 57 are missing. The disaster affected 71 people from 20 families.

Gunman shot dead at Discovery HQ

A gunman who took three hostages at the Discovery Channel headquarters in the US has been shot dead by police and his captives have been set free, the BBC reported. The gunman was James J Lee, the author of a website called savetheplanetprotest.com. Lee had previously been arrested outside Discovery's headquarters in 2008 after protesting that the channel's programming had little to do with saving the planet. On that occasion, he distributed thousands of dollars to passers-by in an attempt to recruit them to his protest.

China to probe BHP's bid for Potash

China may launch an antimonopoly probe into BHP Billiton's US$39 billion bid for Canada's Potash Corp, Reuters reported. China buys around 7 percent of the output of Potash Corp, which controls around one-fifth of world production of the key crop nutrient. Potash demand in China has been growing at around 5-8 percent a year, faster than other fertilizers.

Man survives 39-storey plunge

22-year-old Thomas Magill tried to commit suicide by jumping from the roof of a 39-storey apartment building in West 63rd Street in New York on Tuesday, AP reported. He landed in the back seat of a car after crashing through the windscreen. Magill suffered broken legs and police say he is in a critical condition.