Extensive Reading Lesson 47

蓝精灵公园将落户成都

《华尔街日报》援引戴德梁行亚洲物业市场信息报称，开发商成都Teda中欧建筑公司与蓝精灵商标的产权拥有者国际营销、推广与服务公司计划在四川省成都市开办一家蓝精灵主题公园。主题公园投资2千万元(合290万美元)，计划在3至5年里开门迎客。该公园也是成都旅游业建设规划中的一部分。

英美石油巨头进军南海

据新华社报道，中国海洋石油总公司已与雪佛龙(中国)、英国石油公司(中国)及丹文能源有限公司签订石油合同修改协定，开发南海的深水油气区块42/05, 64/18及53/30。这些协议均已得到中国政府的批准。此项交易的具体数额尚未公布。在勘探阶段，雪佛龙将作为三个区块的作业者。中国海洋石油总公司的子公司 - 中国海洋石油有限公司则有权在这些区块的商业性发现活动中参与最多51%的权益。

中方抗议日扣留我渔船

据新华社报道，中国外交部周三就日本扣留中国东海钓鱼岛附近的渔船事件表示强烈抗议。外交部部长助理胡正月召见日本驻日大使丹羽宇一郎，表示抗议。这是中国政府24小时内第二次因该事件召见日本大使。中国外交部副部长宋涛昨日约见日本驻华大使，严正要求日方停止非法的所谓"拦截"渔船行为。

据《环球时报》报道，昨日上午日本两艘巡逻船在东海中日有争议的钓鱼岛附近海域冲撞一艘中国渔船。日本共同社消息称，日海上保安厅以"涉嫌妨碍执行公务"为由逮捕了中方船长。

致命毒虫河南引发恐慌

据《新京报》报道，一种携带致命病毒、叫做蜱的小虫子，今夏以来已经在河南商城县造成多人死亡。当地去年已出现死亡病例，但是地方政府此前为避免产生不稳定因素，直到最近才开始宣传。宣传上的延误，使医院对病原体不了解，造成该疾病较高的致命率。此病毒能侵染人体细胞，致使人体血小板、白细胞锐减，并具传染性。中毒症状包括高烧、咳血和上吐下泻。受害人往往被叮咬三四天后就不治身亡。

银行卡遭克隆储户被盗

据《南方日报》报道，文小姐去年到重庆市的中国农业银行虎门支行办理了一张银行卡。今年4月5日晚，她接到该银行发出的短信，提示其账户正在取款。文小姐随后发现存款少了30000元。原来，有人在该银行的ATM机上安装了针孔摄像头和读卡器，在文小姐使用ATM机的时候，窃取了她的银行卡信息和密码，然后复制她的银行卡，分十次从该银行ATM机将其存款取走。文小姐将银行告上法庭。近日，法院认定银行疏于防范，应赔偿文小姐八成损失；文小姐因为没有及时挂失承担两成损失。

美国大学设“僵尸课”

据英国《每日电讯报》报道，美国巴尔的摩大学将开设一门新的课程 - 僵尸课。该课程将由作家阿诺德•布隆伯格讲授。据悉，他曾写过一本关于僵尸电影的书。选修这门课程的学生要观看16部经典僵尸电影，并阅读大量僵尸漫画。至于期末论文，他们可以选择撰写自己理想中的僵尸剧本，或者绘制僵尸连环画。据悉，这所大学并不是第一所开设僵尸课的学校，位于芝加哥的哥伦比亚大学传媒专业已经连续多年教授僵尸课。

世界卫生组织:麻疹疫苗安全

据新华社报道，针对公众对于疫苗质量问题的关注，世界卫生组织总部免疫、疫苗和生物制品部医学官员彼得•斯特贝尔昨日表示，中国麻疹疫苗在中国的常规免疫活动中已经使用了很长时间，而且这种疫苗预防麻疹已经被证明是安全有效的。中国计划从9月11日到20日对国内约一亿儿童进行麻疹疫苗接种，以期彻底消除麻疹。

日本为自杀“买单”320亿美元

据英国广播公司报道，日本政府说，去年自杀和忧郁造成2.7万亿日元(约合320亿美元)的经济损失。这个数字是指由于自杀和忧郁症的治疗导致的收入损失和费用。这是日本政府第一次公布此类数字。日本是世界上自杀率最高的国家之一，去年超过32,000日本人自杀。日本政府将成立专门机构努力减少日本的自杀率。

Lady Gaga披生肉比基尼登封面

据英国《每日邮报》报道，Lady Gaga全裸身披大片生肉比基尼，登上了日本《Vogue》杂志的封面。这件“生肉比基尼”是一片片如同她红唇一般的红色肉片血腥地披在她裸露的身体上，她的这身造型遭到动物权利保护者们的强烈抗议。

怪异文胸让人无语

据美国在线报道，从2004年开始，受女性内衣的启发，雕刻家劳拉•安•雅各布斯就开始在她旧金山和佛罗里达棕榈滩的工作室创作“伤风败俗”的艺术作品。她的作品非同寻常，其中包括100多件华丽的文胸以及束身内衣的雕塑。她最好玩的杰作是一件完全由真的蟹壳和龙虾爪制成的文胸。
 

The Smurfs smurf into China

Development firm Chengdu Teda Sino-Europe Construction and Smurf-brand owner International Merchandising, Promotion & Services plan to open a Smurf theme park in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, the Wall Street Journal reported, and cited DTZ Asia Property Market update as the source. With an investment of 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million), the theme park is set to open in 3 to 5 years. It's part of a bigger plan to build tourism in Chengdu.

South China Sea oil exploration

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has signed amendment agreements to the production sharing contracts with Chevron China, BP China and Devon Energy Corporation for deepwater oil and gas blocks 42/05, 64/18 and 53/30 in the South China Sea, and these agreements have been approved by the Chinese government, Xinhua reported. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. During the exploration period, Chevron will act as the operator in the three blocks. China National Offshore Oil Company Limited, CNOOC's subsidiary company, has the right to participate in up to a 51 percent interest in the event of any commercial discovery in the blocks.

China protests boat detention

On Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry strongly protested over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, Xinhua reported. Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue summoned Japanese ambassador Niwa Uichiro to China to lodge the protest. It was the second time within 24 hours that the Chinese government summoned the Japanese ambassador on this issue. Yesterday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao summoned Niwa and lodged solemn representations on Japan's "interception" of the Chinese fishing boat Tuesday.

Two Japanese patrol vessels and a Chinese fishing boat collided yesterday morning in the disputed waters off Diaoyu Island, a place of focal point of tension between the two countries, reported Global Times. The Japanese coast guard arrested the Chinese ship captain on suspicion of obstructing public duties, said Kyodo News Agency.

Deadly bug bites reported in Henan

Deer ticks carrying a deadly virus have killed many people this summer in Shangcheng County, Henan Province, the Beijing News reported. Similar cases were reported last summer, but the local government, fearing massive panic, only recently announced that the virus has turned epidemic this year. The delay has contributed to the disease's high mortality rate as hospitals remained unaware of it. The virus infiltrates cells, killing blood platelets and leucocytes. Symptoms include fever, bloody coughs, vomiting and diarrhea. Victims usually die three to four days after being bitten by an infected bug.

Woman's bank card cloned

A woman surnamed Wen applied for a bank card from Chongqing's Humen subbranch of the Agricultural Bank of China last year. On the evening of April 5 this year, she received a text message from the bank that informed her that someone was using her account, and later found that 30,000 yuan was missing, the Nanfang Daily reported. It was learned that someone had installed a pinhole camera and a card reader in the bank's ATM and stole Wen's bank-card information and password while she was using the ATM. The suspect later cloned her bank card and made 10 withdraws from the same ATM. Wen sued the bank, and the court ruled the bank was neglectful of taking precautions and should compensate Wen for 80% of her losses. The court declared Wen responsible for 20% because she didn't report the loss promptly.

University offers 'zombie class'

The University of Baltimore is offering a new class on Zombies, the Daily Telegraph reported. The course will be taught by the author Arnold Blumberg, who wrote a book about zombie movies. Students taking the course will watch 16 classic zombie films and read zombie comics. As an alternative to a final research paper, they may write scripts or draw storyboards for their ideal zombie flicks. The university is not the first to have a class on the undead. Columbia College in Chicago has offered a course on zombies in popular media for years.

WHO: Vaccines safe

China's vaccines have been used for a long time during routine measles vaccinations and proved as an effective immunity barrier against measles, said Peter Strebel of the WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Tuesday, Xinhua reported. Strebel's remarks were in response to some parents' concerns whether the quality of the vaccines could be guaranteed. China is to provide measles vaccinations for about 100 million children nationwide from September 11 to 20 in a bid to eliminate the disease.

Suicides cost Japan US$32 bln

The Japanese government says suicide and depression cost its economy almost 2.7 trillon yen (US$32 billion) last year, BBC reported. The figures refer to lost incomes and the cost of treatment. It is the first time Japan has released such figures. Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, with more than 32,000 people killing themselves last year. The government is setting up a task force to try to reduce the rate.

Gaga dons meat bikini for Vogue

Lady Gaga appears on the cover ofVogueJapan clad in a red-meat bikini, the Daily Mail reported. The bikini is strung together from other cuts of red meat - as bright as her red lipstick - and draped strategically over her body. The cover has prompted a furious response from animal-rights groups.

World's most outrageous bras

Since 2004, sculptor Laura Ann Jacobs has been creating risqué fine art inspired by women's lingerie from her studios in San Francisco and Palm Beach, Fla, AOL News reported. Her body of work includes more than 100 unusual, ornate sculptures of bras and corsets. Her snappiest masterpiece in the bunch is a bra made entirely out of real crab shells and lobster claws.