Extensive Reading Lesson 50

“钉子户大战拆迁队”游戏爆红

A game called "Nail Households Battle Demolition Team" has become extremely popular on the Internet since it was launched yesterday. It's been called a Chinese version of "Plants vs. Zombies."

据大洋网报道，一款名叫“钉子户大战拆迁队”的游戏日前爆红网络，该游戏于昨日推出。这款游戏堪称国产的“植物大战僵尸”。游戏内容非常具有中国特色，主要是关于钉子户和拆迁队之间的紧张对抗。

中国剖腹产率世界第二

《羊城晚报》消息，世卫组织公布的一份报告显示，中国在2007年10月至2008年5月间，孕妇剖腹产率高达46%，仅次于墨西哥的50%，成为“世界亚军”。而世卫组织对剖腹产率设置的警戒线是15%。在北京、上海等大城市，剖腹产率甚至达60%至80%。选择剖腹产的产妇中，约有20%以上可以自然生产。

中国各大医院8月份剖腹产数量往往最多。父母希望自己的孩子可以在8月31日之前出生。小学只接受那些在当年8月31日之前就满6周岁的孩子入学，9月1日以后出生的孩子要等上整整一年才能入学。还有一些父母希望孩子出生在良辰吉日，比如日期里面有两个幸运数字8的。也有一些医院为了经济利益，鼓励产妇进行剖腹产，因为剖腹产的花费大约是顺产的两倍。

东莞11人感染登革热

据《广州日报》报道，广东东莞卫生局发布信息称，自9月10日确诊一例登革热感染病例后，截止到9月13日，已经有11人感染了这种经蚊子传播的急性传染病，其中6例痊愈，5例住院治疗，未出现重症病例。当地发布通知，从今天起到11月27日，全民动员灭蚊子。

饥饿人口减少但仍很多

据《纽约时报》报道，今年世界饥饿人口的数量15以来首次减少，但是仍然高于2008年粮食危机前的数量，而且不稳定的食品价格也使人们不安。联合国粮农组织报告显示，饥饿人数从2009的峰值10.2亿下降到了9.25亿，这样的改善大部分归结于亚太地区收入的增长及粮食价格的下跌。而报告强调，这个成就离联合国的千年发展目标还差得很远，据此目标，到2015年饥饿人口占总人口的比例需减半，即从1990-92的20%降低到10%。

中国最性感城市——上海

据《重庆晚报》报道，零点研究咨询集团日前发布的中国城市系列调查显示，上海是中国最性感的城市。受访者认为，上海的性感首先源自于它的现代化，世博会也为上海的性感加分。香港因其明星众多和国际化而排名第二。重庆以其美女、美景、美食排名第三。首都北京则以其历史底蕴排名第四。

密西西比河现死鱼之海

据美国在线报道，不计其数的各种死鱼、螃蟹、虾、海鳗和海豚的尸体将靠墨西哥湾以北密西西比河的水面盖得严严实实，而墨西哥湾正是英国石油公司采油平台发生泄露的地点。报道称，鱼的死亡可能是因为突然缺氧引起的，而且北部墨西哥湾有美国“死亡地带”之称。但这种情况往往只会使一种鱼类死亡，而不会引起如此大规模的多物种集体遇难现象。当地相关部门正在调查死鱼原因。

10年后眼药水可治近视

据英国广播公司报道，伦敦的科学家已经发现了导致近视眼的基因，并确信可以研发出药物治疗眼球不正常发育导致的近视。这项研究的带头人、伦敦国王学院的克里斯·汉蒙博士称，10年之后近视就可以通过眼药水来治愈。

中国油企进军巴西

据彭博社报道，中石油和中海油有意收购巴西里约热内卢OGX石油天然气公司不超过30%的股份，总价至少为70亿美元。据巴西央行数据，中国今年上半年对巴西的直接投资达到了3.67亿美元，去年同期为7300万美元。

汽车彩绘兴起月入过万

据大众网报道，国内汽车彩绘市场正逐步兴起。目前，一次汽车彩绘的价格大约在5千到5万元之间。至于彩绘图案，则完全由汽车彩绘师按照车主要求绘制出来。据悉，国内比较优秀的汽车彩绘师月收入都在万元以上。

纽约庆祝列侬诞辰70年

据路透社报道，纽约彼康剧院将于11月12日举行庆祝约翰·列侬诞辰70周年的慈善演唱会。届时向列侬致敬的音乐人包括杰克逊·布朗、帕蒂·史密斯、辛迪·劳博尔、艾美·曼、谢尔比·林恩等。10月9日将迎来列侬70岁冥寿，纽约和世界其它地方还会举行一系列的庆祝活动和聚会。列侬的遗孀大野洋子将在冰岛庆祝这一天。10月5日还会发行列侬8张再版个人专辑和一套新的合集《约翰·列侬签名套装》，大野洋子将出面推广。

女主播直播中辞职大骂老板

据英国《每日邮报》报道，挪威国家广播公司的女主播皮娅·芭提·佩德森在直播节目时突然宣布辞职，并大骂雇主，令听众们目瞪口呆。据称，佩德森向听众们表示，自己“不干了，要离开这里”，因为她“只想再正常地吃饭和呼吸”。其间，她对公司雇主进行了长达两分钟的谩骂，指责他们给员工的压力太大。最后，她说了句：“今天没什么大事发生。”就关掉麦克风走出了直播室。
 

Nail households fight on Internet

A game called "Nail Households Battle Demolition Team" has become extremely popular on the Internet since it was launched yesterday, dayoo.com reported. It's been called a Chinese version of "Plants vs. Zombies," as the game features fierce combat between nail-house residents and the demolition team that possesses strong Chinese characteristics.

China's C-section rate 2nd in world

A report by World Health Organization found that China's cesarean section delivery rate reached 46 percent from October 2007 to May 2008, behind only Mexico, which had a 50 percent rate, theYangcheng Evening News reported. The rate is even higher in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, which had rates of 60 percent to 80 percent. Twenty percent of women who have C-sections were able to have vaginal births.

Most C-sections occur in August. Parents want their children to be born before Aug. 31, the cutoff date for primary school admission. Children born on Sept. 1 or after will have to wait a full year before entering school. Other parents prefer their babies being born on lucky days, such as a day with two eights in it. Another possible reason is that C-sections cost roughly twice as much as vaginal births, so some hospitals encourage women to choose the surgery.

11 hit by dengue fever in Guangdong

11 cases of dengue fever, an acute infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, have been confirmed in the city of Dongguan in Guangdong Province, according to the local health bureau, the Guangzhou Daily reported. The first case was confirmed on Sept.10th. Six of those infected have been cured and the remaining five are in hospital in a stable condition. The city has launched an all-out effort to eliminate mosquitoes starting today and lasting until Nov. 27.

Hungry population falls, still large

The number of undernourished people in the world decreased this year for the first time in 15 years, but the level remains higher than before the 2008 food crisis, and the volatile state of prices gives cause for unease, the New York Times reported. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's report, the number of hungry people fell to 925 million from the record high of 1.02 billion in 2009, with much of the improvement tied to income growth in the Asia-Pacific region and to a drop in food prices. The report also stressed the world is far from achieving the U.N. promoted Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of undernourished people from 20 percent in 1990-92 to 10 percent in 2015.

Shanghai is the sexist city

A serial survey on Chinese cities issued by Horizon Research Consultancy Group showed Shanghai is the sexist city in China, Chongqing Evening News reported. Respondents said that modernization makes Shanghai sexy, and the World Expo adds more sex appeal. Hong Kong ranked second for its numerous celebrities and internationalization. Chongqing came in third for its beautiful women, stunning scenery and tasty food, while Beijing finished fourth, mainly for its profound history.

Fish kill hits Mississippi River

Massive numbers of dead fish, which include several different species, as well as crabs, shrimp, freshwater eel and a dolphin, were floating atop the Mississippi River, just north of the Gulf of Mexico, a spot that's been affected by the BP oil spill, AOL reported. It reported that fish kills can be caused by hypoxia, or low levels of oxygen in water, and the northern Gulf of Mexico is known as the largest so-called "dead zone" in the United States. But those fish kills usually only involve one species, and are usually not these sizes. Local authorities have investigated the cause of the fish kill.

Could glasses soon be history?

BBC reports that scientists based in London have identified a gene that causes myopia and are confident that drugs could be developed to halt the distorted growth of the eye that brings about the condition. In about 10 years, myopia could be cured through eye drops, says Dr. Chris Hammond, who led the research at King's College London.

Chinese oil firms eye Brazil resources

Sinopec and CNOOC may offer at least US$7 billion for Brazilian oil assets and a less-than 30 percent stake in OGX Petroleo and Gas Participacoes SA of Rio de Janeiro, Bloomberg reported. Chinese direct investment in Brazil increased to US$367 million in the first half of 2010 from US$73 million in the same period last year, according to the Brazilian central bank.

Car-painting market rising

The domestic car-painting market is growing, according to the report by dzwww.com. A paint job can cost between 5,000 - 50,000 yuan. And the pattern will be drawn by the artist in accordance with the requirements of the car owners. It also said that the monthly salary of a qualified car-painting artist is above 10,000 yuan.

Lennon tribute concert to be held in NY

A benefit concert will be held to mark the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth on Nov. 12 at New York's Beacon Theater, Reuters reported. Among the musicians slated to pay tribute to Lennon are Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann and Shelby Lynne. The concert is one of several events and parties being held in New York and around the world to honor what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday on Oct. 9. Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is expected to mark the anniversary day in Iceland. She will help release Lennon's eight reissued solo albums, plus new collections called the John Lennon Signature Box on Oct. 5.

Here is the news: I quit!

Norwegian radio hostess Pia Beate Pedersen of the public broadcast station NRK had an on-air meltdown and dramatically told startled listeners that she had quit her job and scolded her employers, the Daily Mail reported. Pedersen announced to the listeners that she was 'quitting and walking away' because she 'wanted to be able to eat properly again and be able to breathe.' Her comments were part of a two-minute diatribe, in which she accused her NRK employers of putting too much pressure on staff. 'Nothing important has happened anyway,' she snapped before walking out of the studio.