ESL NEWS – November 5, 2012
http://esldivlabs.vcc.ca
Story 1 James Bond
On October 24th the newest James Bond movie showed in London, England. Prince
Charles and his wife Camilla were at the event along with many of the actors in the new
film. The name of the movie is “Skyfall” and it is the 23rd Bond movie ever to be made.
Movie critics are already calling Skyfall one of the best Bond movies ever. Like other
Bond movies, it has lots of action, fast cars, beautiful women, and interesting high-tech
things. The 1st Bond movie was made 50 years ago and was called “Dr. No”. Since
then, the films have earned over $5 billion worldwide. Skyfall will be playing at theatres
in Vancouver on November 8th.
Story 2 Killer Coffee
How many cups of coffee do you drink per day? According to a recent study in the
United States, it takes about 10 grams of caffeine to cause an overdose in the average
adult. That would be the equivalent of drinking 50 large coffees at Tim Hortons. But a
2005 report stated that it only requires 5 grams to suffer a fatal caffeine overdose. There
still seems to be a lack of agreement in the medical community about how much caffeine
it takes to kill someone. Health Canada simply advises that it’s a bad idea for adults to
ingest more than 400mg of caffeine in a day. That’s just 2 to 3 cups, depending on the
strength of the coffee.
Story 3 Shark-Fin Soup
A very popular Chinese restaurant in Vancouver has just taken shark-fin soup off the
menu. Floata Seafood Restaurant on Keefer Street signed a statement last month stating
that the 1,000-seat restaurant would cease serving the controversial dish. Vancouver city
councillor Kerry Jang said that Floata is the first Chinese restaurant in Vancouver to take
this step. Jang, who would like to see a regional ban on the sale of shark-fin products,
believes that other Chinese restaurants may soon follow suit. Floata had had shark-fin
soup on its menu since it opened its first Canadian location in Richmond in 1992. The
dish was usually served as part of a 12-course menu for 10 people and ranged in price
from $438 to $988. Floata is not concerned about losing revenues due to eliminating the
soup. Shark-fin soup was not so popular anymore according to the restaurant. Also,
Manager Raymond Lau said that there are numerous other soups that can be served as a
substitute such as fish, crab, and chicken soup. Councillor Jang expressed that now
Floata better reflects Canadian values by promoting sustainability and the protection of
endangered species.
Story 4 Bomb on the Tracks
On Friday afternoon at around 2:00pm a SkyTrain passenger spotted a suspicious looking
object on the track between Scott Road and Gateway Stations in Surrey. When the
Surrey RCMP’s explosives unit arrived, they found some empty tanks strapped to a small
red canister, with straps and wires and a fuse sticking out. They quickly determined that
it was an explosive device and carefully removed it. Later they discovered that it could
have been ignited electronically or manually. Dozens of officers were out on Saturday
investigating how the bomb ended up on the tracks. Transit Police spokesperson Anne
Drennan said it would have been very difficult to throw the device up onto the tracks
because it was quite an elevated section. Police are examining video cameras from
businesses in the area and are going door to door in an effort to gather information.
They are asking anyone who had seen anything suspicious to give Transit police a call.
Currently there are no suspects and Transit Police remain on high alert.
Story 5 Fall Back
Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, November 4 at 2:00am when clocks were turned
back an hour. Academic research shows that losing an hour of daylight can have
negative effects on both the mind and body, including disturbed sleep patterns, seasonal
depression and obesity. One of the major factors is that the reduced daylight hours in the
fall and winter cause many people to become less physically active. People stay indoors
and become more sedentary. This may lead to weight gain and an increased risk of
diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers. Dr. Martin Young, from the Division of
Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Alabama has found that it may even lead to
an increased risk of having a heart attack. What experts suggest is that people prepare
for this by developing healthy habits. Anar Alidina, a dietician in Toronto, emphasizes
that regular exercise along with eating fresh healthy food can help reduce stress, prevent
weight gain, and protect against the onset of depression. She said, “Keep fresh healthy
food on hand to help you feel energized during daylight saving. With long winter days
ahead of us, it’s so easy and convenient to turn to comfort foods that are often high in fat
and sugar.” The clocks won’t change again until March 10, 2013 when they are turned
forward one hour.
