week3- Uber 優步

Taxi drivers’ union wants tougher penalties for Uber

By Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

Mon, Dec 22, 2014

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has been asked by taxi drivers to toughen up its measures against Uber, an application-based taxi service provider, to protect the interests of legal taxi-service providers.

The ministry had previously threatened to put Uber out of business as it has been offering taxi services without first registering as a taxicab transportation business, as is required by the Highway Act . Statistics from the Directorate General of Highways show that, as of last week, the government has issued a total of 63 citations against Uber, and against drivers accepting assignments from the company, with penalties issued totaling more than NT$4.8 million (US$152,240).

Starting on Saturday, Uber faces a fine of NT$600,000 per day if it continues to operate illegally.

Taiwan Taxi Corp representative Chu Kong-ming (朱孔明) questioned why drivers should spend so much time and energy preparing for the test to become cab drivers, when drivers accepting work provided by Uber can simply offer taxi services without having to pass any tests.

Chu said the government has a series of legally-binding rules stipulated in the Act Governing Punishments for Road Traffic Regulations that are aimed at regulating registered taxi drivers, but that authorities had simply let drivers working for Uber operate unregulated.

Although Uber seems to offer discounts and other promotions to attract customers, Chu said safety remains the top priority for passengers, who are also concerned with the professionalism of the drivers.

In response to the MOTC allegations, Uber’s office in the Asia-Pacific region issued a statement on Friday saying it was disappointed with the ministry’s remarks. The company said it has been following the legal requirements and has responded to the ministry’s requests and has filed an appeal, adding it had sought to communicate with the government by offering constructive suggestions.

The company said that thousands of passengers in the Greater Taipei Area rely on Uber for a safe, reliable, convenient and inexpensive daily service, adding that many taxi drivers also depend on Uber to provide them with a more flexible work schedule and more business opportunities so that their families can have a better life.

Uber also faces legal challenges in other nations, including the US, Spain, Thailand, India and the Netherlands. In the US, for example, the city governments in both San Francisco and Los Angeles have accused Uber of misleading consumers.

Its operation in Nevada was suspended following a court order. Meanwhile, Uber was banned from operating in Spain after the Madrid Taxi Association filed a complaint.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/12/22/2003607333

 Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC)

   WHEN-Starting on Saturday

   WHAT- asked by taxi drivers to toughen up its measures against Uber

   WHY- Uber faces a fine of NT$600,000 per day if it continues to operate illegally.

   WHERE-In Taiwan 

   HOW- taxi drivers

Keywords：

   1.toughen up : 強硬起來

   2. ministry : 部

   3.Highway Act : 公路法

   4.citations : 引文

   5.penalties : 處罰

   6.Act Governing Punishments for Road Traffic Regulations : 法管理處罰的道路交通管理條例

   7.regulating  :調節

   8.constructive : 建設性

   9.accused : 指責

   10. filed a complaint : 投訴

2014-02-week 2 台中歌劇院

 National Taichung Theater

National Taichung Theater will be closed for maintenance and construction from Jan 1st, 2015. The performances, tours and the restaurant service will be unavailable. Out-door area and the water fountain will remain open to public.

National Taichung Theater is located in Xitun District, Taochung. It is a very characteristic performance area. The theater is designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Using the concept of the primitive caves and holes, Toyo Ito designed the world first and only Sound Cave Curved Wall for National Taichung Theater. There are no vertical and horizontal structures and it’s the world’s first curve surfaced hanging structure architect. Due to the complexity, it is known as the most difficult architect to complete. Five years and NT$ 4.36 billion, the theater finally open in November 23rd, 2014. The theater is organized into a large theater, medium theater and experimental stage, which hold up to more than 3000 guests.

During the urban renewal in Taichung, Taichung city government tried get the Guggenheim Museum to join the museum project in Taichung. Unfortunately due to the budget shortage, the project was canceled. After Architecture Design Competition for the later idea to build a national theater, Toyo Ito’s design was selected. But the difficulty of building this monster in reality caused investments backing out over and over. But after conquering the obstacles, they finally broke the ground in the end of 2009.

After 5 years and NT$ 4.36 billion devoted in, the theater finally completed and the process of building the hardest architect was documented by foreign press. The theater was designated as a national degree performance center and was nominated as one of the World’s New 9 Landmarks. The first opening show “Cat Man” is performed by Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group.

The theater structure high 37.7 meters, 2 underground levels and 6 floors above ground. It is built with steel and concrete with the concepts of the primitive state of human livings, caves and holes. The structure consists of 58 curved surfaces, very difficult to construct. It is referred as the hardest building to be constructed. Interior designed with a large theater (2014 guests), medium theater (800 guests), and experimental stage (200 guests). Not just the main building but the surroundings is designed to correspond with Sound Cave Curved Walls.

The acoustic engineering was carefully designed. In the large theater, guests will see the round curve on the ceiling; this will reflect the sounds perfectly in every angle to every seat. A cat walk is organized on the top for maintenance purposes. The view to the stage will not be blocked in anyway. Everything is designed to what a theater may need in the best way. The exterior shapes like a tea pot during the day with the extraordinary curves. When the night falls, lightings will put the theater under the spot light.

http://www.travelking.com.tw/eng/tourguide/scenery105140.html

Structure of the Lead：

   WHO-National Taichung Theater

   WHEN-from Jan 1st, 2015

   WHAT-National Taichung Theater will be closed for maintenance and construction

   WHY-he government hopes to create a "golden triad" for the performing arts in Taiwan.

   WHERE-Taichung

   HOW-no given

Keywords：

   1.water fountain ：噴泉

   2.the concept ：原始的

   3.the primitive：概念

   4.backing out over and over：打退堂鼓

   5. steel ：鋼 

   6.concrete：混泥土

   7.acoustic engineering：聲學工程

   8.curve：曲線

   9.exterior ：非凡的

2014-02-week 1

Man held over missing 43 in Mexico

Sun, Jan 18, 2015 - Page 7

 NY Times News Service

Mexican officials said on Friday that they had detained the leader of a group of criminals who prosecutors believe killed 43 college students then burned their bodies, in a case that continues to roil the country more than three months after the young men disappeared.

The arrest of Felipe Rodriguez Salgado, who was being questioned late on Friday, might add more details to the theory that the authorities have outlined.

Prosecutors say municipal police in Iguala City, in the southern state of Guerrero, arrested the students and handed them over to the Guerreros Unidos organized crime group on orders from Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca.

Abarca and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda Villa, are believed to be closely linked to the Guerreros Unidos. The pair fled Iguala, then were arrested in Mexico City in November. Authorities formally charged Abarca in the students’ disappearance on Tuesday. At the same time, Pineda was charged with involvement in organized crime.

The case, which has highlighted the ways in which drug gangs have succeeded in buying off the local police and officials in many parts of the nation, has shocked Mexico and challenged Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s efforts to focus public attention on the economy.

Turmoil is rising in Guerrero State, where masked protesters have been burning state buildings and cars and disrupting public events.

The families of the missing young men, who were studying to be teachers at the Escuela Normal Rural Raul Isidro Burgos, have questioned whether the students are dead. The remains of only one of the 43 students have been identified so far by a special laboratory at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Some of the families began a new search in the hills around Iguala on Friday.

On Monday, some relatives gathered outside the army base in Iguala, demanding to be allowed in to see if their sons were inside. The army said that it would allow the Mexico’s National Commission for Human Rights to visit the base with relatives.

Rodriguez, whom officials described as a Guerreros Unidos hit man, is believed to have ordered the group that killed the students and burned the bodies to remove all traces of the crime. According to the authorities, he took orders from a lieutenant named Gildardo Lopez Astudillo, who is a fugitive.

Officials believe that Lopez orchestrated the students’ disappearance in September on orders from Guerreros Unidos leader Sidronio Casarrubias Salgado, who was arrested in October.

Almost 100 people have been detained in the investigation, officials announced this week. The majority of those are police officers from Iguala and the neighboring town of Cocula, the site of the trash dump where prosecutors said the students were killed and then cremated.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2015/01/18/2003609549

 Structure of the Lead：

   WHO- 43 college students and Mexican officials

   WHEN-on Friday

   WHAT- the students were killed and then cremated.

   WHY-burning state buildings and cars and disrupting public events.

   WHERE-Mexico

   HOW-killed 43 college students then burned their bodies

Keywords：

   1. prosecutors ：檢方

   2. be charged with：被控訴

   3. Turmoil：風暴

   4. laboratory：實驗室

   5. traces：痕跡

   6. lieutenant：中尉

   7. fugitive：逃犯

   8. cremated：火化