.

2. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
Lesson Twenty-five –
News Corner (December)
1 Top 10 news in 2013

3. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
Top10 news of 2013
China Daily Hong Kong Edition
2013-12-31
It’s been another most e________________ (adj. 充滿大事的), exciting year, with political and social issues
dominating the list of the top news. As the New Year s________________ (phr. v. 來臨), it’s hoped that the
HKSAR government’s continued and d________________ (adj. 意志堅定的) efforts to make a better life
for all will turn the city’s wishes and a________________ (n. 抱負) into reality.
1. Political reform consultations k________________ (phr. v. 開始)
Hong Kong officially launched the l________________ (adj. 盼望已久的) public consultations in
December on the city’s political reform, w________________ 以...為目的 electing the Chief Executive in
2017 as well as the Legislative Council in 2016 by u______________________ (n. 普選).
The five-month process started on Dec 5, aiming _____ (prep.) forging public consensus on procedural 程序
性的 details that were not provided in the Basic Law or relevant decisions of the National People’s Congress
Standing Committee in 2004 and 2007.
Apart from s________________ (adj. 法定的) requirements, such as the e________________ (adj. 獨享
的) power of the nominating committee to pick candidates, Beijing officials reaffirmed that the city’s leader
must be someone who loves the country and Hong Kong. The government will offer concrete options in the
fall of 2014.
The opposition camp has threatened to proceed with its “____________________” 佔領中環 campaign in
ventful
政治
佔據
ets in
eternimed
spirations
政改 諮詢
ick off
推出
ong-awaited
ith a view to
N
niversal suffrage
at
共識
人大
除了
tatutory xclusive
提委會
winter/autumn
反對陣營
occupy central

4. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
mid-2014 even before serious debate on political reform begins, drawing strong public condemnation for
threatening law and order.
2. Snowden bombshell 令人震驚的消息 spills US c_______________ (adj. 暗地的) acts
Edward Snowden’s w___________________________ (n. 告密) on the US National Security Agency’s
(NSA) spying operations on major political and academic institutions worldwide, including those
in Hong Kong, offered the first concrete evidence of state-sponsored cyber spying activities.
The bombshell came after more than a decade of still u_______________ (adj. 未經證實的) accusations
against Beijing by the US. The former NSA contractor f_______________ (v. 逃走) the US with a
drove of c_______________ (adj. 機密的) information, which has been shared with major media outlets and
resulted in a steady leak of records detailing near-indiscriminate US covert cyber operations and intentions.
The still o_______________ (adj. 不斷發展中的) Snowden saga 長篇故事, which began in Hawaii and took
him to Hong Kong and eventually Russia where he is still residing under temporary a_______________ (n.
庇護), highlighted the tricky yet r____________ (adj. 穩固的) nature of Hong Kong’s international relations
and the importance of what is preached(v. 宣揚) in global diplomacy.
3. HK has the last laugh 取得最後勝利 in milk-powder spat
M_________________ (adj. 越來越強烈) public demand for d_______________ (adj. 嚴厲的) measures
to secure a lifeline 命脈 for Hong Kong’s babies resulted in a ban by the HKSAR authorities ______ (prep.)
excessive exports of baby milk powder — curbs (n. 控制) that have remained for 11 months so far.
Massive purchases by mainland visitors and so-called _________________________ 水貨客
引起 譴責
overt
histle blowing
mproven
前任
led
flee the country 逃離這個國家
cofidential
lassifical
hack
ngoing
最後
sylum
obust
爭吵
ounting
mounting exciting /anger/inflation /debts
rastic
on
parallel traders

5. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
s________________ (v. 激起) p________________ (n. 恐慌) among Hong Kong households fearing that
their babies would be left with no milk powder. The s________________ (adj. 隨後的) ban limits outgoing
visitors and residents to taking only two cans of milk powder per person per day out of the city. Offenders face
a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a f_______________ (adj. 罰款) of HK$500,000.
The move was c_________________ (adj.有爭議的), with opponents on both sides of the border criticizing
the decision as too little or too much. Milk powder black markets sprouted (v. 大量冒出) and more than a
dozen people were arrested, while dairy companies assured the public ______ (prep.) adequate supplies.
4. Former CS bankrupt, prosecuted
5. U_______________ (n. 騷動 / 嘩然) over top court’s CSSA ruling
The Court of Final Appeal (CFA) ruled on Dec 17 that immigrants’ constitutional right to receiving
C___________________________________________________ (CSSA) 綜援 has been
“u___________________ (adv. 無理地) contravened 與…相抵觸” by the seven-year residence
requirement. The top court’s landmark judgment has i______________ (v. 激起) fears that there will be
serious impact on the government’s other social welfare policies.
The seven-year residence t_______________ (n. 門檻) was imposed in 2004 for CSSA applicants. The latest
ruling would restore the pre-2004 one-year residence requirement.
The CFA said the government’s rationale — such as “saving money” as with other forms of welfare benefits,
and expectation of new immigrants supporting themselves in Hong Kong — were “m___________________
(adv. 顯然地) without reasonable foundation” and inconsistent with legitimate aims.
tirred anic
ubsequent
出境
ine C
N
行動
ontentions
controversial
反對者
奶製品
of
確保
I am a assure of relivility
of the information
proar
The business company was in an uproar over the new tax law
omprehensive social security assistance
njustifiably
ginted
hreshold
anifestly
不相近

6. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
The government has not determined what impact the ruling would have on public expenditure. It pledged to
respect the judgment and r____________________ (phr. v. 避免) seeking an interpretation of the Basic Law
by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
6. TV license row strikes a raw nerve
Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV), founded by entrepreneur Ricky Wong Wai-kay, was denied a free
TV license by the Executive Council (ExCo) in October.
However, ExCo approved licenses for two existing pay-TV giants — i-Cable and PCCW — citing a
“range of factors” that would contribute to the financial and quality sustainability of all free broadcasters.
The move caused a _________________________ 公眾的強烈抗議. Public r________________ (n. 集會)
against the decision were held for weeks, and the Legislative Council made several attempts to
p________________ (phr. v. 催促) official ExCo documents on its decision to be revealed.
But, the government succeeded in defending the ExCo’s confidentiality rule, thereby 藉此
t_______________ (v.反對) the disclosure of relevant documents.
The surprise twist came before year end when HKTV announced a launch by next July with a mobile
broadcasting license indirectly acquired from China Mobile. The network, however, will continue to
challenge the ExCo decision through judicial review.”
7. Ex-ICAC chief in graft probe
8. D______________________ 外傭 lose r__________________________居留權 case
efram from
批准
一藍子
public outury allies
ush for
保密協議
ing
hwarting
公開
轉捩點
司法覆核
omestic helper ight of abode

7. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
Foreign domestic helpers lost their l_________________ (adj. 持續長久的) fight for the right of abode in
the HKSAR after the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) u_________________ (adv. 全體一致地) ruled that they
do not qualify.
The ruling shattered the hopes of about 300,000 foreign domestic helpers, many of whom have stayed
in Hong Kong for more than seven years. The top court upheld an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal
after the Court of First Instance had previously ruled in favor of the helpers, ending a saga that lasted more
than two years.
The domestic helpers’ stay here was not deemed to be “‘ordinarily residing” in Hong Kong as required by the
Basic Law because their stay was rather restrictive. Besides being strictly bound by their employment
contracts, the helpers are not allowed to bring their family members to Hong Kong. They’re also required to
stay with their employers and must leave Hong Kong on the expiry of their contracts.
9. First poverty line in HK
Hong Kong announced on Sept 28 the city’s first official poverty line — at 50 percent of the median
household income before tax or welfare benefits.
The 2012 poverty benchmark for one-person households was set at HK$3,600, and at HK$7,700, HK$11,500,
HK$14,300, and HK$14,800 for two, three, four and five-person households. For households with six or more
people, it was set at HK$15,800.
Under the measurement, about 1.3 million people — or one in five of Hong Kong’s seven-million
population — are living below the poverty line.
ong-standing
nanimously
foreign helper
粉碎希望
130 萬

8. Emily Chan
DSE English
Lecture 25
© 2012-2013 College.ee™學府. All rights reserved. 香港科學園科技大道西 5 號企業廣場 3 樓 313 室
The move was h____________ (v. 為……喝采) as a step towards more poverty-oriented research, better
planning on social spending and long-term welfare programs.
10. Sparks fly at the boxes in Kwai Chung
More than 450 d_______________________ 碼頭工人 at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal went on strike on
March 28 for more than 40 days, demanding better pay and working conditions. It was the biggest labor strike
in the city in years.
Crane operators and stevedores complained that their salaries had seen only minimal increases over two
decades, coupled with long working hours and poor working conditions.
The workers were b_______________ (v. 支持) by a number of unionists and social activists. Hong Kong
International Terminals (HIT), which outsourced contracting companies to hire the workers, said daily losses
resulting from the s__________________ (n. of stop) reached HK$5 million.
Hutchison Whampoa, which owns HIT, criticized unionists and politicians ____________ (prep.) not
proposing a realistic pay demand and i_______________ (v. 煽動) the strike that caused huge losses to the
local economy for the sake of gaining public support.
The strike ended on May 6 with the contracting company and the workers agreeing on a 9.8-percent pay rise.
ailed
被贊
ock worker
罷工
人工
環境
acked
外判
toppage
for
accuse sb of doing
something
condemn sb for doing sth
nstigating