SW visits Kalasin
As the year draws to a close, Student Weekly takes a look back at some of the biggest local and international news stories of 2014.
Prayers for passengers
Schoolchildren in Zhejiang province of China on March 10 pray for passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared on March 8. The aircraft carrying 239 people was flying from Kula Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. — Reuters
Big bang
Apartment buildings in Manhattan, New York City are destroyed by a massive explosion on March 12. Eight people were killed and at least 70 residents were injured.
Ferry disaster
The MV Sewol passenger ferry sinks off the coast of South Korea on April 16. The ferry was carrying 476 people, 304 of whom were killed in the accident. Many of those killed were schoolchildren. — Reuters
New rulers
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) under military force declare martial law nationwide on May 20 to tackle Thailand’s political crisis. They later became the junta ruling the nation following the 2014 Thai coup d’état.
War zone
More than 2,200 people in the Gaza Strip area along the border of Israel and Palestine are killed during military attacks on July 8. — Reuters
Crash landing
People survey the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which left Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur and crashed in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 17. The plane was believed to have been shot down by a pro-Russian separatist missile. The incident killed all 298 people on board. — Reuters
No to independence
Voters celebrate during the Scottish independence referendum held on September 18, in which voters decided whether Scotland should be an independent country. Independence was rejected, with 55.3 percent of Scottish people voting against it. — AFP
Popular protest
Hong Kong people on September 29 stage a protest against China’s decision on proposed electoral reform. The protest was the city’s biggest ever show of mass civil disobedience. — EPA
Medical miracle
Researchers at Siriraj Hospital on October 2 announce that they have developed the world’s first antibody treatment that could cure Ebola virus infections.
Going digital
On October 20, the government starts distributing digital TV coupons to 4.65 million households in 21 provinces nationwide. The movie prompted Thailand’s mass communication industry to make preparations for a new era of digital TV.
Royal news
The Royal Gazette announces on December 12 that former Princess Srirasm, the royal consort to HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has renounced her royal status.
Ebola outbreak
The World Health Organization on December 16 reports more than 7,000 deaths following the most widespread epidemic of the Ebola virus in history. The virus spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and other countries worldwide. — AP
Exercises
Read through the news stories and answer the following reading comprehension questions.
1. Who claimed that they had developed the world’s first antibody treatment that could cure Ebola virus infections?
………………………………………….
2. What does NCPO stand for?
………………………………………….
3. When did the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappear?
………………………………………….
4. Where did the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash?
………………………………………….
5. 55.3 percent of Scottish people voted for independence. True or false?
………………………………………….
Vocabulary
- renounce (v): to state officially that you are no longer going to keep a title, position, etc.
junta (n): a military government that has taken power by force
disobedience (n): failure or refusal to obey
epidemic (n): a large number of cases of a particular disease happening at the same time in a particular community
separatist (n): a member of a group of people within a country who want to separate from the rest of the country and form their own government
referendum (n): an occasion when all the people of a country can vote on an important issue
