26 out of the 50 states in the U.S. experienced extremely hot temperatures during the latter part of July. Over 110 million Americans were affected by this condition with most of them from the central and eastern parts of the country. The highest temperature recorded in the U.S. for the month of July is 121 degrees Fahrenheit which is equivalent to almost 50 degrees Celsius. This temperature is even higher than the temperatures recorded in Middle Eastern countries during the same time frame. 

A weather phenomenon called “heat dome” is said to be the cause of such rise in temperature. Heat dome is defined by meteorologistsas the high pressure that is located in the upper atmosphere. This high pressure acts as a cover or a lid that prevents hot air from escaping. As a result, the hot air is forced back onto the ground which then makes people experience dangerously high temperatures. During a heat dome, temperatures can rise from 10 to 20 degrees more than average temperatures.

The heat dome in the U.S. today does not only cause temperatures to go really high, but it also lessens the quality of air that people breathe. Moreover, temperatures remain high even at night, so people are not given relief from the heat throughout the day. People may continue to sweat even at night and may not get good sleep. This may lead to exhaustion and dehydration. People can also suffer from heat strokes, respiratory issues, and blood circulation problems.

The heat dome is also destroying infrastructures like concrete roads that crumble or sink as a result. The weather phenomenon also contributed to the hastening of the spread of forest fires and the decrease of water supply in many different areas.

To deal with the heat dome, Americans came up with creative ways on how to cool down. Cooling rooms were created in central business areas in major cities, like New York and Washington, where the severe ozone pollution is worsening the effects of the heat dome. In other states, people are encouraged to use public transportation to lessen the heat that cars can produce. Free rides on air-conditioned buses are also offered to the public. The national government advised people to keep themselves hydrated, wear light clothing, and try to be vigilant about the possible effects of the heat dome, so that they can do necessary precautions.

ここから眺(なが)める景色(けしき)は素敵(すてき): 여기서 바라보는 경치는 멋져

夜空(よぞら)を眺(なが)める: 밤하늘을 바라보다

夜景(やけい)を眺(なが)める: 야경을 바라보다

Park In-bee spent the first half of this year fighting injuries to her back and her thumb. The severity of the injuries forced the 28-year-old LPGA hall of famer to considered pulling out of the Olympics - even though the Rio Games were the first time the women’s golf event was held in 116 years. Luckily, Park went to Rio. For now, Park is not only the first Korean to have completed a Career Grand Slam - a title given to a pro golfer who wins four different major tournaments - but she has become the first female golfer in over a century to take home Olympic gold. Amid windy conditions on Saturday during the final round of the women’s tournament at the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Park shot five-under 66 to aggregate 16-under 268 for the entire tournament. She finished five strokes clear of runner-up Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who shot two-under 69 for a four-day total of 11-under. 

“Well it definitely feels unreal,” Park said after her win. “This is something I’ve been really dreaming of doing this week and to get to represent your country in the Olympic Games and be able to get a gold medal is such a special feeling. “I’ve gone through some tough times,” she said, “but this is definitely a big relief.” Park is the only golfer in the history of the sport to have titles from four major championships and the Olympics. But her journey to become one of the most decorated female golfers has been long and rocky. In 2000, at the age of 12, Park moved to the United States to pursue a career in golf. It did not take long for the young Park to rise as a prodigy to watch: she topped the U.S. Girls’ Junior at the age of 14. Six years later, Park claimed the title from the U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 19 years and 11 months, the youngest player to ever win the event. Then Park faded out of the spotlight, going without an LPGA win since the 2008 U.S. Open for the next three years. It was Park’s marriage to Nam Gi-hyeob, her swing coach, that provided a passage out of the slump. In July 2012, after she and Nam were engaged, she added another LPGA title, winning the Evian Masters. She earned the Career Grand Slam in 2015 by taking the trophy at the Ricoh Women’s British Open, becoming the seventh golfer in the history of the LPGA to accomplish the feat. 

But another slump mired Park’s otherwise near-perfect career. This time around, it was injuries that held her down. Although she was inducted to the LPGA hall of fame after competing in this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the youngest player in the history to qualify, she withdrew from events or didn’t make cuts during the first half of the season. She was totally out of action for two months, trying to mend her physical problems in anticipation of the Olympics. Without tangible signs of recovery, Park even considered calling it quits, saying, “If I’m not at my full condition, I kind of feel like I have to give a chance to somebody else who can perform better than me.” But as she did in the past, she emerged from her slump and saw the triumph of taking gold in Rio. 

“This really could be the highlight of my career,” Park said according to Golf Digest. “I was lucky enough to have the opportunity. We have five major tournaments a year. I’ve won a lot of the major championships. The Olympic Games: you get to do it only once every four years ... It’s a huge honor and I think it could be the highlight of my golfing career.”

ずっと君(きみ)を見(み)つめていた: 계속 너를 응시하고 있었어

でも、君(きみ)は他(ほか)の人(ひと)を見(み)つめている: 그렇지만, 너는 다른 사람을 바라보고 있어

見(み)つめるだけじゃだめ!: 바라보기만 하면 안돼!

The government plans on creating a 40 billion won ($35.8 million) fund to exclusively invest in the development of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning on Sunday said the fund, which will be managed for seven years will be investing in VR and AR companies that develop games, theme parks and educational resources. It will be used to finance companies that developing primary source technologies and also companies involved in marketing. 

“In order to secure a lead in the global VR market, we need to execute various policies including the setting up of a VR fund as well as providing tax benefits and create a VR cluster,” said Choi Jae-yoo, second vice-minister of science, ICT and future planning on Friday, when government officials met with start-up executives and tech experts at the newly opened start-up IR center at the Korea Development Bank’s headquarters in Yeouido Seoul. “Our goal is to create 50 companies with VR expertise by 2020.” Choi added that the government will consider numerous policies to contribute to creating a positive ecosystem where start-up investment will lead to higher investment returns that will create new start-ups in a so-called virtuous cycle. 

The decision to create an exclusive VR and AR fund came a week after the government named VR and AR as one of nine promising technologies during a policy meeting with President Park Geun-hye. Other industries on the list were autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. They are all supposed to help Korea’s growth including exports. During the meeting Park stressed the importance of VR and AR development citing the global phenomenon created Pokemon Go. A market research company last week projected the VR and AR market to be worth $5.2 billion this year and to expand to $162 billion by 2020. This means that until 2020, the VR and AR market will enjoy average annual growth of 181.3 percent. 

Some of the participants at Friday’s meeting said the government should come up with clear guidelines as to which companies will be eligible for the fund’s investments. Others said that to attract more private investors to participate in the fund the government needs to offer incentives or lower the investment requirement barriers. “VC (venture capitalists) should focus on future values such as long-term performance targets of the start-ups instead of their current balance sheet when deciding on an investment candidate,” said Lee Jong-chan, CEO of Motion Device, a VR game developer.

好(す)きな季節(きせつ)はいつですか?: 좋아하는 계절이 언제예요?

季節(きせつ)が変(か)わった: 계절이 바뀌었다

この季節(きせつ)がまたやってきたね: 이 계절이 또 찾아왔네

Dress codes are rules that pertain to clothing. A lot of workplaces have dress codes in place for their employees to comply with. Many of them require their employees to come to work in business attires while others do not. 

Having a workplace dress code is one of the highly contentioustopics in society. Many people feel that dress codes are unnecessary as they do not directly affect the work that people come to do at the office.

However, supporters of workplace dress codes say that dress codes give a professional impression of the company especially to clients. While it is true that an employee’s set of skills is what really counts, studies have shown that people make assumptions and form impressions based on how a person is dressed. That is why looking professional through a dress code is still a better way to go.

Moreover, dress codes help companies define their brands. They can be a part of companies’ corporate branding campaigns. For instance, it is necessary for workers to wear their company uniforms in order for them to be identified easily. Also, dress codes provide visual uniformity that subtly promotes the impression of being a team.

Lastly, dress codes are important when it comes to problemavoidance. They do not only exist for aesthetic purposes but for alignment with the nature of the job. For example, a workplace for blue-collar jobs may require casual attires that reduce the risk of injuries while a work place for white-collar jobs may require business attires that go with an office ambience.

On the other hand, opponents say that imposing a dress code in the workplace can become a financial burden especially if employees are required to come to work in corporate attires. Corporate attires including footwear for both men and women are often more expensive than casual garments because of the materials they are made of.

They also add that corporate attires or office uniforms, such as suits and ties, blazers, and slacks, imposed by dress codes are often uncomfortable to wear. Discomfort from wearing them for long work hours can get in the way of employees’ concentration and productivity. Additionally, being casually dressed does not mean that employees are less respectable and skilled. 

Finally, opponents believe that imposing a dress code in the workplace takes away the employees’ ability to express their personal styles. Being able to express one’s self in the workplace boosts employees’ morale which in turn leads to productivity and creativity.

両親(りょうしん)の反対(はんたい)を乗(の)り越(こ)えて結婚(けっこん)した: 부모님의 반대를 극복하고 결혼했다

一緒(いっしょ)に乗(の)り越(こ)えよう!: 함께 극복하자!

不況(ふきょう)を乗(の)り越(こ)えた: 불황을 극복했다

There’s good news and bad news for fans of Korean animation this week. The good news is that “Kai” was released Wednesday, marking the first time in years that a Korean animated feature, rather than one by Pixar or Disney, hit local theaters. The film has been generating tons of buzz among animation buffs, as it’s the latest by director Lee Sung-gang, who was behind award-winning animated features including “Yobi the Five-tailed Fox” (2007) and “My Beautiful Girl, Mari” (2002). It also got attention for having Yeon Sang-ho, the director of the recent smash hit “Train to Busan” and an up-and-coming animator himself, as a producer. 

But the bad news is that “Kai” explicitly shows the bleak reality of the country’s film animation industry over its 96-minute run time. “Kai,” based on the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, tells the story of a little boy named Kai who lives in Mongolia along with his mother and younger sister. One day, Kai’s sister disappears off a cliff obscured by thick snow when his family attempts to move to a new home during a heavy storm. Years after the tragic accident, Kai’s village begins to get mysteriously cold. As people try to figure out the cause of the change, Kai encounters the Soul of the River, who tells him he must confront Hatan, the snow queen who is attempting to freeze over the entire world. “Kai” packages itself as a grand adventure story, but it takes nearly 70 minutes for the boy to hit the road because of the time it spends introducing the supporting characters. It isn’t always a bad move to focus on characters other than the leads, as cute and zany sidekicks can breath life into animated films — consider the doe-eyed Puss in Boots from “Shrek 2” (2004) — but Lee gives them too much time and too many scenes, resulting in unhelpful distractions from the main storyline. 

Another disappointment is the eventual confrontation between Kai and Hatan. It’s supposed to be the highlight of the adventure, but the fight lacks thrills and abruptly comes to an end. “Kai” will likely remind viewers of the 2013 mega-hit “Frozen” in many ways because the Disney tale of two sisters was also based on the same fairy tale. With that in mind, director Lee should have come up with a more inventive and unique plot if he didn’t want to be overshadowed by the earlier film. Despite its elements that will appeal to younger viewers, “Kai” doesn’t offer enough of a story to resonate with general audiences. The film is rated for all.

いつまでも友(とも)だち!: 언제까지나 친구!

いつまでも一緒(いっしょ)だよ!: 언제까지나 함께야!

いつまでも続(つづ)けるから: 언제까지나 계속할거니까