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Le tour du monde en V.O.VOCABLE Du 18 au 31 octobre 2018 (^) • 21
Autonomous tram
The city of Potsdam has launched the world’s irst autonomous tram. The vehicle
is itted with multiple radars, camera sensors and other devices forming digital
eyes that ilm the tram and its surroundings during every journey, and can an-
ticipate and respond to hazards faster than a human driver. Although it success-
fully made its irst journey in real trafic conditions on a 6km route in September,
the vehicle is far from being commercially viable yet. Regardless, its makers, a
team of 50 computer scientists and engineers from the German company Sie-
mens, said it is an important milestone on the way to autonomous driving.
to be itted with to be equipped with / sensor detector / device appliance, instrument, system / surroundings
immediate environment / journey trip / to respond to to react to (when faced with) / hazard risk, danger / regardless
in spite of that, irrespective of that / milestone important event in the development of sth.
Unearned degrees
A number of top Spanish politicians are
currently caught up in a scandal over
unearned degrees. In mid-September,
Carmen Montón, Spain’s health minister,
had to resign after it emerged that she had
been awarded a master’s degree in 2011
from a Madrid university without doing the
requisite work. Pedro Sánchez, the country’s
Prime Minister, has repeatedly been
accused of plagiarizing his PHD thesis by
opposition newspapers, although there is
no evidence to support their claim at
present.
currently at present, at the moment / unearned not
merited / degree diploma / to resign to leave (a
post) / to award to give, grant / PHD = Doctor of
Philosophy, doctorate / evidence proof (inv.) / claim
declaration, assertion, here, accusation.
Where are the
“quality tourists”?
Authorities in Bali are planning to review
the rules applying to tourists on the
island, to counter a recent rise of
disrespectful behaviour by western
tourists. In the next weeks, they will
reassess the system that allows tourists
to visit sacred temples unaccompanied.
This decision was prompted by a photo
of a Danish tourist sitting on the Linggih
Padmasana shrine at the Puhur Luhur
Batukaru temple – an act that is strictly
forbidden, the shrine being reserved for the most important deity in Balinese Hinduism.
rule code of regulations / rise increase / behaviour conduct, comportment / western from western countries / to reassess to
re-evaluate, reconsider / to prompt to cause, provoke / shrine place of worship, holy or sacred place / deity divinity.
Trade war
China is caught up in a trade war with the
United States that seems to be escalating
week after week. In September, as the
United States implemented taxes on $200
billion worth of Chinese goods, China
accused America of “trade bullyism” and
retaliated with tarifs on American products
worth $60 billion. Almost half of China’s
exports to the U.S. are now afected by
tarifs, making them more expensive to
American consumers.
to be caught up in to be part of / trade commerce,
business / to implement to introduce, adopt, apply /
billion thousand million / worth value / goods
merchandise / bullyism intimidation / to retaliate
to strike back / tarif tax on imports/exports.
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