Week 2 - World Cup 2014

World Cup final rerun as Germany host Argentina

LOOKING AHEAD:As Germany reveled in their fourth FIFA championship, Argentina adjusted to their new manager and the absence of an injured Lionel Messi

AFP, DUESSELDORF, Germany

Just 50 days after winning the World Cup for the fourth time, the German national team assembled in Duesseldorf on Monday for today’s repeat of the final against Argentina.

Wednesday’s match was already set to be a glamor friendly, but there is added hype in the wake of Mario Goetze’s extra-time winner when the teams last met in Rio de Janeiro on July 13.

About 45,000 people watched the World Cup-winners train on Monday and today’s game at the Espirit Arena is likely to attract a sell-out crowd.

On Sunday, Joachim Loew’s side are to host Scotland in Dortmund in their first qualifier for Euro 2016. For a German team still taking in the World Cup triumph, the two games have come up quickly.

“I think it is not easy for us — that is clear,” Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said on Monday.

“For Scotland, it is the game of the year to start against us. We have to play well against Argentina with regard to the weekend and to be fully prepared for it,” he added.

Germany is to be without Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose, all of whom retired from international soccer after this summer’s tournament.

Most countries would struggle to replace three players who amassed 354 caps between them, but Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff is confident that the squad can move on.

“After every tournament, we have always managed to bring the team to another level and to develop them further,” Bierhoff said at a press conference on Monday.

The most pressing question is who is to replace Lahm as captain. Neuer, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Mats Hummels are all candidates.

“When the coach trusts me to do it, I will do it,” Neuer said. “But, of course I have to talk to him first to find out what the situation is.”

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Reus, who missed the World Cup through injury, is back in the squad, along with Fiorentina striker Mario Gomez. Highly-rated VfB Stuttgart centerback Antonio Ruediger is also included.

Mesut Ozil has an ankle injury, but Bierhoff said he hoped that the Arsenal midfielder would be fit for the Scotland game. However, Schweinsteiger is set to miss both matches through injury.

Argentina changed managers after the World Cup, with former Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino taking over after Alejandro Sabella stepped down.

Martino must cope without captain Lionel Messi for his first match in charge. The Barcelona attacker played in a 1-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday, but a groin injury has prevented the 27-year-old from traveling to Germany.

“The priority is not the result,” Martino said before leaving for Duesseldorf, taking with him the squad that got to the World Cup final, minus Messi. “What is important is that there is a good atmosphere in the squad.”


Website:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2014/09/03/2003598902


Structure:
who: German

where:Dusseldorf 

when: 50 days after winning the World Cup for the fourth time

what: the German national team assembled in Dusseldorf on Monday for today’s repeat of the final against Argentina.
how: not given

Keywords:

1. Argentina 阿根廷

2. revel 狂歡

3. glamor 魅力

4. hype 欺騙;使興奮;大肆宣傳

5. qualifier 合格者

6. triumph 勝利

7. goalkeeper 守門員

8. tournament 錦標賽

9. amass 累積

10.pressing 刻不容緩的

11. cope 對抗

12.groin 穹窿

Week 1 - Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement

A solution to cross-strait pact woes

By Tung Chen-yuan 童振源

After more than a year of debate between the ruling and opposition parties, more Taiwanese oppose the cross-strait service trade agreement than support it. Even among those who support it, there are significant differences of opinion between pan-blue and pan-green camp supporters.

Of particular note is that a majority believe the agreement will have a more negative than positive impact on the nation’s economic and political interests. So, how should the government assuage public concerns and get the agreement passed through the legislature?

First, because the government overstated the benefits of the Economic Framework Trade Agreement (ECFA) in the past and because its assessments of the agreement’s benefits are extremely modest, with estimates showing that it will increase GDP by a mere 0.025 to 0.034 percent, Taiwanese doubt the promises that have been made.

Second, even if the economic benefits of the agreement outweigh its negative effects, because Taiwanese are not sure how they will fare in the face of tough competition from China, a general anxiety is prevalent.

Third, the political ramifications of the agreement are hard to evaluate, making it a guessing game.

To solve these doubts and worries, and further facilitate cross-strait cooperation and integration, the following are three recommendations for Taipei and Beijing to consider.

First, Taiwan should use Kinmen as a free economic pilot zone to promote the free flow of global products, services, capital, personnel and information. Also, if the two nations could establish a joint commission for this, they could use Kinmen as a testing ground for cross-strait economic liberalization and integration, and allow the benefits of cross-strait economic integration to be fully displayed. Also, Kinmen could be used to assess the political impact of cross-strait economic integration and allow Taipei to consider whether it is feasible to allow integration plans to be carried out on Taiwan proper.

Second, China should think about Taiwan participating in East Asian economic integration from the standpoint of mutual benefit and reciprocity, as this would increase support among Taiwanese for broadening the scope of cross-strait economic liberalization.

China should actively support Taiwan’s participation in the negotiations for the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and allow Taiwan to take part in negotiations with the other potential member nations so that by the time the potential members have signed the partnership, Taiwan can also take part in it. In addition to this, China should support Taiwan participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Because the partnership is an economic integration agreement that involves high levels of liberalization, China will have a tough time in the short term adjusting the structure of its economy to suit the agreement, and if Taiwan was to first participate, it could provide Chinese businesses with a platform for entering the international market, which will result in a win-win situation.

Third, a referendum should be used to solve the debates going on within Taiwan over the cross-strait service trade agreement. Many opinion polls from the past show that pan-blue and pan-green camp supporters have vastly differing opinions when it comes to the agreement, which has seen the two sides locked in fierce opposition over the issue of cross-strait economic integration. However, according to an opinion poll conducted by TVBS in March, 61 percent of respondents support the idea of using a referendum to make a final decision on the agreement, with only 31 percent against the idea.

The only way to make both camps accept the final decision on the agreement is to use a democratic procedure. This would also help solve the problems of opposition and deadlock that are going on in the legislature.

Tung Chen-yuan is a professor at National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of Development Studies.

Translated by Drew Cameron

Website:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2014/08/21/2003597890/1

Structure:

who: Taiwanese

what: People have different opinion on the cross-strait service trade agreement.
when: not given
how: not given
why: not given

Keywords:

1.      Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement 海峽兩岸服務貿易協議

2.      assuage 緩和

3.      legislature 立法會

4.      overstate 誇大

5.      Economic Framework Trade Agreement (ECFA) 海峽兩岸經濟合作架構協議

6.      assessment 評估

7.      outweigh 超過

8.      prevalent 廣布的

9.      ramifications 後果

10.  integration 整合

11.  standpoint 立場

12.  reciprocity 互惠

13.  Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) 東南亞區域全面經濟夥伴協定 
14.Trans-Pacific Partnership 跨太平洋夥伴關係
15.a win-win situation一個雙贏局面
16.referendum 公民投票
17.deadlock 僵局