Sunday, 9 September 2012

Threat to Korean wildlife in 'scariest place on Earth'

An unlikely and unique cradle of biodiversity that runs the length of the world's most heavily-militarised border is being threatened by encroaching development, conservation experts say.

Once described by former US president Bill Clinton as "the scariest place on Earth", the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides the Korean peninsula between North and South was created after the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Four kilometres (2.5 miles) wide and 248 kilometres long, it is a depopulated no-man's land of heavily-fortified fences and bristling with the landmines and listening posts of two nations that technically remain at war.

As a military buffer zone, it remains an area of profound Cold War hostility, but its man-made isolation has also created an accidental park recognised as one of the most well-preserved, temperate habitats on Earth.
Cutting across mountains, prairies, swamps, lakes and tidal marshes, it has become a protected home for an astonishing variety of plants and animals, including 82 endangered species such as the red-crowned crane and the Amur leopard.
Now experts attending the ongoing World Conservation Congress on South Korea's southern Jeju island, say redevelopment of land bordering the DMZ is putting the future of the wildlife haven at risk.

"The DMZ is so impressive in biodiversity in terms of its ecosystem due to its remoteness and no human impact," Uwe Riecken, director of biotope protection at the German Federal Agency for Nature told a Congress workshop.
"But on the other hand, the DMZ is facing a lot of potential threats arising from future possible access, including development," he warned.
The immediate threat is to the large strips of land that form a "civilian restricted zone" adjoining the DMZ on both sides.
Once fertile farmland abandoned after the war, the restricted zone has, over the past 60 years, reverted back to forest and natural wetlands, providing a crucial habitat for the DMZ wildlife.

"But now this is being converted back to agricultural or ginseng farms, changing the habitat of both the wild animals and plants," said Park Eun-Jin, an environmentalist at South Korea's Gyeonggi Research Institute.
Although relations between North and South remain volatile, recent efforts to reduce tensions have resulted in more permits being granted for land-use in the restricted zone.
"More pressure for inter-Korean economic development in the area is also going to pose a challenge in terms of maintaining a balance between development and preservation," Park said.
Aside from land conversion, Park said proposals for modern canals and roads would have an enormous impact on the amphibians, reptiles and birds that inhabit the area.
Experts at the conservation congress said the two Koreas would have to try to work together to prevent human resettlement of the area from disrupting the delicately-balanced ecosystem created over the past six decades.
Jeong Hoi-Seong, president of the South Korean Institute for the Environment and Civilization, said the South should consider "economic incentives" to ensure the impoverished North's cooperation.
"The South needs to find a way to incorporate economic benefits with environmental cooperation because the environment is not North Korea's priority," Jeong said.
South Korea has sought international recognition of the DMZ region as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, but the UN body has demurred, citing territorial uncertainties among other factors.
In a presentation to the congress in Jeju, the executive director of UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector, Han Qunli, said this did not mean the area could not be granted special status in the future.

"There is a promising long-term perspective in the DMZ -- once all parties are convinced -- that the area could be turned from a symbol of confrontation to a bridge of connection... and a best example of biodiversity conservation," Han said.
Ironically, an enduring peace between North and South Korea could hold the biggest threat of all to the DMZ ecosystem in the form of eventual reunification of the peninsula.
If reunification were to happen before it receives the status of an internationally protected site, peace might end up destroying the very haven that war accidentally created.

Saturday, 18 August 2012


เรียนเรื่อง clauses
Clause คือประโยคเล็กในประโยคใหญ่ เพราะมันประอบด้วย ประธาน (subject) และส่วนขยาย (predicate)
แบ่งออกเป็น  noun clauses, adjective clausesและ adverb clauses
Adverb clause. คือ กลุ่มของคำที่ประกอบด้วยประธานและส่วนขยาย(ประโยคเล็กในประโยคใหญ่) และทำหน้าที่เป็น Adverb (กริยาวิเศษณ์: คำที่ขยายกริยา/คุณศัพท์/ตัวมันเอง)
·        You may sit wherever you like.
·        You will pass if you work hard.
·        He fled where his pursuers could not follow.
·        I do it because I choose to.
·        He behaves as one might expect him to do.
·        We shall wait here until you come.
·        I shall remain where I am.
·        Wherever one goes one hears the same story.
Adverb clause มีหลายชนิด แยกได้ดังต่อไปนี้  Adverb clause of—
1.      Time
2.      Place
3.      Purpose
4.      Cause/reason
5.      Condition
6.      Result/consequence
7.      Comparison
8.      Supposition/concession
ตัวอย่างแต่ละชนิด 
1.Adverb clauses of time….จะมีคำเชื่อมต่อไปนี้ when, whenever, while, after, before, since, as, till, no sooner….than, so long as ประโยคตัวอย่าง....
·        When you have finished your work you may go home.
·        Don’t talk while she is singing.
·        I have not been well since I returned from Chiengmai.
·        As he came to the room all rose to their feet.
·        Do it before you forget.
·        They were commanded to wait till the signal was given.
·        No sooner did he see us than he disappeared.
·        The world will be the same so long as men are men.
·        The doctor always comes whenever he is sent for.
·        As soon as he heard the news he wrote to me.
2. Adverb clauses of place…. จะมีคำเชื่อมต่อไปนี้ where, wherever, whereas ประโยคตัวอย่าง เช่น..........
* I have put it where I can find it again.
* Where you live I will live.
*Let him be arrested wherever he may be found.
3. Adverb clauses of purpose คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี so that, in order that, lest, ประโยคตัวย่าง
*I will give you a map so that you can find the way.
*The UNO was formed in order that countries might discuss world problems better.
*He was extra polite to his superiors lest something adverse should be written into his records.
4. Adverb clauses of cause/reason คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี because, as, since, that, ประโยคตัวอย่าง
* Because I like you I shall help you.
*Since you are so clever you will be able to explain this.
*I am glad that you like it.
As he was not here I spoke to his brother.
5. Adverb clauses of condition คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี if, whether, unless ประโยคตัวอย่าง
*If it rains we shall stay at home.
*I shan’t pay it unless he sends me the bill again.
*I will forgive you on condition that you don’t repeat the offence.
*You must go whether you hear from him or not.
*Unless you work harder you will you will fail.
บางคราวคำเชื่อมที่จะใช้ละไว้ก็ได้ ตัวอย่างเช่น
Had I not see this with my own eyes I would not have believed it.
Had I the wings of a bird I would fly away.
He would be happier were he honester.
Were an angel to tell me such a thing of you, I would not believe it.
หรือบางที่ก็ใช้คำ Relative pronoun, adjective, หรือ adverb เป็นคำเชื่อม เช่น
Whatever happens keep calm.
Don’t annoy him whatever you do.
Whichever road we take we shall be too late.
6. Adverb clauses of result/consequence คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี so….that, such….that, ประโยคตัวอย่าง
* So terrible a disease broke out that very few of the people survived.
*He is such a good man that all respect him.
*The Roman built in such a way that their walls are still standing.
*He spoke in such a low voice that few could hear him.
7. Adverb clauses of comparison. คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี  than, as, ประโยคตัวอย่าง เช่น
*He is older than he looks.
*No one can run faster than Bolt.
*He is as stupid as he is lazy.
 *You must work harder than I do.
8. Adverb clauses of supposition/concession คำเชื่อมที่ใช้มี though, although, even if ประโยคตัวอย่างเช่น
* Though I am poor I am honest.
*He set sail though the storm threatened.
*Even if it rains I shall come.
*Even if he is old he is able to do a great deal of work.
*I shall be able to get in although I have no ticket.
*I would not do it even if you paid me.





เรียนภาษอังกฤษจากประโยคที่น่าคิด  Learn English from these sentences.
1.       Listen carefully to what your emotions are telling you. Don’t ignore them, deny them or try to down them out. ให้รับรู้อารมณ์เราให้ดีเพราะมันบอกอะไรเราหลายอย่าง อย่าเพิกเฉยหรือละเลย
2.        He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.ใครที่ชอบใช้เสียงดังหรืออำนาจบาทใหญ่ ในการถกปัญหาย่อมแสดงว่าเขาไม่ค่อยมีเหตุผล
3.       Unexpressed feelings of appreciation and commendation are like undelivered letters.ชื่นชอบเขาหรือมีข้อเสนอให้เขาแต่ไม่แสดงออกก็เหมือนกับการเขียนจดหมายแล้วไม่เอาไปส่งนั้นเอง
4.       Treat others as you want to be treated. ทำกับเขาเช่นไรเขาก็ทำกับเราเช่นนั้น
5.       All of history is the quest for dignity. ประวัติศาสตร์ทุกยุคบอกเราว่ามนุษย์เรานั้นแสวงหาความสง่างามให้กับเผ่าพันธุ์ของตน
6.       Passion is the spice of life. อารมณ์คือรสชาติของชีวิต
7.       Do what you care most about. จงทำสิ่งที่คุณชื่นชอบ
8.       Goals must be SMART.( specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely)เป้าหมายต้องเด่นชัด
9.       The decision to apologize is a tug of war between stubborn pride and guilt. Making a sincere apology is an act of courage not a sign of weakness. การตัดสินใจขอโทษนั้นเปรียบได้กับการชักเย่อระหว่างความหยิ่งกับความผิดของเรา การตัดสินใจขอโทษนั้นไม่ใช่ความอ่อนแอแต่มันคือการแสดงความกล้า
10.    The quality of mercy is not strained. It drops as the gentle rain from heaven on the place beneath.อันความกรุณาปราณีจะมีใครบังคับก็หาไม่หลั่งมาเองเหมือนฝนอันชื่นใจจากฝากฟ้าสุราลัยสู่แดนดิน
11.   A journey of a thousand mile begin with a single step.การเดินทางหมื่นลี้ต้องเริมจากก้าวแรก
12.   Make your life a mission, not an intermission.อย่าทำชีวิตให้เนืองๆแต่ทำชีวิตให้มีเรื่องต้องทำ
13.   Humans are multi dimensional. มนุษย์เรานั้นมีหลากมิติ
14.   Sadness is the emotion resulting from a loss.ความเศร้าคืออารมณ์ความรู้สึกที่มีผลมาจากความสูญเสีย(loss: material possessions, health, stature, security, companionship, affection, safty)
15.   Stress is the energy we expend resisting the loss as we work to cope with it or overcome it.ความเครียดคือพลังที่เราใช้ไปเพื่อสู้กับความสูญเสียที่จะเกิด ขณะที่เรากำลังแก้ปัญหา หรือชนะปัญหา
16.   If you blame someone for your loss you feel anger.
17.   If you have lost stature or blame yourself for the loss you feel shame.
18.   If you feel you have loss affection to another person you feel jealousy.
19.   If you have lost safety or security you feel fear or anxiety.
20.   Loss of hope can lead to depression.







The sayings of Jesus Christ. 
(พระวาจาของพระเจ้านั้นไม่มีวันเสื่อมสลาย ค่อยๆอ่านที่ละประโยคแล้วคิดไปด้วยแล้วจะเข้าใจอะไรๆถ่องแท้ไม่สับสล ทุกประโยคคัดออกมาจาก The Holy Gospel by St. Matthew)
1.    “The scripture says, ’Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speak.’ ”
2.    Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
3.    Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.
4.    Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!
5.    Come with me and I will teach you to catch people.
6.    Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belong to them!
7.    Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!
8.    Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!
9.    Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!
10. Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!
11. Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!
12. Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
13. Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven.
14. You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.
15. You are like light for the whole world. Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
16. If you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.
17. If someone brings a lawsuit against you and take you to court, settle the dispute while there is time, before you get to court.
18. Anyone who looks at the woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.
19. If a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her faithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commit adultery also.
20. Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slaps left cheek too.
21. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good alike, and give rain to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!
22. When you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of warship and on the streets. They do it because people will praise them. I assure you, they have already paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
23.  When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of warship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
24. When you pray do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their pray are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.
25. When you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do, when you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting.
26. Your heart will always be where your riches are.
27. The eyes are like a lamp for the body.
28. You cannot serve God and money.
29. Do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.
30. God will judge you in the same way you judge others.
31. How dare you say to your brother,’ Please, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you have a log in your own eye?
32. Do not throw your pearls in front of pigs—they will only trample them underfoot.
33. Ask, and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Would any one of you who are fathers give your sons a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish?
34. Do for others what you want them to do for you.
35. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit.
36. Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.
37. People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
38. It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.
39. Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentles as doves. Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues for my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and the gentiles. When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking to you.
40. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
41. Those who declare publicly that they belong to me; I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven.
42. Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples
43. The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Your words will be used to judge you.
44. This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look but not see, because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. As for you, how fortunate you are! Your eyes see and your ears hear.
45. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once.
46. Let the wheat and the weeds both grow together until harvest. Then I will tell the harvest workers to pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them, and then to gather in the wheat and put it in my barn.
47. A prophet is respected everywhere except in his home town and by his own family.
48. “What little faith you have! Why did you doubt?” Jesus said to Peter.
49. Respect your father and your mother, and ‘if you curse your father or your mother, you are to be put to death.’
50. Listen and understand! It is not what goes into your mouth that makes you ritually unclean; rather, what comes out of it makes you unclean.
51. If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross and follow me.
52. I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this hill. ’Go from here to there!’ and it will go.
53. Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many time do I have to forgive him? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” answered Jesus,” but seventy times seven.
54. No human being must separate what God has joined together.
55. Keep the commandments if you want to enter life. Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely.
56. I assure you: it will be very hard for rich people to enter The Kingdom of heaven. I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
57. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers or children or field for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.
58. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest.
59. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
60. Many are invited, but few are chosen.
61. Pay to the Emperor what belong to the Emperor, and pay to God what belong to God.
62. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment.
63. Love your neighbors as you love yourself.
64. About Pharisees: do not imitate their actions, because they don’t practice what they preach. They do everything so that people will see them. They love the best places at feasts. They love to be greeted with respect. On the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins.
65. The Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west. Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather.
66. Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come.
67. Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
68. Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”
69. “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
70. “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
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