lesson 48

据英国《每日电讯报》报道，2008-09学年度，英国大学一共招收了251310名欧洲以外的海外学生，而10年前这个数字只有122150人而已，数量增加了106%。海外学生到英国读大学必须缴纳超过英国学生很多的学费，因此海外学生也被视为英国大学重要的财源。

海外学生当中，中国大陆的留学生数量超过任何其他国家。2008-09学年度，英国 大学的本科和研究生课程一共招收了49000来自中国大陆的留学生。预计，海外学生人数在未来几年仍然会持续增长，因为英国政府为了缩小预算赤字不得不削 减高教预算。过去一年来，英镑贬值造成海外留学生人数再度上升。

渝餐饮船废水直接入江

据《重庆晚报》报道，重庆市半数餐饮船废水直排入江。目前，重庆市共有102艘餐饮 船舶，但只有40艘处理了废水。 专家最近抽查了7艘船舶监测，发现粪大肠菌群污染最严重，最大超过国家标准420倍；更令人担忧的是，还有3艘餐饮船位于饮用水源保护区内，严重威胁饮用 水安全。

市长助理动怒张口咬人

据路透社报道，西班牙奥埃拉什的市长助理埃兹奎尔·里诺到警局抗议警察拖走他女儿的车，还咬伤一名警察。警察局女发言人说：“他开口就侮辱警官，还踢桌子。数次警告他都无效。他还继续闹，到后来竟然咬了一名警官的胳膊。警局只好拘留他。”遭咬的警官后被送到医院。

无肢男横渡英吉利海峡

据法新社报道，失去四肢的法国人菲力普·科洛松周六用13.5小时横渡英吉利海峡， 为此他准备了两年。42岁的科洛松从福克斯通下水，在法国靠近维桑的海岸上岸，他靠脚蹼状假肢划水前行。登岸后，科洛松异常兴奋，说道：“我成功了！这真 带劲儿！”科洛松是位金属制造工，1994年在屋顶移动电视天线时，触及到身边的输电线，被2万伏的电流击中。医生不得不截去他的四肢。住院疗养时，他看 到一部电视记录片，讲述一位游泳健将横渡英吉利海峡的事迹，从而萌生了类似的想法。

七省酝酿上调电价

花旗银行9月15日发布的报告指出，河北、山东、山西、陕西、青海、甘肃和海南7省正准备上调电价。据《济南日报》报道，国家发改委正与主要电力集团商榷具体的计划，方案建议上网电价每度上调1.5-3分，平均涨幅6.2%。

烟花展现毛泽东头像

据湖南红网报道，9月17日晚，一尊由彩色烟花组成的青年毛泽东头像出现在长沙橘子洲上空。这尊巨型烟花高30.8米、长45米，持续时长约60秒。据悉，这是首次燃放青年毛泽东头像烟花，有关方面已准备申请吉尼斯纪录。

世界最大航空公司成立

据英国广播公司报道，美国联合航空公司和大陆航空公司已得到合并许可，组建世界最大的航空公司。周五，两家公司的股东以压倒性票数支持合并计划。合并后的公司名为联合航空公司。

希特勒礼品车重驶街头

据路透社报道，一辆希特勒送给尼泊尔前国王特里布万的轿车将会被修缮一新，用来载客参观皇宫博物馆。这款1939年的奔驰，此前5年一直存放在皇家旧车库。

多所名校提高MBA学费

据《北京晨报》报道，中国诸多名校提高了工商管理硕士（MBA）项目的学费。北大和清华分别上调了4万元和6万元。除了成本上调之外，学校追涨学费以“保持身价”。

学院冒充名牌大学招生

据《云南信息报》报道，云南经贸进修学院被曝盗用名校云南财经大学名义非法招生1200多名。目前，1200名学生已被退费离校。

左撇子更易发怒

据英国《每日邮报》报道，左撇子们在生活中总是遇到很多不便，比如很多日用品都是为 习惯用右手的人设计的，甚至还有典故称左撇子与恶魔是一伙的。研究发现，也许正是因为总是遭遇这样的窘境，左撇子比常人更易动怒。研究人员发现，左撇子的 两个大脑半球之间的交流较常人更加频繁，对能产生负面情绪的部分影响更大。世界上有许多领导人和明星都是左撇子，有些确以脾气火爆闻名，网球界传奇人物约 翰·麦肯罗便是其中一例。另外，现任的领导人中，美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马和英国首相大卫·卡梅伦都是左撇子。

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Int'l students in UK double in 10 years

Some 251,310 students from outside Europe were given places in British universities in the 2008-2009 school year, compared with just 122,150 students a decade earlier, the Daily Telegraph reported. The 106% rise comes amid claims that foreign students -- who can be charged far more than British peers -- are seen as an important source of income.

Chinese mainland sends more students to Britain than any other country, with more than 49,000 being enrolled in undergraduate and graduate courses in 2008-2009. Numbers could soar in coming years as the British government is forced to cut the higher education budget to pay off the national debt. More foreign students were admitted to British universities on the back of the weak pound last year.

Untreated water goes into river

Half of the restaurant vessels in Chongqing discharged their wastewater into rivers without any treatment, Chongqing Evening News reported. There are altogether 102 restaurant vessels in Chongqing, but only 40 treat their wastewater. Experts have recently supervised seven of them, only to find that the pollution caused by fecal coliform was most severe, which at most was 420 times higher than the country's standard. It was even more troubling that three restaurant vessels are in a drinking-water area, thus posing a severe health threat.

Mayor's aide bites cop

Esequiel Lino, an aide to the mayor of Oeiras in Spain, bit a police officer after going to a police station to protest his daughter's car being towed away, Reuters reported. "He started verbally abusing the officers, kicking the desk and was warned several times, but it didn't stop him. He went on and ended up biting one of the officers in the arm, and had to be detained," a police spokeswoman said. The officer was taken to hospital.

Limbless Frenchman swims Channel

Frenchman Philippe Croizon, who has neither arms nor legs, swam the English Channel in 13 and a half hours Saturday, a challenge he had been preparing for two years, AFP reported. Croizon, 42, set off from Folkestone and arrived on the French coast near Wissant, propelled by specially designed flipper-shaped prosthetic legs. "I did it, it's crazy!" an overjoyed Croizon said after arriving in France. In 1994 the metalworker was hit by a 20,000 volt charge from a nearby power line as he attempted to remove a television aerial from a roof. Doctors were forced to amputate his limbs. While recovering in hospital he watched a television documentary about a Channel swimmer and an ambition was born.

Electricity prices may rise

Seven provinces, namely Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Gansu and Hainan, are considering raising the electricity price, according to a report by Citibank released on Sept. 15. Jinan Daily reported that the plan put together by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and state power companies involves raising the factory price of electricity by 0.015-0.03 yuan per kilowatt-hour, or an average increase of 6.2 percent.

Fireworks compose Mao's portrait

On the evening of Sept. 17, a colorful portrait of Mao Zedong formed by fireworks emerged over Juzi Island in Hunan's Changsha, rednet.cn reported. This giant portrait was 30.8 meters high, 45 meters wide, and lasted for about one minute. It was the first time fireworks generated an image of Mao at an early age. Authorities in Changsha planned to notify Guinness World Records.

U.S. airlines create global leader

A merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines to create the world's largest carrier has been given the go-ahead, the BBC reported. Shareholders in the two airlines voted overwhelmingly to approve the deal Friday. The merged airline will be known as United Airlines.

Hitler's car to be used again

Reuters reports that a car given by Adolf Hitler to a former Nepali king Tribhuvan will be repaired and used to drive visitors around the grounds of a palace museum. The car is a 1939 Mercedes Benz. It's been stored in an old palace garage for more than five years.

MBA courses cost more

Many famous universities in China have raised the tuition for MBA programs, the Beijing Morning Post reported. Peking University and Tsinghua University, the two most popular institutes for an MBA, have raised the fee by 40,000 yuan and 60,000 yuan, respectively. In addition to the tuition hike, schools also raise the MBA financial threshold to keep their status.

School misleads students

Yunnan Economic and Finance Institute for Continuing Education has been caught posing as Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, a better reputed higher-education institute, according to Yunnan Information Daily. It enrolled more than 1,200 students, and so far 1,200 students have received refunds and left the school.

Lefties are more likely to be angry

Life holds many frustrations for left-handed people -- from the everyday items designed for right-handers to folklore saying they are in league with the devil. So perhaps it is the result of dealing with such adversity that, according to researchers, they are angrier than the average person, the Daily Mail reported. Researchers found that among lefties, the two hemispheres of the brain communicate more with each other so have more interaction with the parts that produce negative emotions. Many of the world's leaders and stars are left-handed, with some known for being hot-tempered. One famously grumpy leftie is tennis legend John McEnroe. Current world leaders who are left-handed include Barack Obama and David Cameron.