CHINA'S GRIEVING PARENTS

BACKGROUND
On May 12, 2008, there was a massive earthquake in Sichuan province, China. Nearly 69,000 people were killed, 374,000 were injured, and 15 million people lost their homes.

Tragically, many of the dead were schoolchildren. They were killed when the schools in which they were studying simply fell down on top of them.

There can be no greater sense of loss and pain for a mother or a father than to lose their child.

Personally, I'm glad I don't live in China. It is a police state, the people have no political freedom, and I believe that there is cronyism and corruption at every level of government, from the very top right down to the very bottom (think of the "milk scandal" in 2008).

I don't know about you, but I felt like crying at the end of this news report...

grieving = extremely sad and upset
massive = very, very big; huge
injured = hurt
tragically = (something extremely sad, like an accident)
police state = a country where people are always watched by the police
cronyism = giving jobs to people because they are your friends, family
corruption = dishonest behaviour by people in power


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QUESTIONS
1. Why is the woman so full of grief?
2. Why are the local people unhappy with the government?
3. Why is a government official watching the local people?
4. What is your opinion? Do you think it is a government cover up?

WATCH THE VIDEO


LANGUAGE
officials = people who work for the government
a police checkpoint = a place where the police stop you to check who you are
collapsed = fallen down
the right credentials = the correct qualifications, papers
secret location = secret place
quake = earthquake
primary school (BrE) = elementary school (AmE)
left standing = not fallen down
dulled the pain = made to feel not so terrible
dug around = looked around (digging to try to find something)
rubble = broken bricks and parts of building that has fallen down
a government cover up = an event that the government keeps secret
sub-standard materials = low quality, cheap materials that are not good enough
natural disaster = (earthquake, typhoon, landslide, flood, etc)
never far away = always nearby
site = place, location (where something happens or happened)
file a law suit = take a problem to a court of law for a legal decision
stage demonstrations = protest or argue against something
on the side of = supports (for example, a person, an idea, etc)
contractors = companies or people who are paid to do some work
common people = normal people
anniversary = special date (when something is remembered)
full of grief = terribly, terribly sad
maintains = keeps saying
sheer force of = total power of (something)
no evidence = no proof
construction process = the way things are built
shrine = a kind of temple, often to remember somebody
incense = something you burn that has a strong smell
fake money = money that isn't real ("ghost money")
after-life = the place where you go after you die
guilt = a bad feeling about something you should or shouldn't have done
protected = took care of
“the sky fell down” = your life destroyed by something terrible that happened