Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Texting and Teens

What is keeping teens up at night?青少年為什麼夜未眠?Do you send as many text messages as these teens do?你也和這些青少年一樣發送那麼多簡訊嗎?by Lisa Holl Chang.

When Greg Hardesty saw his December 2008 telephone bill, he was shocked. The 440-page bill listed 14,528 text messages from his daughter Reina’s cell phone. If Hardesty hadn’t had an unlimited texting plan, the bill would have cost almost $3,000. Hardesty's situation is not unique. Families all over America are waking up to the large number of text messages teens send. A 2009 study reported that the average teen sends 2,899 texts a month. They send text messages during class, while driving and in the middle of the night. Parents, teachers and doctors are becoming very concerned.

Teens and sleep
Only 20 percent of teens get the eight hours of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. Fifteen percent get as little as three to five hours a night. Experts believe technology-related distractions are causing teens to get less sleep than they should. One big distraction is texting - especially when teens wake up late at night to text.


The cost of staying connected
Teens send and receive thousands of messages to stay in constant contact with their friends. Texting makes them feel like they're in the loop. That need to stay connected often prevents teens from getting adequate sleep. Mikaela Espinoza, 17, used to sleep with her cell phone beside her bed. Eventually, her sleep became affected, especially on nights when she received texts at 3 a.m.

Soon she was having painful headaches during the day. Espinoza is not the only teen with sleep-related problems. Besides headaches, these teens also experience difficulty concentrating, bad moods and weak immune systems. Many teens fall asleep in class, and some even confess to falling asleep while driving.


Turning off the phone
After seeing their phone bill, Reina Hardesty's parents restricted Reina's use of her cell phone. Parents also set " texting curfews," a time after which no more texting is allowed. Many teens are discovering for themselves the benefits of turning off their phone at night. It's a good first step toward a good night's sleep.

Grammar
Hardesty's situation is not unique.
unique=very special.
Van Gogh's style is very unique.
subject + is not unique (talk about the situation is very common)
*Janet is a single mother of two and has to work three jobs in order to pay the bills, her situation is not unique.
*At age 9, Maggie was diagnosed with childhood diabetes, her problem is not unique in America.

Vocabulary
wake up- 清醒过来,醒过来.
wake up to something- 指意识到某种状况,事实 或重要事情.
*It's time for us to wake up to the fact that we need to solve the problem of global warming.
*She should wake up to the fact that her health condition is failing.
text (n)-text message .简讯,留言. message-信息.
*I got a text message from my brother saying he'll visit me next week.
text (v)- sending message through phone.传简讯
* My thumb is sore because I texted too much. 简讯传的太多,使我的大拇指肿痛.
distraction-使分心的事. distract-使分心
*Many can listen to music while working, but I find it a great distraction.
*Ellen decided to go to the library where she is free from distraction.
(be) in the loop-stay connection 参入其内或知情.. loop-圈圈 .
*Even though Janet is currently out on a business trip, she is in the loop on all our big decisions.
out of the loop- 是 in the loop 反义词,指不知情的,局外人的.
*I've been out of the loop on what has been happening in town since I moved.
adequate-足够的,适合的,合宜的,适当的
*Adequate lighting is crucial for students' learning. 足够适宜的光线(灯光)...是很重要的
*We have to make sure we have adequate food for our camping trip.足够的食物...
confess-承认或坦承(通常是指做了比较负面或不好的事)
confess to something-坦承..做了某事
*George confessed to sneaking out during work. 偷溜出去.
*Nick confessed to his parents that he stole money from them.
restriction - to limited the movement or acting for someone.
restrict - set a rule to limited someone to do something.

Chat Room
What is keeping teens up at night?
teens - young kids age from thirteen to nineteen. teenager-青少年
preteen- before teen age. age 9 to age 12.
tween- between preteen to teen. age 8 to age 12.
adolescent- young boys and girls, young kids, not limited age 13-19. 轻少年. 范围包括的最广.
----------------------------------
curfew- set a time for person to go home.宵禁.
I have an eleven o'clock curfew. 规定11点前必须回到家.
get grounded-被禁足,待在家不许出门.
you are grounded.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

In William's Words

你知道哪些英文字是莎士比亞發明的嗎?The life and works of England’s most famous poet, William Shakespeare 英國最有名的詩翁莎士比亞的生平和作品William Shakespeare's plays continue to educate and entertain. by Chelsea Ewald

What’s in a name?
Genius – if your name happens to be William Shakespeare. The name “William Shakespeare” is among the most recognized and revered in history. Widely known as a literary genius, the famed playwright and poet has earned such nicknames as the Bard and England’s national poet. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Even today his creative achievements have yet to be surpassed. Still, in spite of his fame, very little is known about the man himself.

It is believed that William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. As a boy, he likely attended grammar school and studied subjects like Greek and Latin literature.
However, for reasons unknown, Shakespeare left school when he was 15 and never again pursued formal education. Just three years later, in 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior. Soon after, they started a family.

All the world's a stage
Theater was the primary source of entertainment during the Elizabethan Era, and Queen Elizabeth herself was likely one of its biggest patrons. A superb talent like Shakespeare no doubt flourished in it. Aside from being a playwright. Shakespeare was also a well-known actor during his lifetime. And since actors of the day were jacks-of-all-trades, it can be assumed that Shakespeare was skilled in dancing, singing, acrobatics and playing musical instruments. He rose to fame when he joined The Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting company protected by the Queen herself.

No one really knows how or when Shakespeare first began writing and acting, but by the 1590s his interest in these area had gained momentum. As a result, he left Stratford-on-Avon and moved to London to pursue his dreams. And it wasn't just his acting that impressed the Queen. As a prolific writer, Shakespeare made quite a name for himself, even during his day. His plays were often purchased and performed for large audiences in locations such as the famous Globe Theatre, of which Shakespeare was part owner. Records show that The Lord Chamberlain's Men performed at least two of Shakespeare's plays before the Queen and her court, further affirming Shakespeare's fame and talent. Even as the plague shut down theaters all over London in the 1590's, Shakespeare continued to pen plays and poetry that would eventually make history.

To be or not to be
Shakespeare is credited with authoring an impressive 37 plays and 154 sonnets and is widely remembered for his creative achievements. However, his works are not without controversy. Some people doubt that Shakespeare wrote the works credited to him and propose other people as the true authors. Theories abound supporting more educated individuals as the likely writers. Most people disagree with these claims, however, instead giving Shakespeare credit where credit is due.

Words, words, words
Shakespeare's genius really shows when it comes to his vocabulary. Some experts claim that he knew over 29,000 words, thus making him a vocabulary genius! And when he couldn't come up with an appropriate word in his writing, he invented a new one. In fact, Shakespeare coined over 1,700 words commonly used in the English language today and popularized others that were already in use. Among words credited to him are amazement, assassination, downstairs, employer, fashionable, silliness and useful. Phrases and idioms include break the ice, come what may, and love is blind. For Shakespeare, it seems all's well that ends well. As each play comes to the stage or screen again, his genius continues to live on through his words.


More Information
Shakespeare's plays were written in poetic style known as blank verse. Basically, it's poetry that doesn't rhyme, but it's still pleasing to the ear because it imitates the mythms of natural speech. Blank verse is very flexible, allowing poets and playwrights to express themselves freely. Some of Shakespeare's more famous blank verse narratives include Romeo and Juliet, Hamiet, Midsummer Night's Dream and Antony and Cleopatra.

Grammar
He married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his senior.
his senior=older than him
his senior/ her senior
*The actress is dating a man fifteen years her senior.
*Timothy's sister is twelve years his senior.

Vocabulary
revere-尊敬,崇敬,为甚么而尊敬用"for"
*People revere the great artist not just for his talent but also for his character.
*The professor was revered for his achievements in his field.
surpass-超越,优于 sur-在。。。之上。to exceed, to go beyond both in quality and quantities.
*The movie's success surpassed everyone's expectations.
*It's not easy to surpass the well-trained baseball team.
momentum-冲劲,气势 is a force keep something forward.
*The movie lost its momentum half-way through when the hero went missing.
*The tennis player maintained his momentum throughout the game.
patron (n)-赞助者
*The first lady is the patron of several charities.
*The main patron of this dance company is a successful businessman from Texas.
prolific-多产的,创作力丰富的,也指动植物的多产,繁殖力强的。
*He's probably the most prolific novelist of his generation.
*The 80's were the director's most prolific period.最丰富多产的阶段。
*Rats are extremely prolific.繁殖力极强。
affirm-证明,确认。也指声明,坚称。 firm-坚定的
*The success of this project further affirms Victor's leadership in this company.
*The suspect affirmed his innocence throughout the interrogation.
plague - 灾,灾难,此指发生在1590 年的黑死病。
jack-of-all-trade- a person can do many different things and do skillfully well.
controversy-争议,争论.
*The trial caused a controversy over the issue of women's rights.
controversial--sial 争论性高的
controversial movie-
credit where credit is due-指任何某人的贡献,能力.实至名归的. credit功劳, due 应该还的.
*Even though Mandy might be a little too aggressive, credit where credit is due-she is very efficient.有效力的
popularize-使普及,使受欢迎的.使流行,被推广.popular 受欢迎的,
*The Internet has helped to popularize eco-friendly ideas and products. 环保观念
coins- create, invented.
"all's well that ends well" -Title of Shakespeare's play. it refer to difficulties or something had happened in the beginning or it doesn't work well in the middle, but it has a well ending.
Shakespeare's famous plays : Harmiet 哈姆雷特, King lear 里耳王, Macbeth马克白. 是沙翁的悲剧经典之作.

Chat Room
senior-资深的,高级的,资格老的,前辈。
senior citizen-资深公民,对老年人的委婉称呼。
senior/junior-年长,年幼
时间 + 所有格 + senior/junior -比某人大多少岁或小几岁。
Steven is five years my senior.
I am five years Steven's junior.
-------------------
pen (n)-原子笔
to pen something-用笔写下来。
I.D. card (n)-身份证
to card someone- to make sure of legal age 出示(证件)。。法定年龄
Google (n)- 搜寻网路公司
to google- 上Google网搜寻。
effort (n), office (n) are noun, you can't verbalize them. verbalizing them for advertisement only.
-------------------
to be or not to be- 要做与不做什么,不确定,进退维谷 " To Be or Not to Be" is a famous phrase in Shakespeare's Harmiet. 哈姆雷特.
to be or not to be, that is the question-生存或是毁灭这是值得考虑的问题。
to work or not to work
to buy or not to buy
to eat or not to eat

Friday, April 23, 2010

Let's Talk Baseball

不可不知的棒球密語Many English idioms come from this popular sport有很多英語慣用語都出自棒球這種受歡迎的運動Baseball has contributed more words to American English than any other sport by Ruth Devlin.

"Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd ...” goes the most popular song about baseball. And while enjoying a game, I wonder if I will be able to understand it. The sport of baseball uses a bewildering number of terms. The preeminent baseball dictionary, the Dickson Baseball Dictionary includes more than 10,000 entries. The word “hit” alone has more than 100 synonyms. With such a dizzying array of terms, baseball could indeed be its own language. Take this sentence, for example:

The jellybean corked the avocado, but instead of the expected dinger, it turned into a can of corn. For the uninitiated the sentence simply means: "The rookie (jellybean) hit (corked) the pitch that looked like it could be a home run (avocado). But instead of expected home run (dinger), it turned into an easily caught fly ball (a can of corn)" Some baseball jargon can be more easily understood. When it's "top of the seventh," the inning is just beginning. The "bottom of the seventh “ would mean the second half of the inning. And when the " bases are loaded," there is a runner on each one.

Baseball doesn't just stay in the ballpark. Many terms derived from baseball have come into everyday use by people who have never seen a pitcher throw a pitch. "Right off the bat," I'd say there are hundreds of terms -but that's just a "ballpark figure." When things are going right and you're successful , you're "batting a thousand," But at too often, you "strike out" at something no matter how "on the ball" you are. When you want to be successful, it is imperative that you "keep your eye on the ball" and make sure you're not "out in left field."

With any project, you need to "step up to the plate" before you commence. But you also need to be sure that you're not "out of your league" and that you know the "ground rules." When you want to support a friend, you "go to bat " for them when they need help. When you can't meet with a friend, you "take a rain check" and promise to "touch base" at a later time. So when learning English, it's inevitable that you'll learn a few baseball idioms. You just have to "play ball"!

More information
American English is loaded with baseball idioms: Here are just a few: Right off the bat means at the very beginning. Ballpark figure is a great way to talk about a general number rather than an exact one. Keeping your eye on the ball means to pay careful attention to what you are doing. And To touch base means to talk to someone about something.

Grammar
When you can't meet with a friend, you " take a rain check" and promise to "touch base" at a later time.
touch base-
to touch Base=to make contact
*The manager has scheduled a project meeting so we can all touch base.
*Let's touch base when I'm in town next time.

Vocabulary
bewildering-市困惑,使迷糊,令人困惑的,使人迷糊的
*The bewildering road signs got us lost so it took us a long time to get to the hotel.
pre-eminent-再再最杰出的,更卓越的,出类拔萃的。pre- 在什么之前 eminent-杰出的
*Harry feels so honored to be one of the pre-eminent scholar's students.
*He's a pre-eminent authority in the field of bio-chemistry.
uninitiated-缺乏经验的,The uninitiated -指缺乏经验的门外汉(人)。
*This booklet is designed for the uninitiated.
*His lecture is way too difficult for the uninitiated to understand.
derive from - come from
derive from something- 原自于某个对象。
*The custom derived from the natives of this area.
*Many English words are derived from Greek or Latin.
imperative-必要的,紧急的,有强制性的 totally important, essential, you must have to do.
*It is imperative to get food supplies for those who were trapped by the flood.当急之需,当急之务
*It's imperative to take action before the situation gets worse.
commence-start or begin. 开始
*The press conference will commence in 15 minutes.
*The seminar commenced with an excellent speech by the famous professor.

Chat Room
Take me out to the ball game- a famous song in the U.S.A.
seventh-inning stretch-七局后休息时间,人们习惯在第七局休息时间伸伸懒腰。
proverb- 谚语old saying, advice people. easy to understand it。
saying : "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" or
saying from a famous person:
saying: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
idioms-惯用语-从字面上不容易一下子知道其意思。
" It's raining cats and dogs"- heavy rain, 雨下得很大

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Earth Day's 40th Birthday

迎接地球日四十周年Celebrate the Earth today在今天歡慶地球日吧Over a billion worldwide are celebrating our planet by Chip Ewald

Today people all over the world celebrate a truly global event. Earth Day aims to promote the protection of the earth’s environment. Since 1970, this day has been helping people, companies and countries become green.

Earth Day began with around 20 million Americans demonstration in streets, parks and schools. Now, over 1 billion people in 180 countries observe this day. Earth Day Network has asked people to register and complete one "act of green" today. An act might be picking up garbage or making a commute to work more efficient.

People have been recording their acts on the network's website. The network hopes for 1 billion acts in total! Since this year marks Earth Day's 40th anniversary, different activities will go on all week. On April 25th, people will gather for official celebrations in 40 major cities worldwide. They will celebrate the countless green accomplishments of the week and the last 40 years.

So join the action. Help the planet and its people by doing something green today.

More Information
Here are 6 Ways to Go Green:
1. Ride a bike or car pool to work.
2. Make sure the light bulbs in your house are efficient/
3. Always take your own bags to the grocery store.
4. Use things (like bags and containers) at least two limes or more.
5. Avoid buying bottled water. But if you do, reuse the bottle.
6. Take your own chopsticks when you eat out.

Grammar
earth Day began with around 20 million Americans demonstrating in streets, parks and schools.
earth day began with around 20 million Americans;
They were demonstrating in streets, parks and schools.
*when we put two sentences together, these two sentences have the same subject, just drop subject and verb of the second sentence.
*Earth Day began with around 20 million Americans demonstrating in streets, parks and schools
Tom saw Fred is in the cafeteria. He is eating
*Tom saw Fred is eating in the cafeteria.
Sandra saw him in the classroom. He was practicing his speech.
*Sandra saw him practicing his speech in the classroom.

Vocabulary
global-全球的,全球性的 globe-地球earth, planet.
*The decreasing Ozone layer is a global problem that affects all parts of the world.臭氧层
*Only global cooperation can help end the food shortage in developing countries. 全球性合作
register-登记,注册
*You need to register first then you can have access to the website.
*All trainees need to register before entering the new quarter.
demonstrate-此指抗议或示威。demonstration (n)-示威,抗议
demonstrate against something or someone
*Thousands of people were on the streets demonstrating against the new tax policy.
*The anti-war demonstration lasted for a long time.

Chat Room
garbage/trash-垃圾(美国人)
rubbish-垃圾(英国人)
junk-破铜烂铁,破旧的东西。something is worn out, can be throw away.
refuse (n)- 废弃物(注意发音) refuse (v)-拒绝

The End of the Year

終於等到學期末It’s time for Luke to head home 路克終於可以啟程回家囉You hold me, you guide me. Whenever I look back, I know You’re watching over me by Luke Wang

Time flies like a speeding arrow. After a year of hard work, I can finally see the end of my freshman year. After months of adjustments, I feel comfortable living in this environment. This year has been such a blessing for me. I am amazed by how God has led me. His grace and love have held me together through many difficulties; His Word and promise have given me strength. I can’t wait to go back to Taipei and share what I have learned this year – this wonderful and amazing year – with my friends.

I can hardly wait to start my summer vacation and am already making plans. I had a bad dream a few days ago that my friends in Taipei forgot me; however, I'm sure it was just a bad dream, right? I am enjoying my life. I've really pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone this first year of college. I am glad that I made some American friends-it helped me blend more into this society. Drinking my Caramel Frappuccino and writing my blog, I am ready to go to the library. Finals are next week, my flight is the week after next. Coffee, I love you.

Grammar
After a year of hard work, I can finally see the end of my freshman year.
to see- see something with eyes.
I see clouds in the sky.
see- here refer to something you can or can not imaging about.
Ted can see himself opening a small restaurant.
Stanley's plan is so strange, it's hard for me to see how it could ever work.

Vocabulary
blessing-祝福,也指幸运的事。
*Eric asked for his future father-in-law's blessing to marry his daughter.
*It was really a blessing that no one got hurt in the car accident.
comfort zone-一个令人觉得舒适或安逸的环境或范围 situation where he feels comfortable. comfort-舒适,安逸。zone-范围,地带,区域。
*The training actually forced you to step out of your comfort zone and face your fears.
blend-mix into something. 融入。混和。
*Cathy moved a lot as a child, so it's easy for her to blend with different kinds of people. 打成一片。
*The sofa blends well with the color of the walls. 很相配,很调和。

Chat Room
blend into American society-融入美国的社会
melting pot-大熔炉 blend, and mixed together in a big pot.美国由许多其他的国家民族组成,故比喻为大熔炉,但多少有些错误的迷失,现今已很少如此比喻。
salad bowl-一大盘的生菜沙拉,mixed together but still keep it's culture and characters.现今人们用“一碗生菜沙拉” 来形容美国,因为生菜沙拉盘中有着各式各样的食材混拌在一起,但不失其各种食材本身的特色与风味。意指多元文化的提倡。

Friday, April 16, 2010

A Life of Dance

舞動人生Dreams do come true 張鳳翔的美夢成真了Chang Feng-Hsiang’s dreams came true by Simon Stopps

Chang Feng-Hsiang (張鳳翔) lay awake. She was facing one of the hardest decisions she would ever have to make. She had come to Spain to study flamenco and follow her dream of becoming a world-class dancer. And now she had been offered a place in a professional dance company. Though staying in Spain was a temptation, it meant a long separation from her husband and children in Taiwan. Chang didn’t know what to do.

A life of dance
Music and dance had always been important parts of Chang's life. Under the influence of her grandfather, a composer and folk artist, the entire family became involved in music, dream and dance. Her family supported itself by working as a performance troupe. At age 4, Little Rabbit-as Chang was called -began performing solo dances during her family's shows. By age 7, she was performing professionally. In the 1950s, Taiwan was poor, so Chang's family moved around, performing on any stage they could find. With each performance, Little Rabbit's celebrity grew. By 15 she was appearing weekly on television.

Putting family first
After that sleepless night in Spain, Chang knew she had to return to her family. Doing so could have meant the end of her professional life, but to her surprise, it was only the beginning. Back in Taiwan, she continued to perform on TV. At one point, she was able to go to Japan and continue studying dance-with her dance teacher from Spain. But dance was becoming less important in her life. Her beloved famly was growing, and in 1984 they immigrated to the United States.

There, she lived with four generations of her family eventually caring for her grandchildren. Though she continued to produce dance shows, it looked as though her dancing days where over. But in 2007, while listening to her granddaughter play the piano, Chang started to dance again. Her family saw her dancing and encouraged her to return to Spain and continue with her training. Years before, Little Rabbit had chosen her family over her dreams. But now, with her family's enthusiastic support, she has returned to her dream of becoming a world-class dancer.

Grammar
With each performance, Little Rabbit's celebrity grew.
With something, subject + verb. (It's a great patent describe a situation is in progressive)
With each workout session at the health club, John's physical condition improved.
With each speech lesson, Maria became more confident.

Vocabulary
professional-someone is trained and to be paid to do something.职业的,专业的。
*Frank is a professional golfer who competed in many important tournaments.
amateur-业余的,非职业的,与 professional意思相反
*Ricky is coaching an amateur baseball team.教练
temptation-很吸引人的事情,诱惑tempt-引诱,吸引
*The salary of the overseas job I was offered is really high. It's hard to resist such temptation.抗拒,拒绝。
*Chocolate is a real temptation for me.极大的诱惑力
solo(adj)-单独的 solo (n)-独唱。
*She released her solo album last year, and it was a great success.
*The solo performance by the cellist won a nice round of applause.热烈的掌声。
beloved-to love something very much-心爱的,亲爱的,或是受喜爱的,受钟爱的
*He's willing to do anything for his beloved children.
*The family's beloved dog was missing. They booked everywhere trying to find him.
produce-生产,此指制作电视或电影。或是指安排上映或演出
*She's producing a children's play at the local theatre.安排
*He produced a documentary movie about illegal immigrants.纪录片
enthusiastic-热心的,热情的,热烈的enthusiasm (n)-热诚,热情
*He's enthusiastic about playing guitar.
*She's enthusiastic about politics.

Chat Room
step-步伐,步调
learn the steps-学习舞步或跳法
out of step-乱了步伐,延伸出“不合协,不一致”
step by step-一步一步一个脚印的,一步一步的
once step at a time-一次只专注的去做一件事。
--------------------
world-class-世界级,世界水准的
class-等级,水准
class-上课,一堂课。
first-class-一流的,最高级的,头等的
business class-商务舱
economy class=coach 经济舱,。
I have a limited budget, so I'm flying coach. coach-前不加冠词

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Birds of Feather Find Sanctuary at World Parrot Refuge

飛向幸福的天堂 A place where every bird has its own story to tell 在这儿的每支鹦鹉都有它们的故事

Birds find a new home in this refuge on Vancouver Island鳥兒在溫哥華島上的庇護所找到了新家by Sally and John MacDonald Copyright ? 2008 The Seat

You never heard such a ruckus. Screeching, squawking and the whap and whir of a thousand rainbow-hued wings fill the air. Welcome to World Parrot Refuge.

About 700 once-abused, neglected or abandoned birds live out what’s left of their long lives in the 23,000-square-foot aviary that’s a sanctuary, vet hospital and raucous bird zoo all in one near Coombs, B.C "These are my babies now." says Wendy Huntbatch, who started the refuge in 2005 on a country road about 25 miles north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

"People get them as pets and then they realize they will live 60 years or more, and they get overwhelmed, or they get tired of caring for them." Huntbatch has named each of her charges and recounts most of their stories by heart. There's Ginny, a Catalina macaw, once kept in a dog crate in a crack house, where, Huntbatch says, "There were probably days when she wasn't given a kind word, much less food." And Goldie, an umbrella cockatoo, loved until her owner became allergic to its dander. And Bod, a blue-front Amazon, came to Huntbatch knowing how to say, "Hello, my name is Bob," bite really hard and then break into a rousing version of " Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" by way of apology. by way of apology. "That's Bob," says Huntbatch. "He knows what he's doing."

All the birds were either captured in the wild to be sold as pets or are first-generation offspring of once-wild birds. In the jungles where they're born, they form stable flocks and are highly social. That means those that are passed around from home to home as temporary pets take a long time to recover psychologically, Huntbatch says. Many have plucked their feathered bodies bare in fits of self-mutilation. They may wear socks knit into special sweaters and head cones to keep them from continuing to peck away at new feathers. But they are too battered mentally and physically to join a flock at the refuge and are treated in a hospital wing for as long as it takes them to grow new feathers and healthy psyches.

The birds that are healthy enough live in flocks in 25-by-50-foot cages in three concrete-lined rooms where they roost in the limbs of "trees" constructed by staff. A new macaw section will be finished soon and will increase the length of the cages to 100 feet to give the flocks even more fly space.Visitors are discouraged from touching the birds in cages, but Huntbatch and her staff often bring individual birds out to be cuddled and cooed over. The trustworthy may get a lip-to-beak kiss from Huntbatch.
It costs about $500 a year to treat and house a healthy parrot. Huntbatch has watched the refuge grow to a $300,000-a-year enterprise. Most of the money comes from donations and admission fees. But in the past year, the provincial lotteries commission has added the refuge to the list of non-profit agencies it is required by law to help support; about $75,000 has come to the refuge from lottery players. Canadian casino have donated $11,000 toward an enlarged veterinary hospital to be built on site. These birds' days as pets are over. They can't be adopted although visitors can sign up to donate funds to "virtually" adopt one.
"They're ours now," says Huntbatch. "We'll care for them and love them until they're old and gray, just like old people."

Information
The World Parrot refuge is located at 2116 Alberni Highway, about 25 miles north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. It's open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students 13-17, $8 for students 6-12, and free for kids under 6. A pass for families of four or more is $30.

Grammar
Visitors are discouraged from touching the birds in cages....
discourage-the feeling of sadness or hopelessness.
I was discouraged when my team lost.
discourage from-stopping somebody from doing something by letting them know it's a bad idea.
to discourage from-
*Like Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers were discouraged by their families from seeing each other again.
*Tom is discouraging his son from studying music because he wants him to become a doctor.

Vocabulary
ruckus-喧闹,骚动(单数形)或是争论,争议,吵架。
*The arrival of the superstar caused a ruckus at the airport.
*The editor's comment raised a heated ruckus between readers.
aviary-large cage to keep animals, here refer to a larger cage than normal.
screeching and squawking- birds make noise by their mouth.
whap and whir-sound or noise come from bird's wings.
abuse-暴力对待,虐待,伤害。或是滥用
*The poor boy was physically abused by his father.
*She was verbally abused by her husband for many years.
*He abused his authority as the CEO and got fired.滥用职权力
overwhelm-使受不了,使不知所措。
*The kids were initially overwhelmed when we moved from the city to the suburbs.
*Patrick was overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a boss.
rousing-令人振奋,充满活力的,满有活力热情的
*The rousing cheers from the audience really boosted the team's morale.
*The president gave a rousing and passionate speech at the meeting.
mutilation-损伤,残缺,
*Many suffered injuries, including mutilation, after the intensive bombing. 受伤并其他伤损。。。密集的轰炸。
*The hospital had to restrain the patient because of her self-mutilation tendencies.自残的倾向
psyche-心理或精神方面
*The book discusses the male psyche with much data and evidence.数据资料与证据。
*It's important to study the public's psyche if you want to win the election.
offspring- next generation, children.
pluck-pulled something out of something.
batter- hit , hurt.
roost-sitting on the branches of those trees.
cuddle-亲热的拥抱,依偎
*The mom cuddled her crying baby in her arms.
*The mother bear cuddled her cubs.
*The couple cuddled in the loveseat.
non-profit- 非营利的 not for making money. profit- 利益,利润
Red Cross is a world-renown non-profit organization.全世界都知道的
*Non-profit organizations often receive tax benefits.
for-profit-work or operating for making money.以营利为目的的, 与non-profit 意思相反
a for-profit school-以营利为导向的学校
virtually-virtual-实际上的,事实上。
*Virtually all the employees of the factory agreed to come back to work after a week-long strike.

Chat Room
to "kill two birds with on stone"- refer to doing two things at same time-一石两鸟,或是说同时做两件事。
the early bird catches the worm.早起的鸟儿有虫吃。
early bird-早起的人,比别人早到的人。
early bird special- 给于早到的人的特殊优惠。
to wing it- wing这儿当动词,是说在毫无准备的有限的时间里,去应付并完成某件任务或工作。 如突然有人叫你致词,你没有准备的情形下,你只好wing it.
---------------------------
peck-strike
pecking order-啄序,在动物群里,如鸡群,以公鸡为首,会去啄别的地位低的小鸡,地位低的小鸡要服从。在人类的职场上也有这情形,长幼有序
He is at the bottom of a company's pecking order.
Is there a pecking order here at Library? No, everyone work here are equal at the same level.
---------------------------
a group of something-一群。。。。
flock-a flock of birds.一群鸟 (羊,家畜,野兽)
pack-a pack of dogs一群狗(狼,老鼠)
litter-a litter of chicks. 一窝或一胎小鸡(小动物)(litter-纸屑)
school- a school of fish.一群的鱼 (school-学校)
make easy and avoid to make mistake, just use "group" instead of those " flock", "pack", "school" or "litter".

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Liquid Glasses

水水的眼鏡A new kind of glasses may solve a major world problem 新型眼鏡可望改善數百萬人的視力問題These glasses may improve the sight of millions by Pamela Osment

What would you do if you had trouble reading this page? You would probably go to an eye doctor who might give you glasses. For many people around the world, though, such a solution isn’t that simple.

The World Health Organization reports that around 1 billion people in the world could benefit from glasses. Yet places like Ghana have only one optometrist per 8 million people. This makes glasses almost impossible to get. Joshua Silver, a professor at Oxford University, however, may have solved the problem.

Silver has developed liquid-filled glasses that wearers adjust themselves without seeing a doctor! The lenses are filled with oil. Using a dial on the glasses, the wearer adjusts the amount of oil. This changes the strength of the lens. After the wearer finds the right strength, he seals the lens with a valve.

Results show that among those who have tried the glasses, around 80 percent successfully corrected their vision. Silver's goal is for everyone who still needs glasses to have them by 2020. With his self-adjusting glasses. Silver may find that his goal just might be in sight.

More Information
Kevin White began Global Vision 2020 as a way to distribute Silver's glasses to needy people around the world. he trains volunteers from local organizations in developing countries. The volunteers are given two simple tasks, distribute glasses to those in need and train OTHER local volunteers to do the same. In this way, White says the Global Vision vision will continue to grow!

Grammar
Results show that among those who have tried the glasses, around 80 percent successfully corrected their vision.
.......among those who have tried the glasses.
A study reports that among American children under age 17, 82 percent of them are gamers.
A recent report shows that among 13-year old girls, 53 percent say they are unhappy with their bodies.

Vocabulary
WHO-World Health Organization
optometrist-eye doctor
lens- 镜片,镜头,lenses複數形
*One lens broke when my eyeglasses fell on the ground.
contact lenses-隐形眼镜
*The lens of this camera is very delicate.镜头。。非常细致很易受损
strength-力量,此指眼睛的度数或各种东西的强度power, ability of something.
*As I grew older, the strength of my eye glasses needed to be readjusted.
*I only need coffee of normal strength. Espresso is way too strong for me.
vision-眼睛的视力 vis-有看见的意思,
*doing eye-exercises can improve one's vision.
*He has very limited vision in his right eye.
20/20 vision-标准视力.

Chat Room
glass-玻璃
glasses-眼镜
a pair of glasses- 一副眼镜
a pair of jeans- 一条牛仔裤
a pair of pants- 一条裤子
a pair of scissors-一副剪刀
This pair of pants is expensive。
有些字必须要用複數. 複數名词的动词要跟着用複數:
Where are my glasses?
Here they are.
These pants are expensive
There are five pairs of glasses on sale.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Wonderful World of Antiques

古董的異想世界How can you tell if what you are buying is really an antique? 怎樣才能看出買到的古董究竟是不是真品呢?by Simon Stopps

SC: What is an antique?
FA: Well, there are really three words you need to know in the antique business: antique, reconstruction and reproduction.
An antique is an item that is over 100 years old and less than 33 percent restored. A reconstruction might also be more than 100 years old but has been altered more than 33 percent. A reproduction is a new piece – with or without old materials – that has been made to look antique.

SC: How much do antiques cost?
FA: It depends on a number of factors like age, size, the materials and techniques used in construction. The quality of the piece is also important. Real antiques tend to be unique items because they were made before things were mass-produced. Most of them were also originally made for wealthy families because they could afford to have things made with better materials. In the 1970s and '80s, there was an abundance of antiques in the Asia market. Now that the market is depleted, prices have gone up a lot. But generally, reconstructed pieces are worth between a quarter and a third of the price of antiques.
SC: How do you know you are getting a good price?
FA: Since there really are no standard prices for antiques, it all depends on what the buyer thinks an item is worth.
SC: How do you know if you are getting an antique, a reconstruction or reproduction?
FA: A lot of it comes down to using logic. Once hundred years ago, people made tings with hand tools, so antiques rarely have a perfect, machine finish. They also used the same type of wood for the entire piece, so checking for consistent wood grain and color is important. The use of different woods in a reconstructed or reproduced piece is often hidden by paint. Construction techniques were also different in the past. People frequently used joints instead of nails.
Real antiques always show evidence of restoration, like tightened joints and refinishing.
SC: Do you have any advice for people who are interested in buying antiques?
FA: Get to know your antique dealer. Talk to people who have bought antiques. Read some reference books and ask a lot of questions. Take time to study the piece you are interested in, and don't be in a hurry to buy.

Grammar
A lot of it comes down to using logic.
it come down to =be basically about
A lot of it is basically about using logic.
most common use on conversation, talk about a subject is complicated for people to understand, and try to bring an attention to people that what is real about it.
Whether a person succeeds or not comes down to one's attitude.
Although the magic trick may look impossible, it all comes down to how fast your fingers move.

Vocabulary
reconstruction-重新修复,重建,re-有再一次的意思。
*The Reconstruction of the chapel took over 15 years.
* a reproduction of Van Gogh's "Starry Night"
alter-改变,修改。
*We have to alter our schedule to meet the new deadline.
*The engine of this car was altered to have more horsepower.
depleted-此处指枯竭 deplete-消耗或使减少
*Depleted food supplies were the key reason the weak troops were defeated. 食物供给枯竭。。被打败的主要原因。
*The river is depleted of fish.
reconstruction-遭到破坏后把它充新修建
reproduction- 复制品
mass-produced-made or produced in a large number.
logic-逻辑,逻辑思维
*The theory's logic is easy to understand. 原理的逻辑
*It's hard for me to accept the logic behind his argument.他背后争论点的逻辑
*There's no logic in sacrificing your health just to make money.
finish-完成,终结,结束,此指漆的光亮的表面.here is the surface of something.
*The rustic finish of the bench gives it a special charm.粗爌的表面
*The polish gives the coffee table a shiny finish.
consistent-一致的,或是前后一致的.与..一致用"with
*There has been consistent growth in our company's sales.
*The witness' description is consistent with the police's record.
grain-树纹

Chat Room
old-老的
oldie (n)-老的,古时的东西,老旧的唱片,,令人怀念的老歌,老电影。expression of something is old. 也可用在人方面,资深的老人, 老资格的人。
new-新的
newbie(n)-新手,菜鸟,只能用在人方面,不能用在东西或事务上
--------------------------
copy / duplicate (n)-复制品"a"发短音 duplicate (v)-"a" 发e长音
reproduce-复制,再生,生物的繁殖..

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Victoria: Dip Into the Sensual Pleasures of this Canadian Harbor Town

上天下海遊維多利亞This city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, will delight one's sen 坐落在溫哥華島上的維多利亞市,能帶來愉悅感官的體驗喔Discover this city on Vancouver Island that will delight your senses by Anne Chalfant / 2004, Contra Costa Times (Walnut C)

Victoria is your cup of tea if you like the idea of bobbing along no faster than the little boats moored in its pocket harbor. A stroll along the Inner Harbour teaches you the proper Victoria pace. Ah, gaze upon the lovely reflections of the boats on the water. And how can the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Range be so close in sight when this mild marine climate is kissing your cheeks?

Walk along the harbor past the famous Empress Hotel and the Parliament buildings. Or take a white horse-drawn carriage along Government Street past the harbor, where on a summer evening, street performers strike up tasteful concerts. Add an ice cream cone, and you have a sublime evening’s stroll.

Victoria does not end here. Like a cup of tea, it infuses the town, inviting a slow and relaxing visit. For tea in the Victorian manner, the Empress Hotel is the Queen of bone china elegance. For other dips into sensual pleasures, try these: Fly into Victoria on a floatplane. the floatplane skids you right p to a dock just steps from the Empress Hotel. It's a fun flight and much quicker than the ferry.

Spa on the cheap: Victoria has several spas, including the high-end Willow Stream Spa at the Empress. Expensive and too booked to fit me in on short notice. Happily, I ended up at a spa so charming that I wouldn't have missed it. Silk Road has a mellow little tea and aromatherapy shop upstairs. Downstairs, spa rooms offer a full range of services, with organic tonics and lotions. My pedicure was "au natural," no nail polish, but a peppermint pedicure ending with a gleaming nail buff plus a reflexology massage that lifted my spirits.

Take a peek inside the Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria, which is located halfway between Asia and Europe, once provided a pleasant stop for the great steamships, offloading wealthy travelers and government officials. Dine in the Bengal Lounge, with its Indian decor, or sip tea in the elegant palm-fronded Tea Lobby.

Butchart Gardens. if you could walk in Butchart Gardens alone, you would find floral bliss among flowers bursting to retina-rousing colors. You would find soothing exploration in the gardens trailing one to another. The problem is, you will not be alone in this busy tour-bus destination.

Munro Books, Oh, I do love this bookstore. Walk in and you want to stay a week in this large but welcoming space, where gorgeous banners of the four seasons decorate the high walls.

Explore the island. Victoria is at the southern tip of pretty, green Vancouver Island. The city is the capital of British Columbia, and as the seat of the Provincial Government, exudes cosmopolitan cachet. But drive a few miles outside the city, and the island quickly turns into a rural community of small towns-fun to explore, and don't forget the beaches. Rent a car for a day and explore how the lucky Vancouver Islanders lives.

Shopping, Victoria is loaded with shops. But this is not a stock-up-at-Gap town; boutiques here sell Irish woolens, Scottish Plaids and expensive European clothing. Porcelain shops will make you smile, with chubby teapots from floral to art deco styles. Serious bargain shoppers can do well scouting for outerwear, since Canadian manufacturers, have mastered cold weather issues. They produce some excellent lines of sporting and outerwear, with prices usually beating same-grade U.S. products. (it means that cheaper in Canada about the same quality, same designing and same level, same clothing from U.S.A)

More Information
If you haven't experienced a Bed and Breakfast, you must! In Victoria, there are many to choose from. The Heathergate House, near downtown Victoria, is a great place to start. All of the rooms are beautifully decorated with antiques. You really feel as if you are staying in a small English Inn. Every morning a hearty breakfast is served, including homemade scones and blueberry muffins!

Grammar
Victoria is your cup of tea, if you like the idea of bobbing along..
your cup of tea=your interest =your personal preference
*Your would be interested in Victoria if you like the idea of bobbing along..
*Golfing is Jonathan's cup of tea.
*Shopping is Sarah's cup of tea.
one's cup of tea=one's interest or personal preference or interested in .
not one's cup of tea= not interested in.
Hiking is not my cup of tea.
Going to parties is not Robby's cup of tea.

Vocabulary
sensual (adj)-感官享受,满足感官的,感官上很舒服sens-又感觉的意思sense-感觉。
*The restaurant's gourmet food offers a sensual delight in eating.
*Babies need positive sensual stimulation to feel loved.
moor (v)-park,停泊,或用绳子固定。
*Many boats moored in the harbor to avoid the coming hurricane.
*We moored our boat to a tree trunk near the shore.
infuse (v)-fill in, put a tea bag in to water, make water has more flavor and tasty.充满,注入
*The arrival of the group of young people infused new life into the old town.
*our new manager infused motivation and optimism into our department.动力和乐观精神。
float plane-a plane can take off or landing on the water.
sublime-so excellent, make perfect for.
skid-quickly move over
bobbing-boat on the water, it moves up and down by the wave of water.
mellow-令人愉快地,放轻松
*This mellow cafe is always packed with customers from the neighborhood. 挤满
*The mellow atmosphere of this bookstore makes you want to stay longer.
pedicure-脚部護理,包刮修脚趾甲,足部处理,按摩 pedi-与"脚部" 有关的 cure-照料
*Mom went for a pedicure before taking a trip to the beach.
manicure-手部護理 mani-手部的
*More and more men are having manicures.
gleaming-闪闪发光的,干净明亮到会反光发亮,簇新发亮.
*The customers can see gleaming counters in the kitchen through the windows.
*The gleaming new car attracted people's attention.
offloading -get off the boat
buff- make shoes shine, here means make feet nail shine.
banner-旗帜或挂在墙上的横幅
*The protesters were waving banners that said "No fur!" outside the convention center.禁穿皮草(毛)
*The banners hanging on the wall of the palace represent the royal family. 代表
boutique-卖精品的店,精品包括衣服,皮鞋珠宝配件等,通常店面的面积都很小。
*The boutique on Robinson Street sells accessories imported from France.
chubby-胖嘟嘟的,圆滚滚的很可爱讨喜。与fat-肥胖,过重不同。
*The chubby little girl looks so cute in her jumper.
*I can't stop squeezing the baby's chubby cheeks.
cosmopolitan (adj)-国际性的,世界观的 (n)-以四海为家的人或是世界主义者。
provincial-oversee and in charge of the province.
exudes-shows what it have.
cachet-the character, the quality of something. 特征.
plaids-many lines across, vertical and horizontal.
Gap- a store in U.S.A. their products are style-less, you can buy and stock-up, wear it in later time, not worry of out of fashion.

Chat Room
one's cup of tea-感兴趣,喜欢,
is not my cup of tea-不感兴趣,不喜欢,不合适。
not my bag-意思是说“不是我的专长“。而不是说不是我的贝包。
*playing sports is not my bag.
*cooking is not my bag.
-------------------------
on the cheap-很便宜的(英国用语,相当于美国所谓的“bargain (adj)"
to travel on the cheap-
很高档的,很昂贵的,不能说“on the expensive“要说 “on the expensive side“-有点昂贵。
可以演申到下面的用法:
on the busy side-有点忙碌
one the tired side-有些累
one the cheap side-较便宜的价钱
one the quiet side-有些静
-------------------------
tip- pointed shape.尖端,顶(通常tip有负面,不好的意思)
the tip of my nose, the tip of my pen.鼻尖,鼻尖
at the tip of my tongue-舌尖。想说的话,话到舌尖,一下却想不起来了。
tip of the iceberg-露出在水面的冰山。冰山出现在水面上会给船只带来危险。

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Mother's Choice

Many new moms face a big decision: return to the workplace or stay at home with her child.新手媽媽的抉擇 Should a mom return to work or stay at home after having a baby?媽媽生完孩子後,究竟該回到職場,還是該留在家裡呢?by Ryan Batdorf and Lisa Holl Chang

Anita and Roger Blackwell had a baby girl, Denise, two months ago. Before Denise arrived, Anita had planned to return to her office job, but now she’s having second thoughts.

Conversation
Anita: Roger, I’ve really enjoyed being home with Denise. Now that my maternity leave is almost over, I'm actually rethinking returning to my job.
Roger: Really? When we talked about this before Denise arrived, you always insisted you would keep your job.
Anita: But that was before I experienced the joys of being a full-time mom.

Roger: You know I will support whatever decision you have made, but losing your income will definitely affect to our financial situation...
Anita: I know, we may have make some sacrifices, and some changes in our life style.
Roger: Maybe we even have to put off buying a house.
Anita: But we wouldn't have to worry about child care expenses.
Roger: Money is one thing (to think about), but how about your career?
Anita: Well, I would miss (going to work), but I just can't stand the thought that let someone else raising Denise. I feel as I was neglecting her.
Roger: No one can take the place of the parents in a child's life that's for sure. But quiting your job is a big decision, that will hurt your career.
Anita: That's possible, I know my supervisor really depends on me.
Roger: Of course, you are talented and good at what you do.
Anita: Thank you, but as important as my career is, I'm beginning to have different priority.
Roger: What do you mean?
Anita: Since Denise's birth, I've been thinking, baby is growing so fast I don't want to miss that. When Denise is in school, then I can back to work again.
Roger: But I know you enjoy interaction with people. Are you sure you want to spent all day take care of Denise and house?
Anita: To be honest. I'm afraid I might get bore, but may be I can get to know some of mothers
from the playgroup that we meet at the park.
Roger: Okay, I guess, I just thought we will work together to juggle responsibilities of raising the family and having career.
Anita: Me too, but now I'm afraid that I would just get burn out.
Roger: You are probably right. It's been stress out isn't really fun.
Anita: It won't be forever. I just think it's what the best for right now.
Roger: Well, the most important thing is you are happy with this decision.

If you are in their situation, what would you do?

Grammar
Now that my maternity leave is almost over. I'm actually rethinking returning to my job.
now that= because, since
Since my maternity leave is almost over, I'm actually rethinking returning to my job.
now that- is informal way to use in the sentence.
*Now that the club's usual meeting place will be torn down, the club members have to find a new location.
*Now that Paul and his wife have a baby to take care of Paul needs to find a second job.

Vocabulary
having second thoughts-又有了另外的想法,意即“改变主意”
having second thoughts=rethinking
*I intended to accept the job offer, but now I'm having second thoughts-because of the long commute.
sacrifice (n)-牺牲, (v)-原意为。。牺牲
*In order to give their children the best education, the couple made a lot of sacrifices.
*Becoming successful doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your principles.牺牲原则
*Parents are willing to sacrifice (v) for their children. 願意为。。牺牲
put off-拖延,延后,延迟。
*The school decided to put off remodeling the cafeteria until more funding became available.
*She had to put off her dentist appointment because she had to go on a business trip.
as important as something is-既使是如何。。如何,即使是。。还是。。
*As costly as the treatment is, we still decided to take a chance with it.
*As hard as the training is, Dave is determined to stay on the team.
priority-优先事项,优先考虑的事。。
*Getting a loan from the bank is now our first priority.
*To have better time management, you need to first get your priorities straight.
juggle-耍把戏,在空中玩掷球的把戏,也指同时要(负责)管好几样事情。同时兼顾。
*As a CEO, it's not easy to juggle so many responsibilities.
*Victor is having trouble juggling school and baseball.

Chat Room
maternity-女人生产
maternal- refer to "mother, Ma, mama"母亲 /paternal-refer to "father, Pa, Papa" 父亲
maternity leave-产假
paternity leave-父亲陪产的假期
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housewife/homemaker/domestic engineer. 家庭主妇
housewife 给人有黄脸婆的感觉。/homemaker -不分男女在家主厨清理家务。
domestic engineer-家庭主妇名称,因家庭主妇每日要设计如何布置整理家,把家弄得干净,清洁,舒适 好看,把饭菜做得好吃,如何量入为出。把日常琐事设计得有趣,使家人感到温馨,愉快,是一件需要智慧,知识,动脑筋设计的。
full-time mom/stay-at-home mom
housekeeper/maid/domestic worker 女管家,做打扫清洁家事的人。
domestic worker can be male or female.

Manners Matter

新禮貌運動Saying “please” and “thank you” makes a big difference 在職場上,有禮貌能造成巨大差異喔Being polite makes a big difference in the workplace by Ashley Dakin

Do nice guys finish last? Not according to one survey. Ninety-five percent of business executives say manners make a difference in the workplace. Manners can promote future success and even advance people’s careers. Employers like people who take time to practice courtesy and respect. The better people get along, the more work they can get done. On the other hand, when workers are rude and disrespectful, it slows down the team. So how can you mind your manners in the workplace? One way is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Try greeting your colleagues when you arrive at work instead of rushing to check your e-mail. Support your co-workers instead of complaining about them to others.

A positive, caring attitude affects your work performance and motivates others around you. Minding your manners helps make things easier for your boss and fellow co-workers. On top of that, it makes work more enjoyable for everyone!

Grammar
On top of that, it makes work more enjoyable for everyone!
top of something-the highest point of something
on top of- in addition to (very useful idiom, when several things to share, want to put something most you want to share on the last)
On top of that, it makes work more enjoyable for everyone.
*In addition to everything else, it makes work more enjoyable for everyone!
*Penny is so busy. She is a single mother who handles two part-time jobs and takes care of her sick grandmother, and on top of that-goes to class in the evenings.
*I didn't get much sleep last night. The neighbors were noisy, my dog wouldn't stop barking and on top of that, there was a mosquito in my room.

Vocabulary
executive- 主管,经理人,或是当形容词用“经营管理的”
*This project tests Sam's executive ability. 测试。。。经营管理的能力
*After years of hard work, Bob finally became a senior executive.高级主管
courtesy-礼貌,谦恭有礼,以礼相待。
*A good customer-service representative should always treat customers with courtesy.
*She didn't even have the courtesy to call me and say thank-you.
performance-表现。how well about your doing.
*Every employee's performance is evaluated by at least two different executives. 评估
*The circus performance amazed the whole audience.
promote-encourage to develop something.
career-long term job in specific area, which you do to make living.
disrespectfully- not being kind to other people.
mind your manners-be aware of your manners when you treat other people-be polite and show courtesy,
The golden rule: to treat others as you would like to be treated

Chat Room
manners-礼仪,礼貌
东西方对于礼让,有不同观点:东方人以为礼让是美德,等人停下来才表达,且言辞上也较婉转。西方人比较注重个人与独立思考能力的表达。在会议上,礼让会让人以为你没有话说,他们会一直说下去,或跳过你。