Gustavo Dudamel – the New Face of Classical Music

古典樂壇新秀杜達美This young director from Venezuela has been called one of the most exciting musicians of our time!這位來自委內瑞拉的年輕指揮家讓古典樂變得更酷了This young director from Venezuela is making classical music cool! by Pamela Osment

With arms waving and hair bouncing, Gustavo Dudamel excites crowds with his unique conducting style. Children, young people and adults all respond to his energy and enthusiasm. As a result, Dudamel is doing something others before him have been unable to do. He’s making classical music cool.

His early years

The 29-year-old conductor was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, on January 26, 1981. His parents, who are both musicians, began teaching Dudamel about music before he could talk. He was a willing student. While Dudamel was still quite little, Dudamel's mother gave him a set of toy soldiers. But instead of preparing them for battle, the young boy arranged them into an orchestra. Then he began to conduct them. Music clearly was already his passion.

His formal studies began at 5 when Dudamel began studying music in Venezuela's orchestra for children. He started by singing in the chorus but soon began playing the violin. Conducting came at 15. And each new teacher spotted the boy's extraordinary talent. At 17, Dudamel became the music director of the same orchestra he had grown up in. In 2004, he traveled to Germany for a conducting competition where he won first place. One of the judges was Esa-Pekka Salonen, then director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. With great excitement, Salonen contacted orchestra president Deborah Borda about this amazing young musician. Wasting no time, she booked Dudamel for his U.S. debut. Other invitations also arrived from Israel, Stockholm and London, and Dudamel's life changed forever.

The move to Los Angeles

Borda continued watching Dudamel with interest. Eventually, her orchestra invited him to become its music director following Salonen's retirement. On October 3, 2009, an all-day free event introduced Dudamel to the city. Eighteen thousand people arrived, watching enthusiastically for the trademark smile and flying hair. Dudamel's performance didn't disappoint them, bringing the cheering crowd to its feet repeatedly. Fireworks spelled out his name in the sky as the music world declared its latest star.

More Information

Dudamel's music career began in el Sistema, Venezuela's youth orchestra system. "The System" as it's called in English, is more than a music program, it's a social program, designed to give underprivileged youth an alternative to the temptations and dangers of street life. Now, with Dudamel leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, there are plans to have a "System" up and running in Southern California in a few years.

Grammar

Wasting no time, she booked Gustavo for his U.S. debut.

wasting no time=right away, immediately.

There is not thing wrong if you use "right away" or "immediately" but if using "wasting no time" just give readers an expression of how quick it is.

When Jeremy heard that he was hired, he wasted no time in letting his family know.

Pamela was excited about her vacation and wasted no time in getting her tickets booked.

Vocabulary

bounce-上下跳動，蹦蹦跳跳。

*The ping-pong ball bounced off the table.

*The kids bounced on the bed laughing.

*Her school bag bounced up and down as she walked.

conduct-指揮，執行，經營，處理，行爲表現

*Mr. Rush will conduct this orchestra today.指揮

*The research was conducted by a group of top scientists.執行。。一群頂尖的科學家

conductor(n)- 指揮（人）

*When the conductor raised his baton, the audience held their breath.

passion-熱愛，熱情，熱心于某事，熱愛的事物。

*Sean's passion is cooking, which makes him an excellent chef.

*Tennis and golf are Grandfather's lifelong passions. 一生鍾愛的事物。

debut- "t"不發音，首次演出，首次露面。

make one's debut-某人首次演出。

*The dancer made her professional debut in the musical "Cats."

*The famous director made his debut in 1997 with his first feature film.劇情片

retirement-退休 retire

*The popular quarterback announced his retirement after his team won the championship.宣佈退休

*Dave decided to take an early retirement to spend more time with his family.

trademark-商標，此指一個人的特色。

*Diamond gloves are Michael Jackson's trademark.特色

*Julia Roberts gave one of her trademark smiles during the interview. 招牌笑容

Chat Room

conduct (n)- 名詞，重音在前面。行爲，舉止。

The code of conduct.-行爲規範，行爲凖則

conduct- 指揮，執行，經營，處理，行爲表現。

conduct research-執行研究

conduct business-經營生意，作生意。

He conducted himself very well. 他的行爲表現的很好。

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trademark smile- 招牌笑容，獨特的笑容。

trademark -狹義的意思是“商標”，廣義的意思是指一個人或物的特徵，標記。

registered trademark-註冊的商標。

Coming Home

回家囉Luke is ready to head back home路克準備返家囉! This is my place, my love, where I belong. by Luke Wang

After finals, I was ready to move out. It wasn’t too hard for me, but for a lot of my friends, it was a big deal. After cleaning up the trash, packing my suitcase, and helping my friends move, it was time to say goodbye. I had reached the end of my freshman year!

A friend from Taipei who is studying in Washington, D.C., came to visit, so my brother and I took him sightseeing. But these were not this month’s highlights. The high point was coming back home, a moment I’d been anticipating since the day I left. I arrived home early on the morning of May 15th.

When I saw my parents, I gave them a big hug and kiss. Being close to my parents, standing on this land, and feeling the humidity in the hot air. I knew I was home. the first ting I did was to go to Mei&Mei(美而美）for a big breakfast. It was so much better than the school cafeteria! Mei&Mei was just a start. There are so many foods I have to eat and so many friends I want to see. The hot air is burning my face and the sweat is evaporating from my skin. I love this feeling. This is where I belong.

Grammar
Mei&Mei was just a start.
"just a start" -- When you have a list of things to share, you just mentioned one first, there is more to come. You can use this grammar pattern.
Visiting this world-famous museum is just a start, we will also be touring a famous cathedral and the presidential palace.
We'll meet at the cafe for a snack-- but that's just a start, I've planned a lot of other fun activities.

Vocabulary
highlights-最精彩的部分。
*The highlights from the football game will be shown on today's news.
*Beyonce's singing was the highlight of the show.
humidity-濕度，濕氣，humid- 潮濕。
*The humidity in the room was so high that I felt kind of sick.濕度很高。。令人不舒服。
*The humidity today is around 60 percent.
evaporate- 蒸發 vapor-水蒸氣。
*If you open the window, the steam in the bathroom will evaporate faster.蒸汽。。蒸發
*His worries evaporated while playing with his daughter. 他的煩惱一掃而空，煙消雲散。

Chat Room
deal- 交易，事情。
a big deal-了不得的事情，大事情。
It's not a big deal-小事一樁，沒什麽事。
What's the big deal? 什麽大事，如此大叫大嚷的？
He thinks he's a big deal.-他自己以爲自己很重要。

What’s in a “Nym”?

Nym知多少？Have some fun with “nyms”!你知道有哪些字含有「nym」嗎？Do you know words that are “nyms”?by Ruth Devlin

How many "nyms" do you know? While you may not know the actual word, you probably know many words that belong to several kinds of "nyms." Words ending in "-nym" often describe different groups of words and the relationship between those words. The suffix "-nym" literally means "name." Let's look at a few:

Synonyms

English would be so simple if there were only one word for one meaning. But then language would also be extremely boring, so we have many synonyms or words that have the same or nearly the same meanings. Roget's Thesaurus lists 50 synonyms for the word beautiful, all with slight variations in meaning.

Antonyms

These are pairs of words that have opposite or nearly opposite meanings. Some examples would be slow and fast, nervous and calm, and abundant and scarce.

Acronyms

An acronym is formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase. For example, NATO comes from North Atlantic Treaty Organization or PIN for personal identification number. Acronyms are one kind of abbreviation, but not all abbreviations are acronyms. Dr. for doctor and km for kilometer are abbreviations- shortened forms of words.

Eponyms

These interesting words have their origin in the proper name of a real or fictional person or thing. Examples include sandwich from the Earl of Sandwich, who is credited with the food's invention. And boycott comes from Charles Boycott (1832-1897), an Irish land agent.

Homonyms

This is one of two or more words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but differ in meaning. For example, some homonyms are buy, bye and by or peek, peak and pique. Homonyms with the same spelling but different meanings would be bank-a place to keep money, and bank - the side of a stream or river. These are also called heteronyms.

Exonyms

Exonyms are place names foreigners use that differ from the place names in the original language. For example, English speakers use the exonym Vienna for the Austrian Wien. Chinese use the exonym Mei Guo for the United States.

Metonyms

A metonym is a common word or phrase that also has an associated meaning. For example, the White House means the American executive branch of the government. Tongue is a metonym for a language or dialect.

Grammar

While you may not know the actual word, you probably know many words that belong to several kinds of " nyms."

"While you may not know....., you probably know......"

While you may not know who your speaker is today, you probably know her father who is a famous actor.

While you may not know how to read the commands, you probably know many of the icons on the computer screen.

Vocabulary

literally- 照字面上的， 实际的“liter “-字根， 有“文字”的意思。

*The interpreter didn't translate the speaker's words literally, because it would be kind of offensive.

*The flood literally caused over $5 million worth of damage.

variation-差异，差别，变化。

*The research team recorded variations in temperature at the North Pole during the last ten years.

*There are wide variations in babies responses to this kind of music. 很大的差异

abbreviation- abbreviate (v)-缩写

*"U.S.A." is the abbreviation for "The United States of America".

*"The United Nations" is abbreviated as "UN".

boycott (n),(v)- against, not support, not buying or using it.

*The union boycotted the private meeting between the owner and some of the workers.

pique (n),(v)-cause people to get angry, hurt, or offend.

*He left in a fit of pique, demonstrating that he was treated unfairly.

*She was piqued by her husband's harsh words.

dialect- local tongue, such as Cantonese, Mandarin.

*Timothy can speak the regional dialect fluently.

language-a speaking that a country or a nation officially use.

Chat Room

thesaurus-同义辞典，照字母a,b,c,d 排列的。

synonyms-同义词 little, tiny, small, ....

使用时，要特别留意，不懂的字不要随便用，要注意：connotations.

connotations-言外之意，特别的含意。

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eponyms-the word (name) source is from people, named after the people.

narcissism-self centered idealism

narcissus-long time ago, there was a good looking boy name Narcissus in Greek.

narcissist-Narcissus falling love with his own reflecting image from the pool, so people call a person whoever love or care only his/her self, and focus on his/her own is "narcissist".

Choosing an MBA Program

挑選MBA學程的訣竅Learn how to choose the right program for you 學習如何挑選適合自己的學程 by Simon Stopps

Choosing an MBA program is a big decision. With thousands of universities to choose from, finding the right program takes time. So how do you find one that is right for you?

People attend business school for different reasons. Some want to change careers or advance in their current jobs. Others want to develop contacts, skills and experience in their fields. Before choosing a program, know what you want to get out of your studies. Don't just rely on school rankings.

Learn all you can about the courses you will take and the people who will teach them. Make sure the program you choose offers classes that will help you in your future career.

Completing an MBA requires a huge investment of time and money. Know what your MBA will really cost- including living expenses, books and travel. Think about how the program will affect your life. Contact former MBA students to see if they can offer you any helpful suggestions.

New job, new life

If you want to change careers or industries, working on an MBA full-time may be the way to go. Traditional MBA programs take two years to complete. These programs can be very expensive, but graduates gain special skills, experience and knowledge. Some schools also offer intensive one-year programs.

Advancing your career

Many professionals want to pursue MBA degrees without quitting work. If this is you, think about doing a part-time, distance or online MBA program. But be careful. Many employers prefer traditional two-year programs to these degrees.

Becoming the boss

Those with a lot of experience in their field may wish to pursue an Executive MBA (EMBA). These degrees provide a general business education for upper-level managers. Most EMBA students have jobs and spend 80 to 100 hours on work and study each week.

Take your time and choose carefully. Finding the right MBA program may be one of the most important career decisions you ever make.

Grammar

If you want to change careers or industries, working on an MBA full-time may be the way to go.

the way to go-the right choice.

the way to go is using in an informal situation when talk about "choice" or " option".

Attending the weekly English club might be the way to go.

Creating a good first impression is the way to go.

Vocabulary

current-现代，现在，目前。

*Did yo buy the current issue of Time magazine?这一期的。

*We'll keep you updated on current events at the company.

*The current price of the product is about $100.

investment-投资

*Buying real estate can be a smart long-term investment.

*There's been a significant investment of time and money in order to complete this project.已投下去相当多的。。。

suggestion-建议

*I made several suggestions to my boss, but he didn't accept them.

*We went to Bali island for vacation at Naomi's suggestion and we had a great time.

graduate (v)- 2nd "a" sound "e"-毕业

*Jason graduated from college last summer.

graduate (n)-毕业生

*Rick is a graduate of Yale.耶鲁毕业生

*Graduates of this major usually get hired before they even graduate.

intensive-密集的，加强的

*The movie star received intensive training in martial arts and boxing before shooting the movie. 密集的武术以及拳击训练。。。。电影开拍。

*The intensive treatment was hard on the patient but it proved to be effective.密集治疗。。。很有效

pursue-追求，继续深造。

*Adam decided to pursue his dream as an actor.

*Laura is pursuing her studies at USC right now. 继续深造。

Chat Room

expert-专家

an expert in his field-指在某领域里的专家

field-田野，土地，此指“领域”-知识的领域

He is an expert in the field of psychology.

discipline-纪律，管教，训练，也指“学科”

academic discipline-学术科目，学校科目。

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business-（口语）事情，企业，事业，生意。

How's business?-生意如何？

go out of business-（生意）结束，关门，倒闭，关门大吉。

mind your own business=It's none of your business.-别多管闲事，这不关你的事。

have no business doing something-不应该做的事，不应该做某件事。

You have no business reading my journal.你不该看我的日记。

Emily Osment – Disney’s Newest Rising Star

艾蜜莉?奧斯蒙──迪士尼新秀Hannah Montana’s best friend is finding her own voice 艾蜜莉?奧斯蒙打響了自己的名號 Emily Osment is making her own name famous by Pamela Osment

In the past, those familiar with Emily Osment knew her simply as child star Haley Joel Osment’s little sister. These days, however, audiences know her as Lilly Truscott on Disney’s hit series Hannah Montana.

A family of actors
Having an actor for a father means Emily has acting in her blood. Not surprisingly, she landed her first acting role at the young age of 6 in a TV commercial. After appearing in several more commercials, Emily made her movie debut in the 1999 film The Secret Life of Girls. However, it was the 2002 role of Gerti Giggles in Spy Kids 2 that brought her worldwide recognition. But if Spy Kids 2 made her famous, Hannah Montana turned Emily into a teenage superstar!

With success comes challenges
Fame and success have brought some changes into the young actress's life. She used to attend public school, but now she has a private tutor. According to Emily, constantly being in the limelight can sometimes be hard. But with a wide array of ongoing projects. Emily's not complaining too much!

Her home life
Emily comes from a close family. her parents had decided long ago to help her avoid the difficulties other teen stars have encountered. When Emily was 15, her dad decided that driving and dating should wait until later. This went against the norm as most of her friends were already doing both.

Her career
At 18, Emily is driving and dating a little too, but mostly she's focusing on her career. And to Emily's delight, it is a career that now includes music! She released her first EP, All the Right Wrongs, in the fall of 2009. Immediately afterward, she started working on her first CD, which debuted this spring and includes songs written by Emily.
As someone who loves being busy, Emily has a schedule that should keep her very happy. She has acting, singing, writing, touring and charity events lined up for the next year! Emily once said, "I'm trying to follow in my brother's footsteps, because I know he's really talented" But these days, rather than following, Emily is blazing a trail of her own!

More Information
Fun Facts about Emily Osment: Emily likes to play soccer in her free time.
She describes herself as shy, Emily says she's not great at keeping secrets.
She hopes to someday swim with dolphins, Emily likes to cook and enjoys making breakfast for her family.
Her mother is an English teacher, and Emily's favorite subjects are English and literature.

Grammar
And to Emily's delight, it is a career that now includes music!
To someone's delight-to start a sentence that talk about someone is happy or delight on some facts.
To Wendy's delight, her children had cleaned up the house.
To Tanya's delight, she was upgraded from economy class to business class.
"to one's delight", changeable "to one's surprise", "or to one's horror"
"to one's surprise"- To everyone's surprise, the 4 -year old child played the piano beautifully.
"to one's horror" - To Stella's horror, her cat knocked over the 300-year-old antique vase.

Vocabulary
series-系列
*I missed the last episode of the TV series. Can someone tell me what happened?
*The writer's sci-fi series is simply classic. 科幻小说。。经典之作
recognition-认可，赏识，肯定recognize (v)认可
*He received recognition from his colleagues for his contribution to the project.
in recognition of something-因为某件事而表达肯定。
*He was given an award in recognition of what he did for the company.
array-一系列的，大批的，大量的，数量多的。
*A wide array of the most fashionable clothing is displayed for the VIP customers to choose from.
*The splendid array of gourmet food on the table looked so delicious.丰富又多种类的佳肴美食
encountered-遇见，遭遇到。en-有“使如何如何"的意思counter- "对抗”的意思
*We encountered a terrible snow-storm when we visited Washington D.C.
*He encountered many difficulties when he first started his business.
delight-欣喜，高兴
*My son, Samuel is the delight of my life. 生命中的喜乐
to someone's delight-让某人很开心
*To Mike's father's delight, he decided to follow in his (his father's) footsteps to become an engineer. 步他父亲的后尘。。
blaze a trail-登山时，沿路在树上作记号。意即“开路先锋”
*James Caeron blazed a trail in animation with his latest movie "Avatar". 动画片的开路先锋

Chat Room
I don't like to have people's attention on me-很中国话的表示自己不喜欢成为人们注意的目标。
若说“I don't like the limelight.”或“I don't like to be in the spotlight." 美式说法，较漂亮利落的多。
limelight-舞台上的石灰灯
spotlight-聚光灯
spot-焦点
to be put on the spot-有着背动的意思，是说一个人被临时抓出来在没有任何准备之下回答问题或是做某事。 使某人处于难堪的地位或是将某人放在有压力的情形下。
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peer-同侪，与你年龄相符的人。
peer pressure-同侪压力
fit in-融入，被接纳。
fit-合适，合身
don't fit in- feel excluded.不能融入，格格不入
I don't fit in.

Fun Under the Midnight Sun

體驗午夜太陽的滋味The sun shines on the White Nights Festival In St. Petersburg, Russia, people are losing sleep to attend the White Nights Festival在俄羅斯聖彼得堡，人們不惜熬夜參加永晝節 by Chelsea Ewald

Tonight, most people around the world will turn in for the night after darkness settles. But for many in St. Petersburg, Russia, the late hours won’t keep people in – the late hours will draw people out. For the next three months, the White Nights Festival, an international arts celebration like no other, will welcome visitors from far and wide. Taking place during the season of the midnight sun, the famed festival has something for everyone – so long as they’re willing to stay out late.

Stars of the White Nights
The festival kicks off tonight with a performance of Stars of the White Nights. Composed of ballet, opera and symphony events, this portion of the festival features famous local and international performers. Maestro and festival artistic director Vallery Gergiev created Stars of the White Nights in 1993 as a "musical gift" to St. Petersburg. Initially a 10-day event, Stars of the White Nights now spans the entire three-month run of the festival. Audience members enjoy outstanding performances by renowned conductors, dancers and musicians in the historic Mariinsky Theatre and Mariinsky Concert Hall.

Carnivals of the White Nights
If ballet and opera aren't your cup of tea, perhaps carnivals are. Throughout the festival celebration, a series of entertaining carnivals takes place. The largest and most well-known is found in the Peterhof suburb of St. Petersburg. here, actors, and actresses in period costumes give performances recreating historical Russian events. People attending can even opt to take a carriage and actresses in period costumes give performances recreating historical Russian events. People attending can even opt to take a carriage ride around the beautiful Peterhof Park.

Scarlet Sails celebration
The culminating event of the White Nights Festival is the Scarlet Sails celebration, the largest public event anywhere in Russia. Nearly 1 million people attend each year in anticipation of spectacular fireworks, rowing and motorboat races, and staged pirate battles on the Neva River. To top it all off, a large ship sporting massive scarlet sails makes its way down the river as onlookers watch in awe. Inspired by the book Scarlet Sails by Alexander Grin, this tradition began after World War II as a celebration of the end of the school year. Heading home in the early hours of the morning, everyone agrees that participating in White Nights was worth losing a little sleep over.

More Information
Pop Music at the palace Square
Each summer during the White Nights Festival pop music artists from around the world perform at the palace Square. Although this space is most often used for military parades, large demonstrations and political events, during the festival the square transforms into a platform for screaming and adoring fans. Recent performers include Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones.

Vocabulary
turn in-上床睡觉 go to bed sleep.
*Ellen usually turns in at 11 pm.
*The kids turned in after listening to their bedtime stories.
*Don't call Grandpa this late! He's probably already turned in for the night!
draw- 拉，吸， 吸引drew-是“拉”的过去式 drawn-是“拉”的过去分词。
draw someone out-吸引某人前往
*the sequel to the blockbuster drew many fans out.这部轰动影片的续集。。
*Wonderful weather drew people out to the parks.
kick off-开始，开启，展开
*The awards ceremony kicked off with an orchestra performance. 以管弦乐团的表演为这颁奖典礼展开序幕。
*The basketball game will kick off in 5 minutes.
Not be somebody's cup of tea/ not be someone's cup of tea -不是默认茶杯里的茶,指非某人所好.
*Mathematics isn't my cup of tea. I tried hard to study it, but still flunked the tests.
*Classical music really ins't Joseph's cup of tea. He prefers rock-and-roll. 古典乐
opt-pot for/ pot to -选择 choice
*George opted for a transfer to another state.
*Chloe opted to quit school and go to Hollywood to pursue her dreams.
culminate-达到最巅峰,高峰,最顶点
*After years of research, the scientists' discovery culminated in the cure of a rare genetic disease.
*His acting career culminated in his performance in the Oscar-wining movie.

Grammar
.... the White Nights Festival, an international arts celebration, like no other, will welcome visitors from far and wide.
like no other- short for "like no other celebration"
like no other- for mention something is very unique. 有别于其他的，与众不同的，无法比的
I have attended many concerts before, but this musician's performance was like on other.
That restaurant serves a spaghetti dish like no other.

Chat room
stay-留
stay out -在外面逗留. at somewhere out of the house
stay out late- 獃在外头不睡觉
stay in- stay at home or indoor.
I like to stay in relax but sometimes I like to stay out with friends.
stay up / stay up late- 熬夜
stay over-过夜 My cousin will stay over my house tonight.
stay down-运动, 姿势或身体保持低度,接近地面. nothing to do with sleep.
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urban (n)-都市,城市
suburban (adj)- 城市外围的郊区sub-次要的
suburb-城市外围的郊区
suburbs (n)-城市外围的郊区(很多不同的地区)
The suburbs= suburbia (n)-集合名词城市外围的郊区

Architecture

建築達人The importance of designing buildings well. 聽建築師娓娓道來建築設計的重要性An architect discusses the importance of design in buildings by Simon Stopps

SC: What do architects do?
JJP: Architects guide buildings from the planning stage through construction to completion. We communicate with clients to develop a concept for a design. Then we produce detailed drawings, details and cost estimates for the project. When a contractor has been hired, architects make sure the project stays on time and on budget and is built to quality standards. Then we turn the building over to the client.
SC: Why did you become an architect?
JJP: I became an architect because I liked both logical and artistic thinking. I thought that architecture really would let me use both. In architecture, you need to be logical about the construction of buildings, but you also need to be artistic and creative.
SC: Why do architects design buildings to look the way they do?
JJP: There are a lot of factors that affect how a building will look. Architects need to consider cultural and social factors as well as the requirements of the users. We also need to think about the building type, site and engineering aspects of the projects. The best designs are those that consider all of these factors and address the concerns associated with them.
SC: How do buildings convey ideas?
JJP: A building is like a human being. It has expressions and gestures. A building should express what its role is. A theater should look like a theater. But it should also reflect the type of theater it is, the location and its environment.
SC: Why is good architecture important?
JJP: Everybody lives and works in buildings. Architecture is man-made, and no matter where a structure is, it has to complement its environment. Otherwise it will become an offensive object because it doesn't go away. It's very important for architecture to be right for its environment.
SC: How important is local culture and tradition to the design of a new building?
JJP: I think it is very important. If a building does not reflect its locality, then it means the building can be placed anywhere in the world. That would be disappointing because when you go to Thailand, you want to see Thai culture. When you go to Turkey, you want to see Turkish culture. You don't want to see a building from New York City in those places.

Grammar
Then we turn the building over to the client, let the client have control of the building
turn over- turn something over - make something from the bottom to the top.
Fry the fish for seven minutes and then turn it over.
turn over- to transfer or give something to someone else so they can have control.
I'm sure you're all looking forward to hearing what our speaker has to say, so I'm going to turn over the microphone to him.
The company will turn over its operation to the new owners next month.

Vocabulary
architecture-(不可数名词) 建筑学,建筑系,建筑设计,建筑风格.
*The Empire State Building represents the unique architecture of New York City.帝国大厦...特殊建筑设计风格..
architect (n)-建筑师
*I.M.Pei is one of the most famous architects in the world.
logical (adj)-逻辑的,合乎逻辑的,合理的. logic-逻辑
*Debate competitions can train one's logical thinking. 辩论赛...逻辑思考.
*It seems quite logical to work for awhile before going to college. 看来似乎是很合理的..
aspect-方面,层面 asp-有"看"的意思.
*Editing is an important aspect of filmmaking.剪接...电影制作的层面.
*His unstable emotions constantly affect many aspects of his life.不稳的情绪经常影响到他生活的许多方面.
contractor-main lead of construction person.
complement-陪衬，与对象相称，托衬，搭配，配衬。
*The shade of her hair complements her complexion. 与肤色相衬，搭配的很好。
*Grapes and cheese complement each other very well. 相互搭配
*Eric's management skills complement his partner Henry's creativity. 陪衬，配衬
offensive-唐突地，冒犯的 offense (n)-引起反感的事物。
*The singer's offensive comments were strongly criticized by the press. 唐突地言辞。。媒体强烈的评击。
*The flowers look pretty, but they have an offensive smell. 味道不舒服。
locality, localities-所在地，地区。local (adj)-当地的，地方上的。
*Certain remote localities were affected by the water shortage.
*The pilot reported his exact locality.
convey-communicate.

Chat Room
brain-脑,人的脑,人的脑分为左,右脑.
left brain-左脑 control the right side of our body, associated speak, or logic, analytical thinking.
analytical thinking-逻辑思维
right brain- control the left side of our body, associated creativity and imagination.
creativity-创造力
imagination-想象力.
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gesture- moving your hands, express yourself with hands or hands movement.比手划脚，做手势，或用动作来示意。也表示一种举动，一分贴心的举动。I am going to coffee shop, do you need a cup of coffee? No, Thanks for your gesture.

personification-凝人化，以人的动机，行为，特质，概念来描述非人化的经验，行为。如：

The stars wink at me. 天上的星星在向我眨眼。

Soccer – the World’s Game

Learn more about the world’s favorite sport古人也瘋狂的運動：足球 Whether you call it “soccer” or “football,” the whole world loves this sport! 深入了解這種全世界最受喜愛的運動by Chip Ewald

Soccer, or football, ranks as the world’s favorite sport – hands down. Soccer claims around 3 billion fans – nearly half the world’s population! And according to FIFA’s count in 2006, 265 million people play this game. That’s 4 percent of the global population!

The game’s roots
Determining soccer’s original birthplace isn’t easy. Many ancient people played early forms of this modern game. Cu ju (蹴鞠), a ball-kicking game in ancient China, was reported as early as 2,500 B.C. Around the same time, Greeks were also playing a similar ball game without using their hands.
During the Middle Ages,different varieties of the sport developed and spread throughout Europe. But modern soccer didn't become official until 1863 when England's Cobb Morley stepped in. Morley introduced the idea of a football association and wrote the sport's official rules.
This association, founded in London, would later spark other association as in countries outside Britain. These would eventually come together to form the FIFA, which organizes the World Cup.

The world's sport
Identifying a single reason for soccer's worldwide popularity is a challenge. But one reason is how simple the sport is. While many sports require special equipment, soccer requires only two feet and a ball. This makes it a sport that developing countries can easily play. Some of the sport's best players come from these poor nations. Also, soccer performances are pleasing to the eye. The sport's basic no-hands rule prompts beautiful dance-like movements on the filed.
In addition, this sport excited the heart. Teams might score only a few times per match, so matches can turn around suddenly.
The world's true love for soccer, however, seems rooted in nationalism. Since FIFA's birth, soccer's most competitive matches have been nation against nation. So when people cheer for their team, they are also cheering for their country. No one knows who will win at the 2010 World Cup in South Aftrica next month. But one thing is certain; The world will be watching.

More Information
Most of the world calls it football, but in some places, such as the United States people call it soccer. Where does the name soccer come from? It comes from the abbreviation a-s-s-o-c, which is short for association-years ago the sport's official name was Association Football. Soccer is different from American or Canadian football and rugby in that it is mostly played with the feet.

Grammar
Also, soccer performances and pleasing to the eye.
pleasing to the eye-something pretty, attractive or good-looking cause eye to enjoy.
I think those color combinations are pleasing to the eye.
How my friend has decorated for the party is very inviting and pleasing to the eye.

Vocabulary
hands down-(adv. idiom)-豪无疑问的,轻而易举的.
*Michael Jackson was one of the most talented entertainers, hands down.豪无疑问的
*The football team won hands down over their opponents.轻而易举的赢了对手
claim-声称,宣称.认领
*The candidate claimed victory before all the tickets were even counted.
*If no one claims the lost notebook, the person who found it should be able to keep it.
step in-介入,涉入,
*The police had to step in and stop the conflict between the two groups of protesters.冲突,纷争
*The teacher stepped in to end our argument.
FiFA- Federation Internationale de Football Association.
identify-确定,确认,辨认.
*We're trying to identify what caused the fire by collecting evidence.
*A good problem solver needs to be able to identify the problem. 好的解决问题者.
*She went to the police to identify the suspect.辨认嫌犯
developing-正在开发中的 developing country-开发中的国家
*The stock market analysts see great potential in developing countries this year.
developed-已开发的 developed country-已开发的国家.
*The birthrate in developed countries is getting lower and lower each year. 生育率
prompt-激发出,引起..
*The mayor's comments prompted many angry responses.市长的言论激起(引发)
*The movie star's vagueness prompted the reporters to ask more questions. 含糊其辞

Chat Room
soccer / football-足球（美国称足球为soccer）因地区不同，称呼不同。
英国或其他欧洲国家说football 是指soccer.
Association Football-足球协会
association-协会，soccer-是协会的缩写，或由协会演生出来。
rugby- 橄榄球，
American football-美式足球即指橄榄球。
American football is not soccer, soccer is football.
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root-树根,衍生意思是根源于,来源于
The world's true love for soccer seems rooted in nationalism.-根源于对自己国家的热爱支持.
rooted in-深植于, established.
Money is the root of all evil.-金钱是万恶之根.
money it self is not evil, you can use money to help people and do something good for your country or societies. Once money became to your goal of living, the center of your whole being, or the purpose of your life. You let the money to control your mind, your act and your motivation. then the money is all evil, it will ruin your heart and harm your life.
root-为..加油 support someone or something.
What team are you rooting for? 为那队加油?
The whole team is rooting for him. 全队为他加油.

Franz Joseph Haydn: Master Composer

交響樂之父：海頓 The Austrian composer who became known as the “Father of the Symphony" by Lisa Holl Chang
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) had a long and prolific musical career, composing countless pieces of music over five decades. His significant contributions to symphony and string quartet music influenced musicians like his friend Mozart and student Beethoven and ushered in music’s classical period.

From singing to writing music

Son of a music-loving wheel maker, Haydn was sent to a relative’s for music training when he was only 6. Discovered by a choir director two years later, the young boy became a treble in the St. Stephen’s Cathedral boys choir in Vienna, Austria.

When Haydn turned 17, his voice matured, and he could no longer sing the high notes, so he was subsequently dismissed from the choir. Staying in Vienna, he taught and performed music to make ends meet, all the while teaching himself music theory and composition. In 1761, the 29-year-old Haydn landed a job as Kapellmeister for the royal Esterhazy family. His responsibilities comprised managing an orchestra and composing music for the prince.

Haydn flourished in the steady employ of appreciative masters. He once said, " I could...make experiments, observe what created an impression, and what weakened it, thus improving, adding to, cutting away, and running risks."

Haydn's music

No single word can describe Haydn's music, which is at times upbeat, even playful, and at times serious and meditative. As Kapellmeister, Haydn composed music for twice-weekly concerts. These compositions ranged from chamber music to symphonies and operas. The remoteness of the Esterhaza palace, where he spent much of his time, enabled him to be creative. Haydn said, "There was nobody in my vicinity to confuse and annoy me in my course, and so I had to become

original."

Enduring fame

After 18 years with the Esterhazys, Haydn's fame had grown so much that the family allowed him to write for others and sell music. Commissions from abroad came pouring in. In 1790 he traveled to London and made a second trip in 1794. the English loved him immensely; one critic even said，"Like our own Shakespeare, (Haydn) moves and governs the Passions at his will."

In the midst of Napoleon's conquest of Vienna in May 1809, Haydn, 77, lay on his deathbed. The French conqueror paid Haydn the final honor of stationing guards to protect the master composer's home from French troops. Today, Haydn is honored as the Father of the Symphony, and his music continues to entertain and inspire.

More Information

Haydn sometimes sent his audience subtle messages. For example, in 1772 the prince planned to keep the court in session longer than usual, but the musicians missed their families and wanted to go home. So during the last section of the "Farewell" Symphony, each musician left, one by one, until only Haydn and another musician were left playing.

The prince got the point and let the musicians return home the following day.

Grammar

Staying in Vienna, he taught and performed music to make ends meet, all the while teaching himself music theory and composition.

all the while- all the activity happened at the same period of time.

While Haydn was staying in Vienna, he taught and performed music to make ends meet.

During that time, he was also teaching himself music theory and composition.

all the while-

*I was trying to watch this ballet performance, all the while a cell phone kept ringing in the auditorium.

*Mark was busy preparing the food and setting the table, all the while his brother was watching TV.

Vocabulary

choir-合唱团，诗班

*Patrick is a tenor in the church choir.男高音

*Wesley never misses choir practice.　诗班练习

*The choir plays an essential part in the concert.

subsequently- 随即，后来，随后　sequ-有＂跟随＂的意思

*Susan graduated from college and subsequently continued with a master's program.随后继续

*The singer's first album was an instant hit. Subsequently, she received immediate fame and wealth.

comprises-包含，由．．．组成，由．．组合

*The committee comprises 12 students' parents as representatives.

*The seminar comprises physical training, lectures and group discussion.包含体能训练，讲座，团体讨论．

upbeat-欢乐，欢欣，乐观，积极向上的cheerful, happy.

*The lively songs playing on the radio put me in an upbeat mood this morning.生动的．．欢愉的心情

*Her upbeat personality makes people around her like her a lot.积极向上乐观的性格．

immensely-非常的，极其的．

*The immensely successful entrepreneur is very humble.非常成功的

*Getting this loan is immensely important for the company right now.

meditative-沉斯的，默想的．meditate-　沉思，默想．quiet and peace,pay all attention to it,

*The atmosphere of the room created a meditative mood.

Meditative music can soothe tension and stress.舒解紧张，与压力．

Chat Room

symphony- 交响乐，交响曲，交响音乐会．

going to the symphony-去听音乐会，去听交响乐．

movement／movements　（多数）-乐章／交响乐包含了四个乐章：

symphony orchestra-交响乐团．

交响乐团由下列四种乐器组成的：

woodwinds-木管乐器

brass-铜管乐器

strings-丝铉乐器

percussion-打击乐器

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days are numbered-日子不多了，屈指可数，死期已近，活不救了．（人，工作）

lay on his/her deathbed-凭临死亡，弥留或临终前的时间．临死前的数小时．

deathbed-死亡之床，指临终所卧的床．

on one's last leg-垂死，生命即将结束．（可用在人，机器，东西上）

He is on his last leg =lay on his deathbed=His days are numbered.

This old car is on it's last leg-这辆老爷快不能开了

Mosquitoes and Lasers

新的滅蚊利器：雷射槍 Scientists are experimenting with a new weapon to fight a deadly disease 科學家正實驗用一種新型武器來對抗瘧疾這種致命性疾病 A new weapon could save millions of lives by Ashley Dakin

Malaria kills – especially children, taking at least one child every thirty seconds. However, scientists are hard at work developing laser technology to fight the terrible disease. The laser gun or Weapon of Mosquito Destruction (WMD) has the potential to stop malaria by destroying mosquitoes with one shot.

In 2007, scientist Lowell Wood met with other scientists and suggested using old laser technology to destroy mosquitoes. The laser is modeled after a weapon developed to protect the U.S. from Soviet missiles in the 1980s. But the technology was never used. Then in 2008, scientists used a laser to kill a different airborne threat-the mosquito.

How does the weapon work? With the help of a computer, a laser burst burns off the insect's wings, sending the bug to the ground. The machine is even able to distinguish between male and female mosquitoes based on the sound frequency of the wings. Currently, scientists are experimenting with the strength of the laser so that it will not harm other insects and creatures. If the scientists are successful, houses and villages could be surrounded by laser barriers. These barriers would kill mosquitoes stopping the spread of malaria.

More Information

Mosquito Facts

Only female mosquitoes bite people: male mosquitoes feed on plant nectar. Mosquitoes are attracted to human breath.

A female mosquito can lay 200 eggs at one time. These eggs can survive for more than five years. Mosquitoes are drawn to dark clothing.

When mosquitoes bite, they release chemicals into your skin that make your skin itch.

Grammar

......scientists are hard at work developing laser technology to fight the terrible disease.

hard at work-

......scientists are working hard to develop laser technology to fight the terrible disease.

working hard / hard at work.

Why are you watching TV? You should be hard at work instead.

Researchers are hard at work looking for the cure.

Vocabulary

destruction-除去建造,意即消灭,破坏. de有除去的意思-struction-建造

*The destruction of rainforests causes severe environmental problems.

*The hurricane left widespread destruction throughout the coastal area.

airborne- 在空中的,空气传播 air-空中borne -bear, 支撑,承受力量的过去式

*The device can eliminate airborne germs and hazardous bacteria. 消灭空气中散播的细菌和有害的微生物

*Once the airplane is airborne, the flight attendants can start serving drinks and snacks.

barrier-

*The police set up barriers to stop the protesters from entering the Presidential Hall.围起闸栏,屏障...示威者....总统府.

*The mountain acted as a natural barrier to protect the village.天然屏障.

malaria-霍乱

Chat Room

shot- 枪把的 射击,发射,开枪.

get a shot- 打针, shot -可数名词,前面要加定冠词.

get shot-中弹

He got shot in the battle.他在战场上中弹.

shot- use in sports- 指 投射,投球,杀球,射球,投篮.

Nice shot!- 好球,投的漂亮,杀球杀的漂亮.