Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The nPower PEG

人體發電器 Never worry about dead batteries again不用再擔心電池沒電囉 Walk power into your cell phone by Ryan Batdorf.

Aaron LeMieux loves to hike and often listens to the radio at the same time. While on a 1,500-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail, Aaron started thinking about energy. Could the energy his body was crating be used to charge an electronic device? In 1006 Aaron quit his job and turned the basement of his home into a laboratory. He then put all his time into developing the nPower PEG.

How the nPower PEG works
PEG means personal energy generator. It uses the energy you create while moving to charge a hand-held device. Just put your nPower PEG in your bag, or fasten it to your leg or bicycle. Then plug your MP3 player, cell phone or digital camera into your nPower PEG's USB port. LeMieux's company, Tremont Electric, claims the nPower PEG can charge most hand-held electronic devices to 80 percent in one hour.

The Cost
Since it costs US$149, the nPower PEG won't appeal to everyone. But for those that spend a lot of time away from electricity, it might come in handy.

Grammar Tips:
.......for those that spend a lot of time away from electricity, it might come in handy.
come in hand = be useful = be convenient.
For people who spend a lot of time away from electricity, the nPower PEG might be useful.
Since you might buy a lot of things, you should bring an extra bag with you, it might come in handy.
Patrick's old umbrella came in handy because he came to work unprepared for rain.

Vocabulary Tips:
device-儀器,裝置
*Most new parents own a device that allows them to monitor their baby while he or she sleeps.
*The electronic device repels insects with sound waves.
fasten-扣牢,繫緊
*He fastened the straps of his backpack.
*The sailor fastened his boat to a post on the dock. 繫緊在某個東西上用"to"
appeal-(ea)發長""音.引起興趣或吸引.吸引那個對象用"to"
*Sports have never seemed to appeal to Kevin.
*The vibrant colors and relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant appeal to young customers.
laboratory-a place for experiment test.
generator (n)- come from generate. (generate - create or producing).
Appalachian trail- is a long about 2000 miles trail, located in the eastern side of united states.

Chat Room
quit-(口語的)辭職,
resign-(正式的)辭職
letter of resignation-辭呈
pink slip-公司發的開除,解聘,裁員的通知單.(早年,公司解聘員工時,在被裁員解聘的員工薪水袋内會夾放一張粉紅色的字條,告知該員工不必來上班了....現今被通用為公司解雇裁員通知單. 也指汽車的所有權狀.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Real World of Real Estate

房地產達人This month’s expert explains the cost and value of home. Understanding the cost and value of home本月邀請專家來解釋房屋的成本和價值 by Simon Stopps

Mike Zai, a veteran of the American housing bubble, currently works as an analyst for a New York-based hedge fund company.

SC: Why are houses such an important part of the economy?
MZ: Houses play an important role in the economy because average consumers store most of their net worth in real estate. They are also important because people don't just invest in houses; they also live in them.

SC: What pushes housing prices higher?
MZ: House prices are typically driven by a number of factors including inventory levels, interest rates, employment rates and income levels. Sometimes, governments initiate programs to keep home prices at a certain level.

SC: What is a housing inventory? What affects it?
MZ: The term housing inventory refers to the number of houses that are being sold on the open market. Housing inventory typically includes newly built homes, older properties being sold by their owners and properties that lenders obtain through foreclosure. When there is a high demand for houses inventory is low because people are buying houses as soon as they are put up for sale. When demand is low, inventory is high because houses aren't selling and are staying on the market longer.

SC: What is a housing bubble?
MZ: A housing bubble is an economic situation that occurs when home prices rise faster than inflation and income. Housing bubbles happen when there's a high demand for homes in a particular area. In a bubble, investors purchase homes in hopes of flipping them for a profit after they appreciate in value.

SC: How does a housing bubble affect homeowners?
MZ; Home prices become so artificially high that peoples' monthly incomes cannot pay for the mortgages on their properties. People keep buying houses, though, because they think the risk of paying a high mortgage will pay off if they can sell at a profit.

SC: How is the situation corrected?
MZ: housing bubbles are resolved when income levels rise to match the high cost of homes or when home prices fall to match income levels. Usually, home prices fall because income levels are much less volatile than home prices. When people cannot afford to pay their mortgages anymore, their homes go into foreclosure and are sold for less than the market price. This, in turn, causes the prices of the market to decline.

More Information:
When it comes to real estate bubbles, thee are two different schools of thought. One group of economists say bubbles cannot be identified, they are a natural part of an economic cycle and so, should just run their course. Another group says bubbles can be predicted, because they affected economy in such a negative way, should be controlled and prevented-if possible.

Grammar Tips:
.....investors purchase homes in hopes of flipping them for a profit after they appreciate in value.
"in hopes of " = to expect or wish for something.
*Investors purchase homes and expect to flip them for a profit after they appreciate in value
"in hopes that"-
David bought an expensive gift for his wife in hopes that she would change her mind about not going fishing with him.
"in the hope of" -
In the hope of a better tomorrow. Let's work harder at making our planet a cleaner and safer place to live.

Vocabulary Tips
inventory-存貨,存貨清單
*The car dealership has a large inventory of used cars.
*Our boss told us to take a comprehensive inventory of our goods. 商品存貨做全面清點
*The company had a sale and sold most of their inventory.
open market- 公開市場自由銷售open-公開
*We intended to sell our house to our friends or family, but now we've had to put it on the open market. 公開出(求)售
foreclosure-bank or lender taking back the house. 取消贖回權。
*Wesley hasn't paid his loan for months, and is now facing foreclosure.
*The foreclosure procedure will take 2 months.
flip-turn.翻轉,抛,擲
flipped/flipping-
*I lost my place in the book because the wind flipped my pages as I was reading.
*Let's flip a coin to decide who wins.
mortgage (n)-貸款,房貸或抵押.""不發音
*Sandy finally paid off her mortgage.
*The monthly mortgage payment of this house is over $1000.
Mortgage (v)-向銀行或貸款公司貸款.
The house was mortgaged a second time.
volatile-波動,不穩定.change very fast
*Experts advised withdrawing money from the volatile stock market.
*Currency exchange rates have been volatile lately.
decline-decrease, go down

Chat Room
house-hunting-(想買房子)而找房子
hunt-獵取,打獵,或物色,尋找。
half bathroom=powder room- without bathtub or shower, only toilet and sink.
full bathroom-with bathtub or shower.
---------------------------------
bubble-泡沫,幻想,不實際的希望.
housing bubble-房市泡沫.
burst someone's bubble-戳破某人的泡沫,即潑某人的冷水,或掃某人的興.
bubbly-活潑,(友善的,很快活開朗的)
Ashley has a bubbly personality. 有活潑外向的個性.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Discovering the True Beauty of Taiwan and Enjoying My Friendships

人是故鄉親Luke enjoys traveling with friends in Taiwan With my tank top on, I am enjoying the heat發表讓人們目不轉睛的演講 by Luke Wang

Time flies-it is already the last month of my summer break. To start out this crazy month, my friends and I decided to go to Green Island- a famous spot southeast of Taiwan. With its hot weather and beautiful natural resources, Green Island is famous for water sports.

Starting with Taitung (台東), we spent a day visiting some famous tourist sites. The next day we went to Green Island. I was fascinated by the island's beauty: natural, simple and lovely. The sun burned my skin and sweat dampened my shirt, but I loved the feeling, especially with great friends at my side.

After the Green Island trip, another group of friends took me to a beach in northern Taiwan: Baishawan (白砂灣).With its white sandy shores, Baishawan is a great place for college students to hang ont.

Here I am at the end of the month, recalling my four months of summer break. I know it is time to say goodbye. I don't want to go, but my studies are calling me. Savoring the love of friends and family, I realize what is most important to me.

Grammar Tips:
I was fascinated by the island's beauty: natural, simple and lovely.
usage of ":" in English sentence.
For the hike, please pack: a water bottle, and extra jacket, some snacks, and a flashlight.
The apartment had everything I was looking for: great view, large rooms, good location, and a reasonable price.

Vocabulary Tips:
natural resources-天然資源(複數名詞)natural-天然 resource-資源
*Alaska boasts abundant natural resources such as natural gas and oil.
*Regulation have been designed to protect our natural resources.
dampen-潮濕,弄溼但不是整個的濕透.
*After the rain dampened my jacket, I hung it up to let it dry.
*The chef dampened a towel to cover the dough.
savor-(食物)的品嘗(享受)really enjoy,此指欣賞,享受.
*When Rita went to Paris she savored every moment of the trip.
*Timothy know how to savor his success.

Chat Room
Time-
Time flies when you're having fun. 時間飛逝,光陰似箭.
lost track of time-沒注意時間.
to be pressed for time-時間有限.having not too much time to finish or do it.
time and again =again and again時常,常常的發生.
third time's (time is) a charm-第三次會有好運氣.會成功.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Speak Through Words and Pictures

成功演講祕訣You can deliver a presentation that people will remember. 發表讓人們目不轉睛的演講Create presentations that make people take notice. by Lisa Holl Chang

Imagine you're at a presentation. What do you picture? Certainly there is a speaker, projector and slides. The slides were most likely made using PowerPoint. What about the content: Does it hold your attention?

Whether you're studying or working, you've probably seen many presentations. Think about the memorable ones. What made them effective? The answer probably begins with the presentation's story.

Tell a story
Apple CEO Steve Jobs gives amazing presentations. One of Jobs' secrets is that he makes people feel like they are part of a story. He believes Apple products will change the world. His passion makes people love a product, not just want to buy it. When you prepare a presentation, don't start with the slides. Start with the story. Think about your topic: Why is it significant? How can you get your audience to relate to it? What ideas or pictures will help your audience understand it? Communicate these thoughts, and your presentation will interest people.

Deliver an experience
Slides with pictures, illustrations and some words can powerfully communicate your story. But be careful the slides don't harm your presentation. Scientists who study how people learn say people receive information in two ways: word and pictures. As you speck, the audience listens to your words and looks at your pictures. But, if your slides gave too much text, people will read the text and stop listening.
Keep the slides simple. Scientists also say people can only process a limited amount of information at one time.
Use only words or pictures that relate to your speech. Don't bother with fancy clip art or several colors on your slides. These might distract the audience.

Practice, practice, practice
Research indicates that body language communicates 60 to 70 percent of one's meaning. Practice while paying attention to your gestures, eye contact, voice tone and the way you stand. These things are essential to your presentation's success. Now you know. So next time, give a presentation that will be one to remember.

Grammar Tips
How can you get your audience to relate to it?
relate-connected by family
Tony is related to Andy;they are cousins.
to relate to it --to relate to something
having some kind of a personal connection to something because there is meaning.
to relate to something-
He didn't like the movie because he couldn't relate to it.
Tiffany and Melanie relate to a lot of the same things.

Vocabulary Tips
memorable-難忘的。
*The famous pitcher pitched a memorable game before he announced his retirement.
*My wedding day is one of the most memorable days of my life.
audience-聼眾,觀衆 aud-與“聼”有關
*The talk show hostess always has a large audience.
*The audience watched the circus in amazement.
*The presenter interviewed one of the audience members about the new policy.
communicate-傳達,傳遞。 溝通,交流
*She tried to communicate her ideas but no one seemed to listen to her.
*Because of the Internet, communicating with people around the world is so easy.
process (n)-過程 (v)-處理
*It takes a week to process the application.
*Our computer system cannot process such a large amount of data.
distracted (v)-take attention away from someone. 使分心,使分散注意力。
dis- 使離開tract-拖,拉。
*Josh needs to work in complete silence because he is easily distracted.
*The kids were distracted by the noise coming from the construction site.
gestures- 手勢,姿勢,表示。The movement of your hands, arms or head.
*The speaker loves to use dramatic gestures to attract attention.
*He gave his girlfriend a bouquet of roses as a gesture of apology.

Chat Room
effect / affect-結果/影響
effect (n)-effective. 加定冠詞'the', 'an' 在 "effect"前面。 指 result. 效果,結果
One of the effect is keeping me stay awake whole night.
special effect-特效
effect background-背景效果
affect (v)- to influence ...影響
Coffee affected my sleep.
Smoking affects health.
affect(v)-affected-僞裝,矯揉造作,掩飾,嬌柔作態,矯情。
affected personality-僞裝,虛情假意的個性.(最好不要有)
----------------------------
information overload.-資訊超載。
information-資訊
overload- 超載too much of something
an elevator overload with people.
people can only process a limited amount of information at one time.-避免過多的資訊,乃是要給真正有有用的資訊。

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

iPhone Games Take Flight

用iPhone玩遙控直升機Video games become real life with the Parrot AR.Drone.有了Parrot AR.Drone,電玩遊戲轉為現實Is it a game or is it reality? by Ryan Batdorf

Surf the Internet, take pictures, watch videos, listen to music and stay in touch with your friends and family. These are some of the features that have driven the iPhone's popularity in countries worldwide. But how about using your iPhone to control a Parrot AR. Drone, a wifi helicopter with two cameras? Think of the games you could play with that!

How it works
Thanks to its self-created WiFi, the AR. Drone can be controlled by either an iPhone or an iPod Touch. Moving your iPhone or iPod Touch turns the quadricopter and guides it forward and backward. Direct it to go up or down with buttons on the iPhone or iPot Touch. Do nothing and it will hover in place.

What it can do
Most video games can be played while comfortably seated on your couch. playing them outside would be out of the question. Playing with the A.R. Drone, however, compels you to be active. Take it outside, and race others around your neighborhood. Fight gigantic robots and aliens, or destroy other drones with the multiplayer mode. Finally, a video game that won't make you a couch potato!

Grammar Tips
Thanks to its self-created WiFi, the AR. Drone can be controlled by either an iPhone or an iPot Touch.
thanks-
Thanks for doing that.
thanks to=because of
Because of its self-created WiFi, the AR. Drone can be controlled by either an iPhone or an iPod Touch.
thanks to-
Thanks to Mrs. Wang's generous donation, twenty children from the orphanage are able to attend school.
Tyler made it back safely, thanks to his flashlight.

Vocabulary Tips:
surf-衝浪,也指網路或電視頻道上的任何瀏覽。
*Many young people like to go to cybercafes to surf the Internet.
*Jason did nothing but channel-surfing the whole night.
compel-強迫,使。。不得不,一定要,想要。not by forced,created, produce or cause someone has Strong feeling to do something.
*Studying under professor Simpson compels you to excel. 想要去超越,更卓越。
compelled/compelling
*The workers felt compelled to work night shifts in order to finish the project.
couch potato-couch- 沙發potato-馬鈴薯sits in the sofa watch TV all-day-long, being kind of lazy. 指整天懶洋洋的躺坐在沙發上看電視的人。
*Alex was a couch potato during vacation. All he did was watch football games.

Chat Room
iPhone, iPot
pot-豆莢,也指海洋哺乳動物的"一群".太空船的分離艙. 但是pot還是要囘到hub
hub- a place of the center of all activities. 活動的中心,樞紐。
the Hub of our town-城鎮的中心
the Hub of the Universe-宇宙的中心。

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Tainan: the Heart of Taiwan

寶島的重鎮:台南Discover Taiwan's culture and history in the island's oldest city一探台灣最古老城市的文化和歷史 by Winnie Shih.

Locals say that to visit Tainan is to feel the heart of Taiwan. As the island's oldest city, you can relive the past as you walk through Dutch-built forts and other historic structures built centuries ago. Get a taste of the famous local cuisine, and don't be surprised if vendors tell you that their recipes are over a hundred years old. "Everything is old here, except us," says a local shop owner. " I love the warm hearts of the people here. That never changes."

Historical roots
Begin your tour at the Anping (安平) Tree House. Built in the 19the century as a warehouse for British trading company Tait & Co., the building was abandoned in 1935. Since then, a giant banyan tree(菩提樹) has made its home there. Upon entering the Tree House, you'll find yourself in a wild jungle. Roots of all sizes creep along the ceilings, leaving you in awe of their immense reach. Next to the Tree House stands the Tait & Co. Merchant House, which includes life-sized wax displays of the city's beginnings and colonial influences.
Learn how Tainan began as a sleepy fishing village and evolved into a major port.

Wetlands of wonder
Twenty minutes from the city center is Taijiang(台江)National Park. This park includes river estuaries, mangrove forests and swamps that are home to 200 species of birds including egrets and herons. Look for the endangered black-faced spoonbill, the park's rarest visitor. With beaks in the delightful shape of a spoon, this bird scoops up some food, tosses it in the air and catches it in its mouth.

Exploring forts.
After you return to the city, stroll through the man forts that once stood guard over Old Taiwan. Anping Old Fort was once the Dutch military and commercial base in Taiwan. The cannons remind one of its former military prowess. Even more interesting are the fortress walls- constructed from crushed oyster shells mixed with sugar water and sticky rice.

The best-preserved fort is Chihkan Tower (赤坎樓). Surrounded by a courtyard that resembles an outdoor museum, the building features nine stone turtles caring steles on their backs with poems by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆帝)ofthe Qing Dynasty. Complete your tour by catching the sunset over the Luerhmen River. Time slows down when you gaze upon fishermen returning to port, bamboo rafts and floating oyster racks. Take this picture-perfect scene with you, and you'll always remember the warmth you felt in the heart of Taiwan.

More Information:
Tainan natives take great pride in their traditional foods. From seafood to desserts. It would take a long time to sample every delicacy! If you ever visit Tainan, be sure to try the shrimp rolls: right after you dip a crispy shrimp roll into a little wasabi, you'll immediately be asking for second. The rolls are filled with a fresh shrimp paste, then breaded and fried.

Grammar Tips
Twenty minutes from the city center is Taijiang National Park.
Taijiang National Park is twenty minutes away from the city center.
"twenty minutes from the city center"
"measurement + is + subject" -very common use on the travel articles.
My friend's hometown is three hours up the river.
Three hours up the river is my friend's hometown.
There's another gas station five miles down the road.
Five miles down the road is another gas station.

Vocabulary Tips
vendor-小販,攤販,銷售商。vend-銷售,加or-指“人”,person who selling things.
*Once the tourists got off their buses, vendors mobbed them with souvenirs.蜂擁而上。。紀念品。
*Tim is good at dealing with auto-parts vendors. 打交道
immense- 無邊無際的,廣大的。very very large, massive, giant.
*Online shopping sites have an immense and profitable market.廣大的且有利可圖的市場
*the author described the immense wilderness of Siberia in his novel.西伯利亞無邊無際的曠野
evolved-evolve 俄卷,翻滾. 引申的意思是"發展,進化,演進"
*The once local company has evolved into a global enterprise over the last 15 years.
*Management styles and methods are always evolving. 總是在演進中。
relive- experience again the pass.
warehouse-keep or store things before they are sold.
creeping-slow moving. 爬行
endangered-瀕臨滅種。 en-使如何danger-危險
*Endangered pandas are carefully cared for and observed by experts.
*You can see many endangered species at the zoo.
prowess-不可數名詞,傑出的才能,本領,也指“英勇”great skill or ability, here mean" military power"
*The monument is a symbol of the prowess of past war heroes.
*He always boasts about his prowess in his profession. 自誇他自己有多麽傑出
catch-抓,趕上。。
*Nina didn't catch the last bus, so she took a taxi home.
*We raced to the platform and caught the train just in time.
stroll through- slowly walk.
cannon(n)-大炮
wetland-the area always wet but it's not ocean or river. 溼地
estuaries-the area specifically where meet the ocean. the water level changed by tide.

Chat Room
port/harbor-海港both are service stop for ships, the different is their size.
port-the area for loading goods and passengers. size is bigger than harbor. major port.海港。
harbor (harbour英式拼音)-size smaller than port. 海港, 指海港的水域方面,停放一般船隻。
port city-the city is near the harbor.位于港口的城市
New York city is a port city.
-----------------------------
the black-faced spoonbill-黑面鷺鷥
spoonbill - spoon- 湯匙bill-鳥的嘴,尤指細長而扁平的嘴。
"baseball cap" we call "bill" 帽舌。
beak=bill-鳥的嘴
a clean bill of health-健康證明書。

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Dinner Is Served

晚餐準備好囉Is it better to eat in or eat out? by Ryan Batdorf and Lisa Holl Chang

Restaurants offer tasty alternatives to home-cooked meals, especially for busy people. Is cooking for one's self or family still worthwhile? Engaged couple Garrett and Kimberly discuss this issue.

Conversation
Kimberly: My parents want to take us out for dinner next Tuesday.
Garrett: Sounds great! Your parents sure do like treating us to dinner.
Kimberly: They like eating out, period, Mom simply won't be bothered with cooking!
Garrett: Whereas you have to drag my mom out of the kitchen! Eating dinner at home has always been a big deal for my family, a tradition I'd like to continue.
..........
..........

Grammar tips
Why go to all that trouble when we can go to a restaurant and relax?
"to go to all that trouble"= " to go to the trouble" ="to make an effort to do something."
Why go to all that trouble of washing your clothes by hand when you can just throw them all into the washing machine.
Why go to all that trouble to answer your email when your secretary can do it for you?
" to go the the bother"-
I was so tired last night that I couldn't go to the bother to throw out the trash.
"to take the trouble"-
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to answer all my questions.
"to take the trouble" = " to go to the trouble" =" to go to the bother.

Vocabulary Tips
whereas-反之,卻,然而。。用來和前面所陳述的對比。
*We arrived at the office on time by taking the train, whereas the others were still stuck in traffic.
*SUVs are gas-consuming and expensive, whereas compact cars consume less gas and are thrifty.
rule out-排除。
*The whole manufacturing system was carefully examined to rule out the possibility of any breakdowns.
*The police ruled out the woman as a suspect.
recipe-食譜,或是秘訣,妙方。
*Carol published her first recipe book last year.
*The recipe for a successful marriage is mutual-trust.-成功的秘訣。
*Grandma's receipt for apple pie works wonders every time. 大獲好品(成功)。
MSG=(Mono sodium Glutamate) 味精
takeout (n)-bought the food from store to take home and eat them. 外賣,
*Patrick loves to eat Chinese takeout.
*Takeout food usually doesn't taste as good as homemade food.
*Please order at the takeout (adj) counter.
batch-一批,一組,一堆。
*she cooked a big batch of food.
*Mom baked a batch of cookies to treat my friends.
*Tourists descended upon the famous historical site in batches.
*After the merger, a batch of new problems appeared.
tip-tipped/tipping-小費
*Maggie tipped her porter at the hotel. 提行李箱的服務員)生)
*Tipping at restaurants is required in many countries.
*We left a tip in our room for the maid at our hotel.

Chat Room
Home-cooked meals-
homemade-
homemade cookies-
store-bought-
factory-made-
from scratch- make with very basic material.
to make something from scratch.
--------------------------------
cut out-remove something from. stop or remove from.-用剪刀剪下來。
cut out a picture from the newspaper.
cut out fat-food not having fat, stop taking fat.不要吃有fat的食物。
cut back on fat- reduce fat. do less of it.減少。
cut out for something-使勝任,使適合。(通常用在否定句)
I'm not cut out it for Olympics. 我不適合。。。
Cut it out-stop,停止,住手,打住,不要再繼續了

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Water for the World

為世界尋找水資源Clean water changes lives 次開發一座水井,逐步為人們的生命帶來改變Changing lives one water well at a time. by Chelsea Ewald

You use water every day and probably take it for granted. When you take a shower, you don't worry that the water will stop. When you drink water, you can be confident it is pretty safe. You never have to worry about not having enough water. It is always available to you. But for nearly one billion people, water is a problem. For those who do not have access to safe water, life is a constant struggle.

The problem
In developing countries, clean, safe water is hard to come by. In fact, entire villages sometimes do not have a clean water source. Villagers cannot turn on a faucet to get water but must walk several kilometers to find it. They often have to collect water from dirty rivers and streams. This water is then used for everything from bathing to drinking. When people drink dirty water, they can become very sick. Water-related diseases can even be deadly, especially among children. One child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease.

The solution
As this water crisis gains attention from around the world, people are taking action. Many organization's are committed to bringing clean water to places in need.

Water.org
Actor Matt Damon has been raising awareness about the world water crisis for years. In 2009 he co-founded Water.org as a way to bring clean water to people. By forming partnerships with
local organizations, Water.or teaches people how to solve their own water problems. The results have been amazing. Communities in Africa, South Asia and Central America have seen their lives change through Water.org projects.

The Water Project
Another organization working toward transforming lives with clean water is The Water Project. This organization has already helped bring clean water to 60,000 people in India and Africa. They do this by funding and digging wells. As a result of having clean water, people become healthy again. Men return to work, women start small businesses, and children return to school.
Clean water changes lives.

More Information
In developing countries, it's the women and girls who usually collect the water. They often walk several kilometers to find it--taking as long as eight hours a day! Once filled, their water pots can weight as much as 20kg.
A person living in Sub-Saharan Africa uses about 10 to 20 liters of water each day, in contrast, the average Canadian uses 326 liters of water each day.

Grammar Tip
As a result of having clean water, People become healthy again. - emphasis "having clean water"
"People become healthy again because they have clean water."-emphasis the "people"
“as a result of”-
Mrs. White now has extra time to do other things because she has assigned house chores to her children.
As a result of assigning the house chores to her children, Mrs. White now has extra time to do other things
The workers feel more confident about their jobs after they had meeting with their new supervised.
As a result of meeting with their new supervisor, the workers feel more confident about their jobs.

Vocabulary Tips
take something for granted-把某事物當作是理所當然的。
*Children tend to take their parents' loving care for granted.
take someone/something for granted-不關心/不在乎/不注意。
*Mark took his wife for granted for so long that she couldn't stand it anymore.實在忍不住了 come by (v. idiom)-得到,獲得。
*Such a great opportunity is hard to come by. You should take it!
*Such a good guy as Joseph is hard to come by.
*Henry couldn't explain how he come by his nasty cut. 得到那麽嚴重的傷。
faucet (n)-水龍頭
*The plumber replaced the leaking faucet with a new one.
*When I turn on the faucet, only dirty water comes out.
*Dad connected the hose to the faucet and started to water the lawn.
awareness-認知,体認,察覺 aware-察覺
*The campaign raised awareness on global warming.
*He has a lack of awareness when it comes to understanding how much trouble he causes.
partnership-合夥,合作伙伴
*The medical research team works in partnership with Harvard University.
*The business partnership between the two companies is strong even in challenging times.
transform-改觀,革新。trans-越過,通過。
*The invention of the telephone transformed communication forever.
*The conductor totally transformed the orchestra. 改觀了管弦樂隊。

Chat Room
restroom/ bathroom- (bathing-洗澡美國統稱爲廁所。不管有無洗澡設備
Water Closet (W.C) -,歐洲人對“厠所”的稱呼。
washroom-加拿大人用它來表示“厠所”
outhouses-古代,沒有抽水馬桶,與主建築院離的,用木頭隔間的戶外厠所
portable toilets=Porta-Potties--大型演唱會,使用的戶外活動厠所。
toilet training=Potty training。 小孩大小便訓練。
---------------------------
不規則的單複數名詞變換:
crisis危機--複數是crises, (末尾是sis,is, 複數是吧"is" 改爲“es"
hypothesis假設,假定,意測--複數是hypotheses
其他不規則的如:
criteria標準,凖据,規範--複數criterion
alumnus校友--複數alumni (畢業生校友,前輩)
graduate-大學畢業生,已得到學位的,畢了業的,或是研究生的,研究所的。

Monday, August 16, 2010

The Many Sides of Matt Damon

百變麥特?戴蒙There’s far more to this star than movies.這位巨星不只會演電影,他還有很多其他本事喔This Hollywood star is more than just a good actor by Pamela Osment

Matt Damon is a poster child for success with a life that includes hit movies, a beautiful wife and three daughters, and many well-known celebrity friends. Yet for all of his success, Damon hasn't let fame go to his head, and those who know him insist he's one of Hollywood's nice guys.

The young man
Matthew Damon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1970 to a stockbroker father and a college professor mother. When Damon was 10, he met Ben Affleck, who lived down the street, and they became best friends. While attending prep school, Damon got his start in acting by performing in several plays. Later, he attended Harvard University for three years but dropped out to pursue acting seriously.

The new celebrity
Damon headed to Hollywood and soon began landing small to moderate-sized roles, but nothing brought him much attention. Then he and Affleck finished a screenplay Damon had begun at Harvard, which was made into the movie Good Will Hunting. The film won the men an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and earned Damon praise and recognition for his acting performance. The film proved to be the door opener Damon needed to get better film roles.

The skillful professional
Very few actors immerse themselves in their roles with the same intensity as Damon, who changes his preparation strategy depending on what each role requires. He has lost and gained tremendous amount of weight, moved to Tennessee in order to perfect a Southern accent, and learned to play the piano. His dedication has paid off as audiences have flocked to see him perform in everything from Saving Private Ryan to the Bourne movies and Invictus.

The caring philanthropist
Besides being known for his great acting ability. Damon is also known as a very charitable person. In 2009, he co-founded Water.org, a non-profit organization with the goal of bringing good sanitation and clean water to people in developing countries. While visiting some of the world's poorest regions, he witnessed the plight of some of the 890 million people with no access to safe drinking water. Damon hopes to use his fame to bring attention to the problem and to raise badly needed money for water projects. The organization currently has ongoing projects in countries such as Honduras, Bangladesh, Kenya and the Philippines.
Success to Damon is more than just another hit film- it's making a difference to people who need it most.

Grammar Tip:
Yet for all of his success, Damon hasn't let fame go to his head....
"Yet for all......, subject + has not........."
Yet for all the hospital trips she has made, Karen has never once complained.
Yet for all the money he has lost in gambling. Nick has never learned his lesson.

Vocabulary Tips:
go to somebody's head-衝昏了頭,過度自負或驕傲
*Fame and wealth went to his head, and the singer became arrogant and self-absorbed. 美名與財富衝昏了他的頭。。。。。驕傲(傲慢)又自滿(自負)
*Even though Frank is tremendously successful, he hasn't let his success go to his head.
drop out-退學,輟學 leave without finish the school.
*Patricia dropped out of college in order to take care of her mother.
*David dropped out of school when he was only 16.
dropout (n)-中輟生,輟學者,
door opener-開門的工具,此指“展開成功的契機”。什麽契機用“for
*The band's television performance was a door opener for their success.
immerse-浸泡,使自己沉浸于某個事物中。專注于。。 沉浸在。。。immersed in...
*Sean immersed himself in studying.
*Britney immersed herself in the novel.
*This artist completely immersed himself in his painting.
sanitation-公共衛生,環境衛生。
*The camping site lacks adequate sanitation facilities.
*The country's development was impeded by poor sanitation.
*The shelter provides food, water and sanitation.
plight-困境,苦情。不幸的遭遇。bad situation.
*The plight of the earthquake victims was reported on the TV news this morning.
*Many were touched by the orphans' plights and made donation as to help them.
dedication-hard work.
prep school- a private school that prepare students for college. preparatory school

Chat Room
screenplay- 電影劇本screen-電影play-劇本。
screenwriter -寫電影劇本的人(作家)
the big screen-大熒幕,電影院,又叫" silver screen"
What's playing on the big screen? 電影院上演的是什麽?
----------------------
non-profit-非營利
non-profit organization-菲營利組織
cause and effect-因果關係。前因後果。
cause-主張,主義,目標,理想。理念。(for 認同)
He is working for a good cause.
philanthropist - 慈善家
humanitarian-人道主義者。

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Worst Case Scenario: How to Deal With Travel Disasters (Part 1)

出國旅行最怕這個(第一部)Here's what to do if you lose your passport, break a leg or even get arrested overseas當萬事「不」如意,該如何挽救呢?by Eric Lucas, Bing Travel

The Bucharest baggage carousel stopped. All of the other passengers had plucked their luggage from it. Even my suitcase, checked through three flights from Seattle, had arrived. My wife's bag, however, was a no-show. Now what?

We visited the British Airways luggage office, provided our baggage claim tags and waited.
We were departing on a 12-day cruise the next day. Fortunately, our tour guide received the bag the next morning. Travel is fraught with these kinds of potential disasters. Here are some practical steps you can take to prevent trouble.
Passport lost in Latvia or stolen in Somalia
Passports do get stolen or lost, and it can be quite a calamity.
What to do: Visit your home nation's nearest embassy or consulate with whatever identification you still have, and apply for emergency passport replacement. If you're stranded far from major cities, go to local police. Even if you had all your identification stolen or lost, you can get temporary papers. How to prevent it: Always keep your passport in your possession. Keep it in a zipped pocket or a front pants pocket.
Before going overseas, make photocopies of the face pages of your passport, and store them in your luggage. Be sure memorize your passport number.
Broken leg in Bangladesh
A medical emergency in a foreign country is no fun. If you're in a developed nation, you can count on good emergency care. If you're in Mongolia or Mozambique, you'll want to get to the country's best clinics.
What to do: If you're in a developed country, haul out your credit cards and be ready to provide a payment guarantee. For major crises such as a broken leg, you'll get good emergency treatment but will have to request and pay for better hospital rooms and care. If you're in an undeveloped country, get in touch with consular or embassy officials. They'll help you find treatment at a clinic or hospital that serves foreign nationals.
How to prevent it: Be careful what you eat overseas and practice sensible hygiene. If you're traveling to a Second or Third World country or will be overseas for any length of time, procure travel medical insurance. Also, ensure that your travel insurance includes medical evacuation coverage- Romania is a fine place, but you don't want to spend two months there while your broken femur heals. A true medical emergency with evacuation home can cost up to $100,000.
Arrested in Albania (or any country)
This might be the worst imaginable travel disaster. Americans, Brits, Germans and citizens of other First World countries often presume that the laws of the countries they are visiting don't apply to them. Wrong. Wherever you are, whatever the law says, it applies to you, no matter your citizenship. If Slobbovian statues prohibit smiling at dogs, do not do that. Period.
What to do: Ask, plead and demand that you communicate with your embassy or consulate. Officials there will get in touch with your family and friends, who will have to muster all the resources possible, legal and diplomatic, both where you are and back home.
How to prevent it: Do not do anything in a foreign country that you would not do in elementary school back home. No drugs. No altercations. No oddments in your luggage. Also, driving drunk is out of the question. Many countries, such as Norway, have severe penalties for a blood alcohol level of just .o1 percent. That's less than one beer. In other countries, drinking and driving can e a capital crime. The .01 just .01 percent. That's less than one beer. In other countries, drinking and driving can be a capital crime. The basic principle is that you should be a saint. Behaving yourselves, to obey the law that country you are in.
Grammar Tip:
.....driving drunk is out of the question.
out of the question
question-here is not ask a question. question here is "subject".
out of the question means " out of the subject."
out of the question also means "not worth thinking about".
out of the question-
Because it's raining outside, having a picnic at the park is out of the question.
Having Myra's (she's vegetarian) birthday party at a steakhouse is out of the question.
Vocabulary Tips:
worst case scenario-最糟的狀態 worst-最糟,最壞的, case-案例 scenario-狀態,狀況
*We should consider the worst case scenario before we rush into a decision.
*In the worst case scenario, we'll lose all our savings.
pluck-拔,扯,快速搶抓。
*The robber plucked my bag right out of my hands and ran away.
*Charles's job involves plucking ripe fruit from the trees in the garden.
*Hank plucked a piece of gray hair from his head.
fraught-充滿了"with" something. -full of something "with"
*This project has been fraught with problems ever since the manager was replaced.
*The mountain expedition is fraught with danger and uncertainty.
hygiene-衛生。
*All restaurants need to follow health and hygiene regulations. 遵守健康和衛生法規。
*Poor hygiene caused the disease to spread rapidly. 不良的衛生習慣。。。急速蔓延。
*Students are required to practice good personal hygiene at school
procure-getting with effort. 獲得,取得。
*We made a lot of effort to procure support from the committee.
*She managed to procure her boss's word that he would did for the project.
*My friend procured us tickets for the popular Broadway show. 爭取到。
coverage-覆蓋範圍。此指“保險的項目和範圍。
*What kind of dental coverage does this company offer?
*The new policy is designed to help those who do not have health coverage.新政策。。健康保險。
presume-假定,假設,猜測,推斷
*I presume that Eileen is going to be late today, since she's still asleep in her room right now.
*The captain was presumed dead after he'd been missing for 2 days.
prohibited-以法律規定來禁止。
*Parallel parking is strictly prohibited in this section of the parking lot.
*Smoking is prohibited in all buildings.
*The law prohibits hiring child laborers.
altercation-爭吵,爭執(正式用詞)loud argument or disagreement, fight.
*The altercation upstairs disturbed all the neighbors.
*The altercation between the two drivers soon got out of control and became a terrible physical fight.
Brits-British people.
statues-policy, law. regulation
muster-召集,點名,點閱名冊,鼓動,集中,振作。
diplomatic-外交。
capital crime- life in danger, put crime to death.
Chat Room
lose-"s"發 "z"的音。 遺失,輸了。
loose- "s" 發"s" 的音。鬆了, (沒綁好, 鬆開了).或是"未包裝的,散裝的", loose coins or changes (零錢)loose. "oo" in the middle likes coins.
lose-Don't lose your passport.
I win. You lose.
loose-My shoes are loose.
loose change.
------------------------------
develop-開發,發展。形容一個國家的發展情形。
developing country- “ing"有正在開發的意思,指還在開發中的國家,即指開發中的國家。
second-world country-冷戰時期,對那些專制集權主義,社會主義的國家的稱呼
third-world country- 尚未開發的國家。
developed country- 已開發的國家 . 又叫"advanced country" 先進國家,也叫 "industrialized country" 工業化的國家
newly industrialized country-近代的新興詞“新興的工業化國家”
------------------------------------
If Slobbovian Statues prohibit smiling at dogs do not do that, period.
period-句點。句子已結束。It's final, end of conversation. 已做了決定,不會更改了(不要再提)
I'm not going to the movies tonight. Period.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Uncovering the Mystery of Family Names

揭開英文姓氏之謎Where do English family names come from?英文姓氏是如何起源的呢? by Chelsea Ewald

Go to America, and you're certain to find people with the last names Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones and Brown. That's because these surnames are the five most common in the nation. Over 300 million people living in America today use around 152,000 last names. And while some of these names are common and others are unique, all of them have a story to tell.

Surnames begin to surface
Throughout much of history, surnames were not considered necessary. For thousands of years, people only used first, or given, names. The world was less populated, and because everyone knew their neighbors, one title of address was enough. When two people living in the same area shared the same first name, a simple solution was developed. A second name was adopted to distinguish one individual from the other, but these names were seldom passed on. When the French conquered England in 1066, they brought they practice of using surnames with them. This practice slowly became popular, and by 1400, most people were using surnames they inherited from their families. Most English surnames can be traced back to one of four sources:

Place names
Perhaps the most convenient way to a surname was to adopt a name based on the place one lived. A man named John who was living in Bristol. England, would be called John of Bristol Gradually the prepositions disappeared, and John of Bristol simply became John Bristol. A person named Oliver who lived by a lake might become Oliver At water.

Nicknames
Nicknames also have a place in English surname history. For example, if a man were unusually strong, he might adopt a surname such as Armstrong. Likewise, a person who was tall might become Longfellow.

Trade names
Trade laborers often used their occupations as surnames. A woodworker might go by the last name Carpenter. Down the street might be Mr. Smith, the village blacksmith.

Patronymics
Surnames that indicate family relationships were the last to catch on. They worked like this: Peter's son John became John Peterson, and Robert's son Joseph would have been called Joseph Robertson. Whether common or unique, all English family names are full of history!

More Information:
When Europeans began immigrating to America their surnames often took on different spellings and pronunciations. After reaching their new name millions of immigrants volunteered to have their family names changed so that they would be easier for others to pronounce. Many Immigrants found it easier to adjust to American culture with American-sounding names, so they gladly took on their new name.

Grammar Tips
Nicknames also have a place in English surname history.
have a place....history=a certain part of history
have a place= having somewhere to go
Do you have a place to stay when you're visiting London?
(the important event or the person has a place in certain activities in the pass.)
The athlete won a place in history when he broke the world record.
Copernicus claimed a place in history with his contributions to astronomy.

Vocabulary Tips
surname= last name, family name.
*I thought John was French because his surname is DuPont.
*Don't forget to write down your surname on your test.
giving name= first name.
distinguish-區別,區分,分辨,分開,辨明.
*It's hard to distinguish Sean from his twin brother Simon. They look exactly alike.
passed on-傳承,傳下去.
*Kevin's family's beautiful antique ring was passed on to me when we got engaged.
*Please make sure this message gets passed on to your supervisor.
acquired-獲得,得到,取得, 學習到.
*Tom acquired his fortune by investing in the stock market.
*Harry drove his newly acquired convertible to work today.
*Nathan acquired Japanese when working in Japan.學習到
laborerr- 勞動者 labor-勞動 er-人
*Farm laborers protested against the new import policy.
*The union declared that they will fight for the rights of the railroad laborers.
catch on- (caught on)-very common, very popular.風行起來,流行,受到歡迎.
*The band's song soon caught on and quickly became number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart. 告示牌,排行榜.
*The software slowly caught on and today many companies use it.
trace-following the path that something took (the name was taken)
preposition- "of'", "at" , "in", "for" ... 介係詞.
patronymic- "patr"-related to father, "nym" =name.
animated film=cartoon film
image-picture. you see your own image through mirror.
population- number of people counted in that area.
populated-is similar meaning of population.
inherit- receive something also include other things than money from your family member.

Chat Room
address-地址, 重音在第一節(美式英語)
What's your address?
address-對人的稱呼,演説,致辭。重音在第二節。
One title of address was enough.

-------------------------------
surname=last name=family name.
Yo-Yo Ma 馬友友
Ang Lee, Ang (first name), Lee (surname) . in Chinese is putting the last name first. in the West the surname is in the last.李安。

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Betty Boop

就是愛貝蒂Still stealing hearts after 80 years 問世八十年的卡通人物至今仍擄獲人心This 1930s character is still stealing hearts today by Ruth Devlin.

With her bark curly hair and big eyes, Betty Boop "boop-oop-a-dooped" her way into everyone's heart. "Born" On August 8, 1930, Betty actually started "life" as a dog. But soon her dog ears changed into big gold earrings, and she became all girl. By 1932, she was America's first multi - talented animated female star. She could do drama, comedy and musicals. Betty appeared in more than 100 cartoons as well as several films. In addition, she appeared in newspaper comic strips from 1934 to 1937.

Betty last appeared in a film in 1939. Then she disappeared. But she reappeared in the 1980s and gained a new generation of fans. Today, Betty's image is everywhere. She even has a rose and a perfume named for her. Young people buy merchandise with her picture on it, including cell phone covers, clothing, calendars and clocks. Most likely they know very little about her film days but love her sweet face. While her little girl voice is a thing of the past, her image lives on. No one can take her "boop-oop-a-doop" away.


Grammar Tips
With her dark curly hair and big eyes, Betty Boop "hoop-oop-a-dooped" her way into everyone's heart.
boop-oop-a-dooped--- is verbification.
She likes to sing on her way to school.
She likes to " la-la-la "on her way to school. "la-la-la " is verbification instead of " sing"
Let me Google (v) that information and see what I can find. Google(n)-a company's name.
"microwave (adj) oven" (n) -微波爐
microwave(v)-放到微波爐中熱一下.
Bob microwave his lunch.

Vocabulary Tips
multi-talented=多才多藝的
*Will Smith is a multi-talented actor who plays a variety of characters in his movie roles.
multi-colored=多彩的,多姿多彩的
multilingual=多種語言
animated-動畫的,活潑的,活燿的,熱烈的
*"Shrek" is my favorite animated character.
"Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs" is one of Disney's classic animated cartoons.
*We had an animated discussion about our Christmas plans.熱烈的討論
merchandise(n)-商品,貨物。不可數名詞,不加“s” (v)-販賣,推銷。
*The store's merchandise is mostly imported from China.
*The product is merchandised through online websites. 販賣,推銷

Chat Room
name-取名,命名。
name after- 指“人” 以某人的名字來命名。
My sister was named after my grandmother.
name from-以事物“不是人”的名字來命名。
name for-指"東西”以某人的名字來命名。
Betty Boop even has a rose and a perfume named for her.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Nicolaus Copernicus: Moving Astronomy Forward

哥白尼的天文革命This astronomer changed the way people understood the world 哥白尼這位天文學家改變了人類對世界的瞭解History credits this astronomer with moving the earth by Chip Ewald

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) changed the world by challenging the common beliefs of his time. He completely altered the way people thought about their world and the universe. Thanks to Copernicus' theories, the entire Western world began to shift its perspective from an Earth-centered universe to a sun-centered system.

The broadly educated student
Copernicus was born into a wealthy merchant family in Poland in 1473. When his father died, 10-year-old Copernicus moved in with his uncle, who later became a Roman Catholic bishop. While raising Copernicus, his uncle directed both the boy's advancement in the church and his education.

Copernicus began his university studies at the University of Cracow where mathematics, astronomy and astrology sparked his interest. But he left before finishing his degree, as was common at the time, and went to work for the church in Frombork. Then he followed in his uncle's footsteps by studying at the University of Bologna. While there, he lived with Domenico Maria Novara, the school's chief astronomy professor. Novara was probably the first person Copernicus had ever met who dared to challenge the 1,400-year-old conclusions of that era's paramount astronomer:Ptolemy.

From Bologna, Copernicus went on to the University of Padua to study medicine, which at the time was closely linked to astrology. While studying how the movements of the heavens' spheres affected a person's health, Copernicus became an expert on the night sky. Settling at the University of Ferrara, his Fourth and final university, Copernicus obtained his first and only degree: a doctorate in canon law. With his broad education complete, Copernicus returned to Frombork in 1510 to resume his duties with the church.

The revolutionary astronomer
In Copernicus' day, Europe believed the Earth sat motionless at the center of the universe.
People were convinced the sun, moon and planets revolved around the Earth, and the second-century Greek astronomer Ptolemy has "proven" it with mathematics.

Although busy with church work, Copernicus made time for his scientific work, finding several problems with Ptolemy's Earth-centered model. More significantly. Copernicus found that a sun-centered model with a revolving Earth fit the data much better. Although centuries of tradition and superstition suggested otherwise, mathematical calculations convinced Copernicus that Earth was not fixed at the universe's center. Instead, he realized Earth moved with the other planets in yearly revolutions around the sun.

While his conclusions would answer astronomers' questions, Copernicus was well aware that "Moving the Earth" would shake the foundations of everyone else's worldview. So sometime before 1514, he carefully revealed his conclusions, gradually introducing them in an essay he sent only to various colleagues in philosophy and astronomy. Over the next several years, he refined his results while his theory circulated around Europe, spreading his reputation as a remarkable astronomer.

In 1539, a young mathematician named George Rheticus came to study under the seasoned 66-year-old astronomer. Fascinated by his conclusions, Rheticus worked with Copernicus to publish an introduction to his sun-centered universe model. Its success pushed Copernicus to complete and publish his entire, massive six-volume work, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, at the end of his life. Legend holds that Copernicus held a published copy of his life's work on his deathbed on May 24, 1543. In subsequent years, astronomers built upon Copernicus' conclusions, continuing to challenge the previous perspective. By the 1700s, it was nearly impossible to find an astronomer who wasn't convinced of the Copernican model's accuracy.

Copernicus' impact on both astronomy and how we pursue knowledge today has truly been astronomical.

More Information
When you study history not everything is neat and orderly Copernicus nationality, for example, has been hotly debated for many years. It stems from the fact that Copernicus was living in a German speaking territory which happened to belong to Poland. This is why some encyclopedias state Copernicus was Polish but others say Copernicus was a child of a German family under the authority of the Polish king.

Grammar Tips
Although busy with various priestly responsibilities, Copernicus made time for his scientific work...
Although Copernicus was busy with various priestly responsibilities, he made time for his scientific work.
When there are two clause with same subject, we can make sentence simple and direct to the point:
Although+subject+be+adjective, subject+verb=Although+adjective, subject+ verb
Although Andy was angry at his younger brother, he still helped him clean his room.
although angry at his younger brother, Andy still helped him clean his room.
Although Kathy was confused with the map, she didn't want to stop and ask someone for directions.
Although confused with the map, Kathy didn't want to stop and ask someone for directions.

Vocabulary Tips
perspective-看法,觀點 spect-有“看”的意思
*The award-winning movie looks at the Civil War from a slave's perspective.
*The new manager brought a fresh perspective to our department.
astrology-摘星學 astr-指“星星” logy-指“某种學理”
*People study astrology because they believe the stars influence their futures.
astronomy-天文學
paramount-至高無上的,最重要的 para-有“超越)的意思mount-山。
*There are many important factors in running a school, but providing outstanding teaching is paramount.
astronomer-a person who study in astronomy
resume-重新開始,再繼續 re-再一次
*The manager resumed his job right after his surgery.
*Bobby resumed reading after he answered the phone.
revolving-旋轉,運轉。
*There are many satellites revolving around the earth.
*The earth revolves around the Sun once a year.
revolve around someone or something-以某個對象或事物為中心
*Our lives revolve around our kids.
superstition-迷信, 或是迷信的行爲。
*Few people still believe in the old superstition that the number 13 is unlucky.
*Superstition and ignorance kept the tribes people from communication with the outside world. 迷信加上無知。。。。不與外界溝通.
seasoned-使調适, 有鍛煉的.經驗豐富,經驗老到的.
* The seasoned traveler eventually became a writer and recorded all of his experiences in a book. 經驗老到的旅遊者.
*The seasoned real-estate agent has many faithful clients.
hold- lift, hand on to it with hand. Here means "believe" 原意是"抓住,握住". 此指"認爲", " 相信"
legend holds that-傳説中相信
Legend holds that Mozart could compose music spontaneously. 莫扎克可以即興作曲.
astronomical-天文的,天文學,此延伸為"龐大的,極大的". astr=star.
*The new computer system can process astronomical amount of data in a very short period of time.

Chat Room
Nicolaus Copernicus followed in his uncle's footsteps.
followed in someone's footsteps-承襲衣缽的意思, 步上後塵,跟著他的腳步走,繼承某人的職志。
take after someone-(家庭中)遺傳到某人的。。。,來自于某人的。。(長相,特長)
a chip off the old block-一塊木頭掉下來的碎片,通常用來讚美某人的長相,言行擧止很像他的父親或母親。
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Doctor-博士,或醫生
a doctor degree=a doctorate =PH.D = doctor of philosophy 博士學位
philosophy-哲學,(希臘)愛好智慧
a Doctor of Philosophy in Literature 文學博士
a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics.-物理博士
a Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy-哲學博士。
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assay-文章, 報章上的短文,評論等.
paper-報告,較長篇的.
research paper-研究報告.
college assay-大學入學作文,(自傳,可自由發揮的,招生委員會可以從學生的自傳中對學生有更深得民心了解.
assay-報章上的短文,或評論. post on the Op-Ed Section
Op-Ed.=Opinion and Editorial 觀點和編輯.
the Op-Ed Section-專欄,專欄作家,資深的媒體人,評論家的專欄.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Business Jargon

不可不知的商用術語Understanding confusing business conversations 來學學商業界人士的英語會話方式by Simon Stopps

Have you ever attended a meeting only to leave wondering what it was about? If so, you may be a victim of business jargon.

Jargon-words used by a group of people that aren't generally understood-has both advantages and disadvantages. Many professionals use specialized terms that help them communicate specific ideas that are hard to describe in simple language.

Unfortunately, the use of jargon can result in confusion. This is especially true when speakers use terms that their listeners misunderstand or don't understand at all. These examples of commonly used business jargon may help you figure out what's going on. But use them carefully-don't leave your audience struggling to interpret what you are talking about.

Water under the bridge
This phrase refers to events of the past. Generally, the term suggests that the past should be forgotten and people should move forward. Last year's mistakes are water under the bridge.

Touch base
When people touch base, they get in contact with each other. The term is often used in reference to meetings. Let's touch base on Thursday afternoon.

Tee up
People use this term to describe making preparations for something. It is often used to describe preparing technical support for presentations. Can you tee up the DVD player while I get the projector working?

Take it to the next level
When you take something to the next level, you are improving or intensifying it. Let's take this project to the next level and improve our sales.

The ball is in your court
People say this when it is someone else's turn to do something or make a decision. It often suggests the speaker is waiting for someone else to act. I've done all I can. Now the ball is in Matthew's court.

Apples and oranges
This term is often used when arguing that two things are too different to be compared. Comparing the new arena to the new hospital is like comparing apples and oranges.

Strike while the iron is hot (打鐵趁熱)
To strike while the iron is hot is to proceed while you have the chance. The term is often used to encourage people to take action quickly. If we want to make this sale, we need to strike while the iron is hot!.

Grammar Tips:
Have you ever attended a meeting only to leave wondering what it was about?
only to =however or but,
Have you ever attended a meeting but left wondering what it was about?
only to -(the fact is not you thought or expected)
Jessica thought she was late for the party only to discover that she was actually the first one to arrive.
Paulo's family moved to the city for better job opportunities only to find themselves in poverty.
Vocabulary Tips
jargon (n)- 黑話,術語,難懂的話,閑談 (vi)-說行話,閑談,胡講.
disadvantage-不利的條件,缺點. dis-有否定的意思, advantage-優點,優勢,有利的.
*The disadvantage of international travel is the extremely high cost.
*After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, we decided to move to the suburbs.
interpret-詮釋,解釋,或説明. 也指口頭翻譯
*Few people can accurately interpret confusing stock market figures.
*The non-native speaking audience member had to ask someone to interpret the speech for him.
reference- 涉及,有關, 與什麽有關 用"to", reference to..
*The CEO made no reference to the possible bank merger in the meeting.
in reference to -有關某個對象.
*What should we do in reference to Richard's tardiness? 關於..遲到的事我們應如何處理?
projector-投影機,放映機. pro-有"向前"的意思. jector-擲,抛.
*You need to focus the projector to make the images clearer.
slide projector-幻燈機
intensify (v)-加強,增強,使強化.
*Tension between the two parties has recently intensified due to the controversial proposal. 具爭議的提案,造成雙方緊綳的情緒
*The coach intensified the team's training by adding more time to their practices. 加強
proceeding-進行,開展  pro-向前, ceeding-有"走"的意思.
*Preparations for the wedding banquet are proceeding very smoothly.進行的很順利
proceed to do something 進行某一件事.
*He put on his glasses and proceeded to read the novel.開始閲讀小説.

Chat Room
water under the bridge-the water is keep running under the bridge, refer to things is gone is gone, forget about it, don't be mention again.
in deep water-in the risk of drowning, refer to someone is in difficulty situation. 在深水中,陷入困境,有麻煩了.
keep your head above water-保持頭浮在水面上,以免滅頂.通常用指經濟相關的事意即不欠債,維持生計,避免挨餓,破產. someone lives paycheck by paycheck, he needs to be very careful on money spending to keep his head above water.
throw the baby out with the bathwater- baby is very precious, the bathwater is waste water, means people throw the good things along with the bad things out.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.-不要把好東西和坏的一起扔了.
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field-大型戶外球場.
court-小型球場,牽涉到有王子的室内球場.
tennis court-網球場
volleyball court-排球場.
basketball court-藍球場
arena-羅馬競技場,今日的小型室内體育場.
ballpark-棒球場, diamond-内野的球場.shape like diamond.
stadium-戶外大型體育場.
hockey rink -曲棍球場.曲棍球用rink 溜冰場 來打.
bowling alley 保齡球場.lane-保齡球的球道.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Volcano Boarding — a Hot New Action Sport

火紅的極限運動:火山滑板 Travel to Nicaragua for a new adventure ride 到尼加拉瓜一遊,嚐嚐終身難得一遇的滑降經驗吧by Pamela Osment



Flying down a 400-meter-long slide like Taichung's Sky Pool provides plenty of excitement for most. But for those who like more extreme adventures, Nicaragua offers an even more exciting " slide" experience. Instead of sliding down water, people slide down volcanic ash on the side of an active volcano!


Volcano boarding began in 2005 when a local tour company came up with the idea. Since then, over 10,000 people have traveled to Cerro Negro to give it a try Cerro Negro is one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes. Riding down the side of a smoking volcano is an experience like no other.


How is it done?
After a 45-minute climb to the volcano's rim, riders put on protective gear. They receive brief instructions and then try sliding down a short slope. After that, it's time for the real thing! Sitting on a specially designed board, riders push off and fly straight down a 488-meter slope. The black volcanic ash provides a dusty, dirty ride. But boarders usually arrive at the bottom with smiles on their faces. With riders reaching speeds up to 82 km/h, volcano boarding offers a one-of-a-kind adventure ride!


More Information
An excerpt from the Bigfoot Adventure website reads. "After a 45-minute hike up the mountain we are standing at the top wondering how we'll get down! However, after a lesson on boarding and a quick 5-meter practice run, we are ready! At one moment we are sitting and waiting for a push, the next we are flying down the side of a volcano at 80km/hr!

Grammar Tips:
....for those who like more extreme adventures, Nicaragua offers an even more exciting "slide" experience.
...for the people who like more extreme adventures, Nicaragua offers an even more exciting "slide" experience.
"for those who"= is short for "for the people who....."
Every member in the tour group will get a sandwich and a drink for lunch for those who want to have dessert, they just need to pay $2 dollars more.
Most students have no trouble completing their assignments, but for those who need extra help, they could meet with the school counselor after school.

Vocabulary Tips:
extreme-極端的,激烈的,或是極度的。
*The extreme weather conditions made the desert journey really difficult.極端氣候
*Always use extreme caution when you take medication. 特別謹慎
come up with-想出某個想法或答案。
*After several hours, we finally came up with the correct answer to the difficult math problem.
*The students came up with several options for their new club's name.
rim- 邊緣
*The basketball bounced back from the rim.球框
*The rim of the glass was broken.玻璃杯的邊緣
*The rims of the tires are rusted and need to be replaced.輪胎的鋼圈
excerpt (n)-選錄,節錄,引用(句)引述。(v) 節錄

Chat Room
volcano boarding-
volcanoes-火山
active volcano-活火山
dormant volcano-休眠狀態的活山
dormant-睡眠狀態的
extinct volcano-死火山,長年沒有噴發的
extinct-已滅的,耗盡的,滅絕的,不再活動的
lava-岩漿。