Where did that come from?

Some English words and expressions have interesting origins. 一些英文字词用语的起源相当耐人寻味。

Did you ever hear an English expression and wonder, "Where did that come from?" The stories behind some words and phrases are as interesting as the phrases themselves. Let's look at a few.

Shambles
A mother might describe a teen's room as being a shambles, meaning big mess. The word comes from the Saxon word Scamel, which means a stall that displays meat. In Britain, the Shambles was a street containing  butcher shops and markets. By the end of the day, leftovers of the messy meat trade littered the street. So the name came to mean an undesirable mess.

Tide over
When something gets you through a short-term problem, it tides you over. For example, a loan of some money can tide you over until payday. This phrase came from the rise and fall of the sea. As you rise with the tide, it lifts you out of trouble, like water lifting a boat off a reef.  The idea of the tide assisting you suggests the need of something to "help" you overcome a problem.

Long Time No See
Americans use this phrase all the time, and most don't notice that it's not grammatical. Betty Kirkpatrick, in her book Cliches, reveals the reason. This phrase is rooted in Chinese rather than English.

The expression is thought to have originated with Chinese immigrants in 19th century America. These English learners likely shortened the English phrase "It's been a long time since I've seen you" into something easier for them to say.

The Boondocks
When you're out in the boondocks, or the boonies, you're far away from civilization. American soldiers made this phrase popular during the Vietnam War. Boondock comes from the Tagalog word bundok, which means mountain. In the Philippines, the mountains are in the middle of nowhere, far away from the large cities on the coast. The phrase first came into the English language around the turn of the 20th century.

At that time, American soldiers began to serve in the Philippine. By 1909 the word boondocks was already in the dictionary.

Left Holding the Bag
When you are left holding the bag, you have been left with the responsibility or given the blame for something. Maybe your friends offered to help you clean up after a party. But they go home and abandon you, and you are left holding the bag. This expression came from criminals who were about to get caught. They would give their bag of loot to one member of the group while the rest of them made a run for it.  The one left holding the bag was arrested and blamed for the crime.

Make a Beeline for Something
Hungry kids make a beeline for snacks! The phrase means to go swiftly and directly toward something. The origin of this phrase came from nature and the behavior of bees. When a bee is out hunting for nectar and finds it, it returns to the hive. It then performs an extraordinary dance to tell the other bees the location of the nectar. Then the other bees can fly directly to the source of the nectar.
Grammar Tips:
....the name came to mean an undesirable mess.
"came to mean "- being here to do something.-
We came to see how you are doing.
"came to mean"- here is nothing to do with "being here"
"came to mean" -eventually understood as.
"come to appreciate "-
After spending time with his American host family, the French student came to appreciate American culture more.
"come to understand "-
After learning to spend quality time with his children. Mr. Carson came to understand his children more.

Vocabulary Tips:
butcher-肉贩，肉铺的老板。屠夫，蒯子手，残杀他人的人。屠宰牲口。血腥屠杀。
*Tommy's mom told him to go to the butcher's shop and buy some pork chops.
*These soldiers were found guilty of butchering the captives.
desirable -向往的，具有吸引力的。
undesirable - 令人不快的，不受欢迎的，令人讨厌的。something you don't want it.
*The drug has undesirable side effects including dizziness, hair loss and rashes.
*The houses near the railway are often considered undesirable because of the noise.
origin- where come from.
Saxon - people who move from Germany long long time ago.
overcome（现在式）, overcame （ 过去式）, overcome （过去分词） .- 克服，战胜.
grammatical -（重音在第二节）合乎文法的， 文法上正确的
grammar -文法
*His letters might not be grammatical, but they are full of passion.
*These grammatical errors cost him a lot of points on his paper.
civilization - 文明，文明世界。
*The professor is famous for his historical Western civilization studies.
*After months of research work in the wild, we were ready to get back to civilization.
civilization - 某个时期，某个地方的文化或文明。
*Mayan civilization.
nowhere-not important place, very far away , no one really know where is. a place not too many people live there. 无人之地，不知名的地方。
*Our car broke down in the middle of nowhere.
*Starting from nowhere, this businessman became a millionaire after years of hard work.
Tagalog- an Austria language that speak in Philippine.
abandon-抛弃，放弃，离弃。
*The captain decided to abandon ship to keep the staff safe.
*The boy was abandoned by his parents and was raised in an orphanage.
*The stolen vehicle was abandoned near the dock.
make a run for it -快跑，逃走， 快跑去躲避什么。
*The thief got panicked and made a run for it when a police officer walked by.
*The hostage made a run for it when the police attacked the robbers.
swiftly-敏捷的，快速的
*He ran swiftly forward and made a touchdown.
*The locksmith swiftly made a copy of the original key.
*After the customers left, the waiter swiftly changed the tablecloth and set the table.
given a blame - even you didn't do it at origin, but you holding the bag, you are responsible and get blame for it.
Chat Room:
tide someone over - get a small portion of something that can help you going until you get something. 临时得到一些帮助而能让你度过眼前的困境。
tide -潮流，海潮。潮水。
go with the tide 顺从潮流 =  drift with the tide. 随波逐流。
drift -毫无目的的漂流。
go against the tide.- 逆流而上。
tide-大环境状况，趋势。大局势。
the tide turned.-大环境状况，趋势。大局势改变了。
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the Boondocks = the sticks  -偏远地方。穷乡僻壤。
the sticks -偏远地方。穷乡僻壤。
in the middle of nowhere -无人知道的地方，远离村庄，或是无村庄的地方
His car broke down, and stuck  in the middle of nowhere.
no man's land -世界大战，两军交帐时，三不管地带，现在用来形容"前不着村,后不着店".
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bag-袋子
left holding the bag-leave you responsible for something. 被黑锅。
left the cat out of the bag.-猫从袋子里跑出来。指“无意间泄露秘密。”.
The birthday party is a surprise, so don't let the cat out of the bag.
a mixed bag- 袋子里装有各式各样的东西。指“大杂烩”，“多元组合”的团队，有来自各个不同族裔的人。多元化的组合。




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Leonardo da Vinci

Meet a man who changed the way the world thinks. 达文西- 一探这位改变世人思考方式的人。

Yesterday marked the 560the anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest minds to ever live. Leonardo da Vinci was born in the small Italian town of Vinci on April 15, 1452. As a Young man, he was apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, one of the famous artists of his day.

Da Vinci Excelled at the arts and created a number of famous works during his career, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But he is also known for his notebooks that detail much of his research and contain his many fantastical inventions.

Though he lacked a formal, academic education, da Vinci had a strong desire to better understand the world around him. That thirst for knowledge would impact both his work and the world in many ways.

Before da Vinci, for instance, artists painted pictures that looked a lot like flat cartoons. By studying light and shadow,  da Vinci realized that things were not just two-dimensional outlines but three-dimensional. Consequently, he learned to give his paintings the soft, lifelike quality seen in his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

Much of da Vinci's work in science and engineering bridged the gap between medieval and modern thinking. Unlike his predecessors, he sought to answer questions with a combination of close observation, repeated testing, and detailed illustrations and descriptions. In fact, da Vinci's observational methods were so successful that his approach remained the principal method of scientific investigation until the development of the modern scientific method during the 19th century.

His understanding of the world also opened doors to new careers for him in engineering and architecture. Da Vinci made extensive studies of fluids and simple machines like gears and levers. This allowed him to design bridges, canals, dams and new ways to defend cities from attack.

His understanding of the water in all its different forms enabled him to propose a steam-powered cannon and all kinds of water-powered industrial machines. Da Vinci also designed a hood that allowed people to breathe under water, a double-hulled ship and even a device to measure humidity.

While most of his inventions were not built during his lifetime, his forward thinking changed the way people looked at the world. By doing that, Leonardo da Vinci contributed far more to humanity than just paintings and inventions.


Grammar Tips:
His understanding of the world also opened doors to new careers for him in engineering and architecture.
"to open doors to something"-
"to open doors "-
He opened the door and walked into the room.
"to open doors to something"- to create a chance to participate or be part of something that greater or better.
Ellen's ability to speak four languages opened doors to many job opportunities overseas.
Sandy's internship at the company opened doors for her to meet and connect with other experts in the industry.


Vocabulary Tips:
apprentice (n)- 学徒，门生
*Alan is lucky to be the apprentice of this skillful carpenter.
apprentice (v)-当学徒，作门生。
*Janet was apprenticed to a famous fashion designer in New York.
thirst for knowledge-求知若渴，强烈的求知欲
thirst- 渴，口渴，渴望。
*Ben's innate thirst for knowledge led him to pursue a lifelong career of studying mathematics.
dimension-某度空间。
dimensional-某度空间的. two-dimensional二度空间的。
*This three-dimensional film became last year's hit movie.三度空间的
* A three-dimensional model of the space shuttle.
fantastical- very imaginative, very creative.
predecessors-people before you,  "pre"-在“前”的，
*The new mayor's performance e前辈，前任，先前的xceeds his predecessors'.
*Julie's predecessor was sued for taking bribes.贿赂
*The latest Android phone is not only smarter than its predecessors but also cheaper.
fluid-液体，流质
*The doctor advised the patient to drink a lot of fluids.
*After exercise, make sure you take a lot of fluids.
fluid (adj)-流质的，液体的，流动的。流畅的。
*The author's fluid writing style is very recognizable.
hood-斗蓬，连在衣服上的帽子。盖子，罩子。
*My jacket has a detachable hood. 可分离，可拆开，可取下的。
*The mechanic opened the hood of the car to check the engine.车盖子
*The hood of the stroller was pulled down because the baby was sleeping. 婴儿车的蓬。


Chat Room:
Andrea del Verrocchio-one of the famous artists of his day. 当时的著名艺术家。
his day- 虽用的是单数，但不是指“一天”，而是指“时代”
present day-不是指“今天”而是指“现代”
every dog has its day- 指“每个人都有他愿望实现的一天。”
Don't worry. Every dog has its day. Just keep on trying. 别担心，每人都有他发达（发迹）的一天。
day in the sun - 在阳光中的一天，意指“受到大众肯定的一天
He's finally getting his day in the sun. 他终于受到大众的肯定与支持。
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Much of da Vinci's work in science and engineering bridged the gap between medieval and modern thinking. （work (n.) 不可数）
work - 工作（通常是不可数的名词，但是有时也可用来当可数的名词）。
Da Vinci excelled at the arts and created a number of famous works.
works of art- 艺术的作品。
in the works- 还在酝酿，开发筹划当中。（可数n.）
the works- 所有的。
with the works.-加上所有的料。with everything on it.
order a pizza with the works = order a pizza with everything on it.



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Titanic

This week the world remembers the favours ship's historic journey. 记念。。。历史性旅程。

Titanic, the largest passenger ship of its time, set out on its modern voyage one hundred years ago this week. Famous long before it set sail, this "ship of dreams" of feared the finest luxuries of its day.

Scheduled to sail from Southampton, England, to New York City, Titanic welcomed passengers from all walks of life. No doubt, each one boarding the ship on April 10, 1912, was filled with excitement and confidence. This confidence existed because Titanic was said by all to be "unsinkable." But that confidence led to a grave error in judgement.

With over 2,200 people on board, the ship should have carried 32 lifeboats. But believing lifeboats were unnecessary, those in charge decided to take only 20. They didn't want to add too much clutter to the deck. But the unthinkable happened. Four days later the ship hit an iceberg and sank in less than three hours. In the end, only 711 people were saved. A total of 1,513 lives were lost.

In their own words
Seven-year-old Eva Hart's mother had a premonition that something terrible would occur. Frightened and awake, Mrs. Hart fell the impact and notified her husband. According to Eva, "He put my mother and me in a lifeboat,  and we never saw him again."

Amazing survival stories
Others, though, survived despite the odds. Crew member Frank Prentice held onto the railing as the stern lifted up out of the water. "I was hanging on, getting higher and higher in the air, and I dropped in and hit the water with a terrific crack." Prentice was rescued by a nearby lifeboat.

The ship's  barber, K. Whiteman was blown off the ship by an explosion and was eventually rescued from the freezing waters.

A false sense of security
According to Edwina Mackenzie, "You could not get people to go on lifeboats. They felt safer on the Titanic,... But as we wee rowing away, we could see the Titanic gradually sinking....That scream of death was worse than any sound."

A trip that had begun as a dream come true ended in a nightmare 100 years ago today.


Writing Tips:
led (lead)- tour guide led us to visited some placed.
led to (lead to) - cause something happen.

Vocabulary Tips:
walk of life -行业
*Henry is smart and he works hard. He will do well in whatever walk of life he choose.
walks of life-各行各业。
*People from all walks of life participated in the charity campaign.
grave (n)-坟墓 a place where bury dead bodies.
grave (adj)- 重大的，沈重的，严重的，严峻的。
*The country is now facing a grave economic crisis.
*The patient is in grave condition, and the doctor told the family to be prepared.
unthinkable -没想到的，难以想象，无法置信的， thinkable-想得到的。
*His selfishness and self-centered attitude is unthinkable.
the unthinkable-令人无法想象的事情。
*The unthinkable happened, this famous singer suddenly stopped his singing career and became a teacher.
Clutter- junk, things are not look neat and pretty.
premonition-预兆，预感，通常都是不好的。。 a feeling, a thought that something very bad will happen. "pre"-前，在前
*Sara had a premonition that there would be danger during the trip, so she decided not to go.不祥的预感
*Larry had a premonition that he would get laid off soon.
impact-撞击力，冲击力，冲击。two things hit each other, you can feel the force.
*The impact from the crash shattered the windshield and the driver was wounded.
impact-影响
impact on -对那个对象造成影响用“”。
*The article discusses the impact of global warming on people.
explosion-爆炸， 爆发。 向外。
*The oil tank explosion caused a lot of damages in the nearby area.
*The nuclear plant explosion is the center of attention around the world. 注意，瞩目的焦点。
occur- happen.
despite- do not take notice of something.
stern- the back of the boat.

Information:
During the period of Titanic, there are many ship were sank:
Titanic, Olympic and Britannic (Brittanic) are build by a same ship liner.
Olympic was served for transportation of the military crews, and had three times collision during the World War I.
Britannic (Brittanic) was served as a floating hospital,   sank during the World War I. It hit the explosive mine and only took 18 minutes to sink.
Lusitania and Mauretaria
Lusitania was sank by Germany's submarine torpedo.
cruise- is safe and comfortable nowadays.


Chat Room:
scheduled to sail 。
to sail -行驶，航行。
set sail -开船，起航，起程，出航。
ship (n)-船
ship (v)- transfer the goods from one place to another. 运送，运输。
Those goods are shipped by truck from New York to Atlanta.
taxi (n)-计程轮价的车，出租计程车
taxi (v)-滑行，快速行驶
The plane is taxiing on the runway. 飞机在跑道上滑行。
bus (n)-公共汽车
bus (v)-在餐馆里端盘子，托盘子。
bus your tray.-吃完记得把自己的托盘清理了。
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me/I -我
I -是主词， 不能做“受词”用。
me- 是受词，不能当 “主词” 用。
Jim and I are going to the library.
I heard the teacher talking about him and me.
I heard the teacher talking about me.
He put my mother and me in a lifeboat.
而不是He put my mother and I in a lifeboat

。

Secrets of the Iceberg

Look below the surface to learn about these giant islands of ice.  冰山的秘密，深入了解这些巨大的冰之岛。

What does the word iceberg make you think of ? Do you think of a large block of ice in a cold northern ocean? Or do you think of something that ships can crash into? While these are both correct, in truth there's far more to icebergs than meets the eye.

According to scientists, only the largest blocks of ice count as icebergs. They must rise at least 5 meters above the water and be 15 meters wide at the water line. But only about 10 percent of an iceberg can be seen. The rest lies hidden beneath the water.

Icebergs begin forming when layers of snow fall year after year without melting. The snow is pressed together into large blocks of ice called glaciers. When chunks of ice break off of these glaciers. icebergs are born. In Greenland alone, about 40,000 icebergs are formed each year. Since they begin as snow, icebergs are made of fresh water, not salty ocean water. Tiny bubbles of air inside the ice give them their white color.

While most icebergs are white, smoe are blue because they have melted and frozen again. This action allows the air bubbles to escape. Other icebergs have brown, block or yellow parts because of dirt mixed with the ice, Algae can also get trapped in the underwater parts of an inceberg. If the iceberg turns over, all or part of it is green!

Icebergs can be flat, cube-shaped, round like a turtle shell or U-shaped. Some even look like mountains. The large underwater parts of icebergs are hard for ships to avoid. They have destroyed and sunk many ships, including the Titanic. As a result, the International Ice Patrol now monitors icebergs in areas with heavy ship travel. But there's yet another side to icebergs. Many microscopic animals live inside icebergs and in the water around them. These creatures feed on minerals that the icebergs store and release as they melt.

Scientists are still studying all the ways icebergs affect sea life.


Writing Tips:
below the surface -
more (to somebody/something) than meets the eye.
Most time Those two idiom are used on people, it also can use on the situation.

Grammar Tips:
But there's yet another side to icebergs
"but", and "yet " is same meaning.
"yet" is a formal way for "but".
"yet another" - addressed that some additional information about something. Surprisingly, it means there is something more.
Yesterday, the bank robber have robbed yet another bank.

Vocabulary Tips:
iceberg-冰山
*The ship hit an iceberg and sank.
the tip of the iceberg.- 冰山一角。庞大问题的一小部分
*During the economic crisis, the increase of the unemployment rate is just the tip of the iceberg.
more to somebody or something than meets the eye-，关于某人或某事的事实比所见的更多更复杂
meet the eye-眼睛所看见的
*The conflicts between these two boys might look minor, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
melt-溶化，溶解，熔化。
*The ice sculpture began to melt in high temperature.
*The sugar in the iced coffee melted slowly.
melt-消失，消失无踪。
*My worries melted when I saw my kids came home safe.
escape-逃脱，此指“液体，气体的漏出或外泄。goes away, get out of it.
*The fireman checked to see if there was any gas escaping from the stove.
*Tons of oil escaped into the ocean from the damaged cargo ship.
cube-立方体，立方体的物质。
*Cut the carrots into cubes  before adding them to the soup.
*Samuel loves to drink soda with lots of ice cubes.
cube-shaped -立方体的形状。
a cube-shaped building. 立方体形状的建筑物。
destroy-毁坏，破坏，消灭。
*The bombing completely destroyed the military base.
*Large areas of rainforest were destroyed by lumbering industry.
*The hope of peace talk was destroyed by the incident at the boarder last week.
algae (n)- a plant, live in water or in a wet place.
microscopic animals -many tiny, many small creatures.
glaciers- large area of ice river, or giant piece of ice river, move very lowly to the ocean. 冰川，冰河。
chunk- pull a piece of bread from a loaf of bread, that small piece is called "chunk".


Chat Room:
ice-
break the ice-破冰，打破沉默，缓和紧张气分。一群互不认识的人在一起，玩”破冰“游戏，彼此自我介绍，打破沉默。icebreaker-破冰船，打破沉默的人或机器。
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on thin ice-在薄冰上走或溜冰。意即”要小心，不安全，走在薄冰上随时有破冰的可能而落人冰冻的水中而丧命的危险。
put something on ice -把东西放在冰上，持久保鲜。也指“事情暂后，延迟处理”，“暂时搁置”
put a project on ice -暂时搁置一项计划。

.

Hunting For "Cool"

“酷”典子的诞生。Creating a cool successful product is not as easy as you might think.

For businesses that want to cash in on the next big trend, figuring out what's cool and what insn't can be a big problem. The fact is that "cool" is constantly changing. Product development takes a lot of time and money, but if new products miss the mark  and aren't "cool," they won't sell. The solution, of course, is to predict what the next big trend will be - before it becomes cool -and to design products accordingly.

While predicting future trends isn't easy, a good place to start is with an understanding of how successful products diffuse into the marketplace. Let's say you develop a new product that is better than anything currently on the market. You develop an advertising campaign and introduce the product to the public. No matter how great your product and advertising, chances are your product will not gain momentum immediately. Rather, a few innovative people will give it a try.

If  all goes well, they will be followed by "early adopters" - a small group of thoughtful people who have been carefully watching your product's performance. Only after these "early adopters" have accepted your product will the majority jump on the bandwagon.

Unfortunately, creating a trend isn't as simple as designing a quality product and some great advertising. For decades now, people have been exposed to thousands of advertisements each day. In consequence, people - and especially young people - have become stubbornly advertising-resistant and increasingly less likely to respond to traditional advertising. This hardening of customers means that companies are no longer able to manufacture "cool" through well-coordinated advertising campaigns.  Instead, they have had to find ways to manipulate trends as they emerge.

To do this successfully, companies need to discover potential trends through focus groups and online research. Alternatively, they can use cool hunters - researchers that seek out innovative people on the cutting edge and report on what they like and do.

Once a company understands what things are becoming cool, it needs to create an association between its product and the trend. This can be accomplished through creative advertising or product placement. The company might, for instance, hire "cool" people to use the product and introduce it to their friends. They might even hire people to throw a party complete with free product giveaways.

For businesses, being "cool" can mean the difference between success and failure.


Writing Tips:
Only after these "early adopters" have accepted your product will the majority jump on the bandwagon.
Only after.............(what happen).. will.........(what happen).
This writing pattern is for writing on the situation that only the situation #1 happen first, then the situation #2 will happen.

Vocabulary Tips:
cash in on something - take advantage and make money of it.
cash- 现金
cash in (on) -利用，靠什么事物赚钱。利用什么事物用“”。
*The company cashed in on the Olympic games by manufacturing authorized merchandise.
*The child star's parents were accused of cashing in on their son's fame.
diffuse- 传播，散播，散布，传导。spread.
*Facebook is a very effective way to diffuse information.
*This innovative music style soon diffused among the teenagers.
*The heater diffuses heat throughout the house.
momentum- 气势，动力，热度。force, power to go forward, become popular.
*The election campaign gradually gained momentum by creating many controversial issues.选举宣传。气势看涨。。创造出许多争议性的议题。　
*The Marketing department developed new strategies to keep the momentum of this product.　行销部门。。发展出新策略。。保持。。在市场上的热度。
develop- grow.　发展，开发。
resistant-抗拒某种东西，耐什么东西。 resist-抗拒，抵抗。
*an antibiotic resistant bacteria.－抗药性细菌。
*heat-resistant plastic.－耐高热的朔膠。
resistant-　抵抗力，耐受度，
*These plants are resistant to drought.这些植物具有抗拒干旱的能力。
manipulate-操纵，巧妙运作，掌控。
*Smart entertainers know how to manipulate the media.操纵媒体。
*This politician is good at manipulating his supporters.　巧妙运作，操纵他的支持者。
*Alex is tired of being manipulated by his girlfriend.　被。。。掌控。
cutting edge-最前端，最尖端的。
*The new model is on the cutting edge of Android phone technology.　新款式。。
*Paris is always on the cutting edge of fashion trends.
emerge-　浮出，出现，脱出，显露，现出。
campaign -战役，会战，竞选活动。从事，从事某活动。
alternative- have another choice.　二选一，其他选择，取舍。


Chat Room:
wagon - 车，
jump on the bandwagon.
The iPad is so popular now, everyone is jump on the bandwagon.
on the wagon -戒酒，（ 跳上水车，宁可喝车上不干净的水，也不再喝酒了）
water wagon- 水车。运送水的车子。
fall off the wagon-破戒，从新有碰酒，喝酒。（从戒酒的水车上掉下来，破戒了，戒酒失败）
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advertisements - “广告”的通称，　又简称 "ad."
commercial　-　电视上或电台的广告。
a television commercial.－电视广告。３０－４５秒钟左右。
a radio commercial.－电台的广告。
trailer-预告片，　电影的预告片。
Movie theaters usually  show trailers before a movie begins.
infomercial-资讯型的广告，电视购物台的广告节目。时间较长，３０分钟到一小时。

Sugar and Your Health

Sugar may tastes good, but its not good for you!

Are you health conscious? Then you probably watch the amount of fat in your diet. But remember to monitor the amount of sugar you consume as well. While sugar tastes good, its effects on the body are not. Consuming too many drinks sweetened with sugar can raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Drinking one to two sweet drinks a day raises that risk 26 percent according to a recent study of 310,000 people.

A sugary diet can also increase your risk of heart disease. When you consume more sugar than is needed for energy, the excess sugars form triglycerides. High levels of this type of fat are know to increase your risk of heart disease.

Studies show that countries where people consume large amounts of sugar also have many people who suffer from depression. Sugar also changes brain-wave activity, which decreases your ability to think clearly. So when you need energy, put down that candy bar and reach for some protein instead.

What is a sage amount of sugar to consume on a daily basis? The American Heart Association recommends that women eat no more than 25 grams of sugar per day. Men should limit themselves to 38 grams.

Grammar Tips:
Sugar may tastes good, but its not good for you!
Pattern of sentence : "while something + adj., but something else is not."-When you try to about something are totally opposite, skip a "adj" but people still understand it..
While Wendy's office is very nice and clean (organized) , but her apartment is not.
While the party of the examine is easy, but the second part is not.

Vocabulary Tips:
monitor (v)-watch something.监视，监控 (n)-监视器。
*The police monitored the suspect's phone calls.嫌犯的电话。
*The patient was carefully monitored after the treatment.
*The robber tampered with the monitor overlooking the counter.
excess- too much of something. 向外，多余，多出的，过剩的，额外的。
*Drain excess water from the fish before you deep-fry it. 把多余的水滤掉。。
*Parents need to pay an excess fee of 10 dollars if they pick up their kids after 6 p.m..
*We absorb a lot of excess fat and oil when we eat fast food.
recommend- suggestion, advice.建议，劝告。
recommend (that)-
*Some doctors recommend that babies under one-year-old avoid eggs.
*I strongly recommend making reservation early if you want to go to that restaurant.

Chart Room:
diet (n)- anything about eat and drink. food.一个人的饮食
You should eat a healthy diet.
You probably watch the amount of fat in you diet.
a sugary diet- food with sugar. 含糖的食物。
go on a diet- 减肥，节食，饮食控制。
I should probably go on a diet.节食
diet (v)-节食。
A lot of people have to diet to stay slim. 保持苗条身材。

Decision Fatigue

Decisions, decisions, the constantly need to decide maybe effecting the quality of your decisions.决定疲乏，做决定！做决定！如果持续不断地需要做决定！可能会影响到决定的品质。


Do you consider yourself a good or a bad decision-maker? If you answer "bad." you might simply be choosing the wrong time of day to make your decisions.

A new phenomenon
When was the last time you made an end-of-the-day business decision or a late-night online purchase only to regret it the next day? Most of us are guilty of some regrettable decisions from time to time, but researchers may now have an explanation for these poor choices. Psychologists and researchers call the newly identified phenomenon "decision fatigue." They suggest that each time we make a decision, we use up some of our willpower, that ability to control our own actions and say "No."

After making numerous decisions, our willpower is then depleted, leading us to make increasingly poor choices. Roy Baumeister,  social psychologist and pre-eminent researcher on the topic has conducted a series of experiments. These experiments demonstrated that willpower functions like a muscle and can actually be fatigued with use. As a result, when fewer decisions are involved, there is less decision fatigue.

But in a world with endless choices, everywhere from the coffee shop to the classroom, how can we avoid decision fatigue and choose wisely? Baumeister found that the most successful people have learned how to conserve their willpower by adapting their habits and routines.

What can we learn from them?

* Make your mornings count
When possible, make all major decisions in the morning while your mind is fresh and before fatigue takes over. When you face problems that must be dealt with, handle the situation early in the day in order to avoid a harsh word or an error in judgment.

* Avoid crises
Don't wait until the last minute to pay your bills, finish a project or make needed repairs. Use your willpower to avoid a crisis rather than just get through one.

Sleep on it
Trying to decide on something like a new apartment or can can be draining. As with any major financial agreement, it's best to sleep on it before making any final decisions.

*Shop with a list
Marketers long ago figured out that a customer's willpower is low after deciding on one grocery item after another. That's why candy and other snacks are always located at the checkout counter. Avoid temptation by always shopping with a list and sticking to it.

*Know yourself
Baumeister shared a final common denominator among those who avoid decision fatigue. "The best decision makers are the ones who know when not to trust themselves." he said.


Writing Tips:
But in a world with endless choices, everywhere from the coffee shop to the classroom, how can we avoid decision fatigue and choose wisely?
In a world with endless choices.
" world" here is not refer to the world we live on.
 "world" here is a created way to say "life/society/environment."
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as a result = because of this.

Vocabulary Tips:
fatigue (n)-疲劳，疲乏。
*Taking care of too many patients can cause compassion fatigue in doctors and nurses.
fatigued (adj)-疲劳的，疲乏的。
*The workers became fatigued after working long hours.
regrettable- 会后悔，会感到遗憾的。feel bad, sorry. "regret"-后悔，遗憾。 "able"-会如此的，可能的。
*The defeat was a regrettable failure for both the team and the coach.
*This regrettable mistake caused blackout for thousands of households.
pre-eminent -顶尖的，卓越的，杰出的。 "pre"-有“前面”的意思。, "emi"-有 “突出”之意
*This pre-eminent pianist won numerous awards. 顶尖的钢琴家。
*Dave graduated from one of the country's pre-eminent medical schools.顶尖的医科学府。
conserve- protect, save, use less not waste, keep up. 保留，保存，节省。
*To conserve electricity, we seldom turn on our air-conditioner.
*The customs and traditions of this tribe were carefully conserved.
*The singer didn't speak much to conserve her voice for tonight's performance.
drain-使消耗，流出，排出。to make something more tired.
*These marathon meetings completely drained me.
*Taking care of the new-born baby really drained the couple's energy.
denominator -分数的分母，此为“共同处，共通点”
common denominator- 共同处，共通点。
*The common denominator of all the directors' work is family values. 强调家庭价值。
series-系列。
depleted - go down, reduce.

Chat Room:
fatigue-疲劳，疲乏。
decision fatigue- 决定疲乏。
compassion fatigue-慈悲疲乏。
compassion-慈悲，同情心。
run out of steam - （很口语的片语）意即“耗尽，筋皮力竭。”- 火车上的蒸汽用完了，火车就无法再开，无法产生动力。
steam -蒸汽，火车行驶是靠蒸汽带动的。
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sleep on it- get a good sleep before making any big decisions. take time to make decisions. 睡在上面。yi意即“别急着做决定，慢慢考虑，三思而后行。回家先睡个好觉，等休息够了，再做决定。
sleep over (at)..留在别人家过夜，小朋友or teenagers 到到同学家玩，在朋友家过夜。


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Washington State's Skagit Valley

华盛顿州的斯卡吉特谷。This spring valley visitors get taste of simple country living and more.

North of Seattle lies Skagit Valley. Washington, a peaceful escape from urban life. Mountain, farmland and the sea make this area a quiet, scenic vacation spot. Although the valley has lots to offer, one experience in particular is most famous.

Experiencing the Tulip Festival
It's April and that means one thing for Skagit Valley: the Tulip Festival Tourists come from around the world to watch this beautiful valley burst into color. During this month, millions of tulips bloom. Visitors have been coming for years to enjoy the colorful fields of flowers. The festival makes this experience even more fun.

There are sites to visit and things to do all over the valley, so it's best to see the area by car. But for visitors who like exercise, bike tours are another popular option. There is even the Tulip Pedal, a bike riding event for the whole family. This event follows 20-,40- and 60-mile routes past the tulip fields.

Besides flowers, there are special art shows and handicraft sales. Local artists sell everything from photography to glass art. But Skagit Valley's charm isn't limited to the festival.

Deception Pass Boat Tour
Deception Pass connects Stagit Bay to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On a one-hour boat tour through the Pass. tourists learn about the area's history. The first female ferry captain in Washington State operated her boat through this pass. From the top of the tour boat, passengers get a 360-degree view. They might even spot some whales or eagles!

Lincoln Theater
This restored building built in 1926, was a silent movie house and vaudeville theater. It now hosts many community events. Visitors can enjoy a year-round schedule of concerts, shows, movies, workshops and more.

The pride of the theater is its pipe organ- the original used for silent movies. It is in good condition, and organists are welcome to come and perform on it.

Quilt and Textile Museum
Tourists can explore the Quilt and Textile Museum and learn how cloth creations can be art. This museum offers an interesting collection of quilts and other things. The items on display show the different styles of textile art. The museum collects and exhibits quilts from all over the world. Some of the items are nearly 200 years old. Even the museum building is a trip into history. It's called Gaches Mansion, and it was built in 1891.

Places to Story
Though Skagit Valley doesn't boast a big city, it has everything a tired tourist needs. There are several luxury hotels, but visitor's wanting a more personal experience have options too. There are more than 40 bed and breakfast inns in the surrounding area.

Tulips, tours, entertainment and museums - . It is the perfect choice for a vacation in the country.


Gramar Tips：
Skagit Valley's charm isn't limited to the festival.
"isn't limited to "= "isn't just only about".
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Tulips, tours, entertainment and museums - Skagit Valley offers a great mix of nature, art and history.
This is a great created way to write, listed one by one with "comma" instead of "and",  after that use "dash" (-) to fallow the sentence you want to say which it related to the the all the listed things.


Vocabulary Tips:
tulip - a flower that bloom ( open up ) in spring。郁金香
burst -  盛开。.
urban - city, large city. 都市，大都会，都会。主要城市。
*The population of this urban area is over 2 million people.
urban life - city style life.都会生活
*The pace of urban life is much faster than the country's.
bloom-盛开着，开花，蓬勃（发展），繁盛，成长，
*The cherry trees bloomed in February last year.
*The roses are blooming in our garden.
*Their computer software business bloomed in the late 90's.蓬勃（发展）
site- 地点，景点。地方。a place, a location, where the building built or will be built.
*The building site for the new library hasn't been decided yet.
*The waterfall is a very popular site for tourists.
*Many trucks come in and out of the construction site every day.
pedal (n)-花瓣，踏板 (v)- 踩踏板。注意重音在第二节。
charm-魅力
*Helen's charm and lovely personality attracted many men.
*The actress' charm isn't limited to her appearance.
charm-幸运物
*Molly always carries the necklace her granny gave to her as a charm.
restore-整修，修复。
*The restored painting is now on display in our museum.
restore-恢复，复原。
*After weeks of rest at home, Bobby was fully restored from the surgery.
schedule-行事表，课程表，时刻表。
*The secretary in charge of the CEO's schedule is out of the office now.
*We'd better check the schedule before going to the train station.时刻表。
itinerary- 旅行的行程表。travel, cruise, flight etc. 时间行程表。
exhibit (v)- 展示，展出。display, show in the public.
*The museum exhibited the work of Picasso last fall.
exhibit -表现出。"ex" - 有向外的意思。
*The general exhibited strong will and remarkable wisdom in the front line.
exhibit (n) -展览，展示作品。
*Exhibit No. 12 is a bronze sculpture.
luxury (adj)- 豪华的，奢侈，啬侈。 ( luxury + noun.)
*luxury cars. 豪华的车子
*luxury restaurants.豪华的餐厅。
*luxury houses.豪华的宅邸。
luxury (n)- 豪华的生活。
*The couple live a life of luxury.
inn-乡村的小旅馆。
*The writer stayed in an inn in the country for three months to finish his novel.
bed and breakfast inn -提供住宿及早餐的民宿。
*There is a nice bed and breakfast inn run by an old couple near the station.

Chat Room:
burst-裂开，甭开，盛开，暴烈，破裂。enter or open with force
burst into -  "into" after "burst" to describe something.
Tulip Festival Tourists come from around the world to watch this beautiful valley burst into color.
burst into color- 盛开出艳丽的颜色。
burst -break apart. -舜间，突然，suddently happen without warning
The falling plane burst into flames. 掉落的飞机瞬间引起大火。
burst into it.-突然冲进去。
The man burst into the library.突然冲入图书馆。
The girl burst into tears.-突然放声大哭。
burst into song-突然唱起歌来。
That woman stood on a table and burst into song.
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pride-（负面）骄傲，得意，傲慢。
pride- （（正面）自豪。
She takes pride in being punctual. 准时不迟到而自豪。
pride- 引以为傲的人，事，物。
the pride of the theater. 镇院之宝。
the Pride of Taiwan.台湾之光。
someone's pride and joy- 某人非常珍惜的东西活人。
your pride and joy.
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art- 狭义的意思是“美术”， 广义的意思是任何行业的特殊技术。
cloth creations can be art - 布料创作可以是一种艺术。
down to a fine art - 熟练到把技术发挥到淋漓尽致到了艺术的层面。
This coffee shop owner has brewing coffee down to a line art.


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