Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Whales: The Giants of the Sea

Discover more about the world’s biggest mammals
海中巨人:鯨 , 一同來探索更多全球最大型哺乳 類動物的奧祕

"There she blows!"
That famous line from Herman Melville's famous 1851 novel, Moby Dick, evokes images of Captain Ahab and his sailors on their search for the great white whale. Today people still go in search of the great whales, hoping for a glimpse of them in their natural habitat.

A mystery 
These giant marine mammals have always fascinated humans because of their enormous size as well as their mysterious ways.

The sperm whale, for example, is an elusive creature that lives in remote waters and has rarely been tagged with long-distance tracking devices by researchers. For that reason, not much is known about these whales. Researchers have discovered that sperm whales are the largest toothed animal, reaching 18 meters, and that they have the largest brain of any animal. It is believed that while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters and stay under water for at least 90 minutes.

Squid is their favorite food, and sperm whales have been known to fight fierce battles with giant squid. Battle scars in the form of permanent squid sucker marks provide evidence of deep-sea battles.

Blue whales
Blue whales are the largest animal in the world, many weighing up to 180,000 kilograms and reaching lengths of over 30 meters. They are long and slender with a bluish-gray color and a heart that weights as much as a small car.

These sea giants are baleen whales, meaning they have a comb-like ridge on the top and bottom of their mouths where teeth are normally found. These whales take in water as they swim, and the baleen, equipped with bristles, filters the water and catches small ocean creatures called krill. These whales eat around 40 million krill per day, totaling over 3,600 kilograms.

Blue whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but over-hunting  has nearly driven them to extinction; today it is believed that only a few thousand remain.

Gray whales
Gray whales are another kind of baleen whale. They typically swim along the ocean bottom, using their mouths to suck up mud and their baleen to filter their prey.

With heads usually covered in barnacles gray whales are easy to recognize and not shy, often swimming alongside boats and watching the people aboard.

Orcas
These stylish black and white mammals are probably the most easily identifiable whales in the sea. Also called "Killer whales" because of their aggressive predatory style, orcas prey on seals, sharks and even other whales. Orcas often travel, live and hunt in groups called "pods," which are somewhat similar to a pack of wolves. Killer whales can be found in every ocean around the world and have no natural predator except humans.

Whale-watching locations
Here are some of the best places to catch sight of these giant mammals:

Canada
Some of the world's best whale-watching can be done in British Columbia. Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Canada. Orcas, gray whales, blue whales, sperm whales and others can all be spotted from May through October.

Hawaii
Another great location is Hawaii, where more than 6,000 humpback whales migrate to the islands' warm waters to mate and give birth. Whale-watching season runs from November through early May.

Alaska 
With a season that begins in April and almost never ends, you'll spot orcas, minke and gray whales.

Other places like Mexico, Iceland, Britain, Norway and the Arctic will also afford you once-in-a-lifetime views of these astonishing creatures of the sea.

Grammar Gym:
.....while foraging they can dive to a depth of 3200 meters...
"While + verb(1) -ing, subject + verb(2).
While shopping for grocery, Betsy looks for discounts.
While cleaning the house, Sam keeps his TV on.

Vocabulary Tips:
evoke -bring it out, bring it out of someone, bring it out to your mind, memory of childhood....引起,挑起,唤起,使想起。
*The music and decorations of the cafe' evoke a feeling of the 70s.
*The smell of apple pie evokes fond memories of time spent with my grandparents.
elusive -very difficult to catch or to find it.难以捉摸的,神出鬼没的。
*This rare and elusive species of bird is sold at a very high price.
*The novelist is elusive and can only be contacted by email.
forage - seeking food.觅食。
*A brown bear was discovered foraging in the backyard of a residence.
forage - seeking.搜寻,寻找。
*The homeless children foraged for scraps of food on the streets.
scar (v), (n) - something stay on skin after healed from wound.伤疤,伤痕。疤痕。
*The car accident left him with a large scar on his forehead.
scarred -。疤痕,留下伤痕的
*Nick's face was scarred by a piece of glass.
ridge - the edge of something, the top of the mountain. the door edge that easy to tape people to fall.崇起的部分,山脊。
*Trying to fix the antenna, Dad sat on the ridge of the root.
*The mountaineers finally reached the mountain ridge at 4 p.m.
filter (v) -screen out.过滤,滤除。
*The water in the pool was filtered before it was recycled.
*All the boss' emails are filtered by his secretary.
filter (n)-过滤器,(过)滤网。
*The AC filter needs to be cleaned periodically.
prey -a target food that animal searches and catch. 掠物。动物捕食的 掠物。
*Spiders catch their prey with their elaborate webs.
*An eagle is hovering above looking for its prey.
prey - a target for fishing. 作为伤害或愚弄的对象。
*Many burglars or robbers see old people as easy prey.
alongside -beside of something. 并排,沿着。。。,
*I rode my bike alongside my brother's 并排
*Many tourists strolled alongside the River Seine.沿着。。。
alongside - with someone together.和某对象一起。
*Jessie has been working alongside Jeff ten years. 和。。一起工作了十年。
enormous - very big, huge.
believe - something you are not 100 percent sure.
mammal - female animals can produce milk.
habitat - where animal lives.
take in something (by or from your eyes, mind, mouth or nose).
bristle (n)-刚毛,猪鬃,植物的刺毛。(vi) 发怒,林立,毛发竖立。
bristled (adj) - 有刚毛的,多刺毛的,倒立的,竖立的。
drive to -cause. drive me to anger; the car break down all the time drive me to buy a new one.
predatory -hunt fro prey. 掠食性的,肉食性的。
*Many predatory mammals have sharp teeth and strong jaws.
predator -An animal that need to eat other animals and hunt animals for food.掠食者。
*Antelopes run extremely fast so they can escape from their predators.
wolf (n) - wolves.狼
*You can hear wolves crying during the night.
wolfed (adj) -狼吞虎咽。
*My son's soccer-team friends wolfed down eight large pizzas after the game.
migrate -move from one place to another. 迁移,迁徙 'migra' -“漂泊”之意。
*Canadian Geese migrate between Canada and United States.加拿大的飞雁。。
migrating /migration (n) -迁移,迁徙
*The massive migration of farmers to cities has caused a lot of social problems. 大量的农夫迁移到。。。
astonishing -惊人的,令人惊讶,讶异的。
*The circus performance is astonishing. ( astonishing performance)
astonish (adj) -使人惊讶的,令人惊心的。
*The couple's sudden breakup astonished many of their friends.
have no natural predator except human - No predator hunt Orcas for food except human.
catch sight of something - to spot of something, see, enjoy and share a short of moment.
run from ....through.....- start at the certain date, continue a period of time and end at a certain date.
prey on animal- seek for food on animals, not people.

Language Tips:
rule-规则。
guidelines -规则,大方向。
double negative -双重否定法,在英文中不建议多用,是比较粗俗的英文,但运用的当,更显得特别。同样的,英文中有个规则,一段中要有五个句子。但是本文作者并未如此作,是因为英文是活的,太拘泥于形式,规则,会令文章显得呆板,挥洒不开,了无新意。
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baleen whales - 鬚鲸。鲸的一种。baleen (n) -鲸鬚
fine-tooth comb -齿牙很密的梳子,古时人用来移除头发上,头虱的卵子。
“go over something with a fine-tooth comb”.彻底的,仔细地检查,寻找。。如编辑仔细校对文稿。
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beached - 搁浅在沙滩上的。
beach -沙滩,海滩。
a beached whale -被搁浅在沙滩上的鯨鱼。
I feel like a beached whale -被搁浅在沙滩上的鯨鱼,(是鯨鱼最不喜欢的事)如果一个人‘在进退维谷,动弹不得的窘境,就可以说“I feel like a beached whale”。
whale (adj) - huge, very big.
a whale of something. - very big of something/very good of something.
There's a big difference. -很大的不同。= There is  a whale of difference. (口语 )
There is a whale of problem. -很大的问题
whale - very good. 很棒,很好。
a whale of something - very big of something/very good of something。
you did a whale of a job.-表现的很棒。
I had a whale of a time.超开心的。很愉悦的时光。




Taking notes of StudioClassroom

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Healthy Eating on a Budget

You can care for your body and your bank account at the same time
健康飲食很省錢 - 你可以同時保護自己的身體和銀 行帳戶

What can you do if you can't afford healthy food? If you want to save money, are you stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice? Actually there are several ways to get food that will preserve your health - and your savings.

When eating out - Order wisely.
In general, choose grilled, baked or steamed dishes instead of fried ones. And choose vegetables as side dishes in order to fill up on healthy foods rather than fattening ones.

Know your limit
When you're full, stop eating - even if some food remains on your plate. Take the rest to go, and eat it later instead of purchasing an additional snack or meal.

Drink to your health
Fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest - water. Sodas and even fruit juices are filled with sugar and may contain dangerous chemicals. So instead of paying for a drink, enjoy free water at most restaurants.

Avoid desserts
At the end of your meal, skip the sweets. By not ordering dessert you save money and cut down on calories and sugar.

When cooking. Be prepared.
Healthy inexpensive meals require a little planning. Set a budget to determine how much you can afford to spend on food. Then make a list of what you can buy within that budget.

Once you've made your list, stick to it! To avoid impulse purchases, don't shop when you're hungry. If you can't resist certain treats stay out of the aisles where they're located.

Go natural
Artificial flavors, colors and chemicals added to processed food may contribute to various health problems. So instead of processed food, eat foods you prepare yourself from simple ingredients like fruit, vegetables, whole grains and meat without fat. These foods often cost less, too. Eat fruit and vegetables that are in season. They're cheaper, and they taste better because they're fresh and ripe.

Have fruit for dessert
Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't indulge in something sweet. Fresh fruit can be sweet and delicious -but without the processed sugar and fat of cookies or ice cream.

Following these tips will lead you to healthier - and cheaper -eating habits.

Grammar Gym:
If you want to save money, are you stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice?
'stuck eating instant noodles and fried rice '
'stuck + verb-ing' - (leave only choice)
It rained every day, and we were stuck watching TV in our hotel room the whole time.
Both brothers got the same kind of education, but one became a businessman while the other was stuck earning minimum wage.

Vocabulary Tips:
preserve -维护,保存。 ' pre' -事先,预先 'serve' -保留。 protect it to last for long time.
*Both countries are willing to do their best to preserve peace.
*The chapel was perfectly preserved even though it had been through many wars.
fatten - can cause gaining weight.使发胖的,使肥胖
*These cattle were fattened up so they could be sold at a good price.
fattening -会使人肥胖,发胖的
*Esther tries to avoid fattening food such as soda and sweets.
purchase (v) -买。购买。
*Stella purchased this ring at an auction.
*We purchased our house without any loans.
purchase (n) -购买。
*The purchase was paid for by credit card.
fortunately - good news is that..., in a good news. 幸运地。
*Fortunately, nobody was injured in the car accident.
unfortunately -很不幸地。
*Unfortunately, we missed the bus and didn't get to watch the game.
in general - usually true. 通常是。
stuck - stay with.
skip - don't do it, pass it to another.
cut down - to reduce.
stick to something - once set a goal not to change, stay with it.
impales - on impales, do something right away which you didn't plan it.
inexpensive -价格低廉,便宜的,但没有不好或品质低劣的意思。
*Justin loves to stay at expensive, fancy hotels.
aisle -走道,通道。
*You can find sugar and spices in aisle five.
*Raymond went directly to the frozen food aisle.
aisle - division, section. also use on the flight, the walk way call "aisle".飞机上的走道。's' -不发音。
*I prefer an aisle seat.
ingredient -食材。
*The restaurant only uses organic ingredients.
*The ingredients in this dish are pretty rare.
ingredient -成分,因素。
*The most essential ingredient of a good marriage is mutual trust.
indulge -enjoy what you love, not very common thing you do.满足(享受),宠爱。
indulge in something. 
*After a long day, Renee indulged in a nice long hot bath.满足(享受)
*Mark indulges his wife and kids.宠爱

Language Tips:
"comma", "hyphen" and "dash" -逗点,连字号(比破折号- 线较短),破折号。用来加强语气,强调某件事物
Jack will go skiing in Switzerland this winter, if he gets a raise. 。用逗点,不及"dash"加强语气强调某件事物。
Jack will go skiing in Switzerland this winter - if he gets a raise. 破折号表示加薪是非常重要对已决定的某事而言。。
Fortunately, the least expensive drink is also the healthiest - water.
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double negative -负负得正(数学里)英语,中文,德文语言上也有这理论。
two negative = positive.双重逻辑。负负得正。
Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't indulge in something sweet.
doesn't/can't - 不是不能,就是可以。its okay.
two positive not equal negative. only an exception: 但双重逻辑不能说正正的负。只有一钟情况:
Yeah, right! -不以为然,不相信对方说的。(对方每次都没说实话)



Taking notes of Studioclassroom

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

New Employees?

Hiring new employees isn’t as easy as it seems
雇用新員工? 雇用新員工並不如表面上看起來 那麼簡單.

With his company growing. Ben thinks it might be time to hire some employees. But hiring employees is a big step, and Uncle Bob has some important words of warning for him.

Uncle Bob: Hi, Ben! How are you today?
Ben: I'm great! Thanks for asking.
Uncle Bob: How's the business coming along?
Ben:Well, it's growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, I'm having a hard time getting all the work done, and I need help.
Uncle Bob: I thought you had some help. Don't you have a few people working for you?
Ben: Yes and no. We have a few freelancers we use on projects, but I need some full-time help.
Uncle Bob: Wow. Hiring full-time employees is a big step for a young company. Are you ready for it?
Ben: Sure. How hard can it be to hire a couple of employees?
Uncle Bob: I'm not saying it's hard. But employees can induce big changes in the way your company works.
Ben: How?
Uncle Bob: Well, there are lots of ways. Take costs for example. The cost of an employee goes far beyond pay.
Ben: I guess that's true. I't need to pay for things like benefits and payroll taxes.
Uncle Bob: Thant's right. And there are other indirect costs too. You'll need to buy office furniture, computers and a lot more stationery for your employees to use.
Ben: And parking. I'll need to get more parking spots.
Uncle Bob: Exactly.
Ben: Ok, so there will be some hidden costs, but those won't change the company that much.
Uncle Bob: They will mean huge changes to your job, though.
Ben: Yeah. I hope they'll make my job a lot easier!
Uncle Bob: They might. But remember, employees need to be managed.
Ben: That's true.
Uncle Bob: The time you'll spend doing the things you're used to doing will also diminish, instead you'll spend time overseeing employees.
Ben: I guess that will be a big change.
Uncle Bob: Ultimately, hiring employees is about growth. And good growth is done in a balanced and controlled way.
Ben: How do I do that?
Uncle Bob: For starters, you need to realize that growth can make some things easier, but it also generates problems in other areas.
Ben: I see. You mean hiring employees might make things like accounting and human resources harder.Maybe I should put some more thought into this.
Uncle Bob: That's a good idea. But I'm not saying you can't do it. And hiring employees is a good thing....
Ben: Because if means the company is growing?
Uncle Bob: Exactly! Let's go celebrate your growing company with some coffee.
Ben: You're on !

Grammar Gym:
For starter you need to realize that growth can make some things easier....
"for starters" = first of all.
Traveling overseas takes a lot of preparation; for starters (first of all) you need to save up some money.
There are things you need to do before you go for a job interview; for starters (first of all), make sure your resume is up to date.

Vocabulary Tips:
by leaps and bounds - improve or grow very quickly. 非常迅速,与日俱增。"leap" -越过, "bound" -跳越。跳跃
*After Jack moved to the States, his English improved by leaps and bounds.进步神速。
*Rita's computer skills grew by leaps and bounds.与日俱增
freelancer - provide service or work as needed, but not bound by any company. 自由工作者,兼职者.如作曲家,作词,作家等。
*Nathan used to work in a big advertising company, but now he's a freelancer.
freelance (adj) -自由职业,不受雇于人的。独立工作者。
*Alice decided to go freelance after she got married.
induce - cause to happen.引起,导致。“ duce”- 有‘引导’之意。
*I could not induce her to go mountain climbing with me.
*The treatment might induce side effects such as loss of appetite and hair.
stationery - refer to all office supplies, such as pen, pencil, paper, paper clips ...etc.(集合名词,复数不加“s”, 文具用品。泛指所有办公室里所需的笔。纸,本子,橡皮擦,回纹针。。。。等。
*Many parents bought their kids new stationery before school started.
stationary - firm, not move.固定的。固定不动的。
stationery 文具用品/ stationary固定的 -注意,字根很相近,只差一个字母,但发音不同。stationary 第二重音在“na”。
diminish -it gets smaller, or less.减少,减小。慢慢消失了。
*The threat of war diminished due to the peace talks.
*Gloria's enthusiasm for singing soon diminished after her defeat at the contest.歌唱热情。。 比赛失败
ultimately - at the end of process; in the end, by the end.基本上,总而言之。最后,最终。通常放在句首。
*Ultimately, we'll adapt any means to promote our sales.
ultimate (adj) -at the end. the most important, final goal. .终极,最重要的。
*The ultimate goal of the protest is to fight for higher wages.
generate - to create, to start it, to make something (electricity, happiness, money, ideas..etc.)产生,引发,引起)
'gene' - 有‘生产’之意。
*The campaign generated a lot of interest in our product.
*The project will generate over 1000 new jobs.
human resources - work force, everyone who work there. 人事资源。人事部门。
*Good management of human resources can save a great deal of money for the company.
*I had my first interview with the head of human resources.
how was going yesterday ...would you like to continue?
How do I do that?
hidden cost - the cost or fees are not showing at front.
put some thought into it (into your retirement plan; where you go after you graduated from college; relationship;  a good gift for your friend.....etc.)
you're on - let's go. (yes, I go along with you. )

Language Tips:
pay for benefits - 支付福利。
benefit -‘福利“
employee benefits -员工福利。
perks - employee benefits, beside the salary. 除薪资之外的福利奖励与津贴。
perks - short for perquisites.
perks - include fringe benefit.
fringe benefit - 公司提供特殊的奖励如提供一辆车供你使用等。
美国总统享有全世界最优渥的perks or fringe benefit.
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oversee/overlook - 看上去相似,但实质意思完全不同。
see / look -看
oversee - supervise. 监督,管理。
....you'll spend time overseeing employees.
overlook - see from a high point or place. 眺望,俯瞰。
overlook - miss the most important part. fail because didn't pay attention on something minor but is the most important part. 忽略,轻忽,看漏了,。
The detective overlooked an important clue.  刑警忽略了。。。
oversight -眺望,俯瞰。但是较常用在“忽略,轻忽”意思上。


Taking notes of Studioclassroom

Monday, July 1, 2013

July is Hot, Hot, Hot!

Start this month with some hot July facts
炎熱的七月! - 用熱呼呼的七月事實來開啟這個月 份吧!

Welcome to one of the hottest months on Earth -at least in the Northern Hemisphere. On July 10, 1913, the temperature in Death Valley, California, reached 56.7 degrees Celsius. That's approaching the heat you need to fry an egg! Indeed, you can try doing that on July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day.

Of course, you may wan't to beat the heat by eating ice cream, Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president, would have supported that idea! In 1984, he declared July to be National Ice Cream Month. Take your cold treat and go for a walk.

In some places you might spot a larkspur, July's flower. White ones convey a happy nature while purple ones represent first love. July's gemstone is the red ruby. This 'king of gems' represents courage, among other virtues. According to some, soldiers used to implant rubies under their skin in hopes of gaining courage in battle.

International Joke Day is July 1 - today! And who doesn't like to laugh? Take some time to tell a jock or post something funny online. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

Grammar Gym:
This 'king of gems' represents courage, among other virtues.
'among other ' - one of many. There are many, just one of many.
Amy visited museums, among other activities, while she was studying in Paris.
A platypus is a strange mammal; it lays eggs, among other unique characteristics.

Vocabulary Tips:
Celsius -摄氏,字母大写是因Celsius发明的。
*The temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius last night.
Fahrenheit -华氏(温度计量度)字母大写是因Fahrenheit 发明的。
*The temperature now is 10 degree Fahrenheit.
indeed -真正的,确实。
*Molly is indeed the most unselfish person I've ever met.
indeed -也可放在句子最后面。
*The opportunity to interview such a celebrity is rare indeed. 。。确实真的很难得。
convey-表达,传达。
*each of his poems conveys a sense of hope.
*Sherry conveyed her gratitude to her teacher with a lovely card.
convey (v) -运送。
*The furniture was conveyed by sea.
virtue (n) -美德,德行。
*One of Jack's greatest virtues is his kindness.
virtuous (adj) -道德高尚的,或人很正直的。
*Sean is a responsible, hard-working and virtuous family man.
implant - put something  inside of something, something is not exist by nature.
laughter is the best medicine -圣经里的字句‘喜乐乃是良药’。
beat the heat -避暑,beat the something. 赶在。。之前。
beat the traffic -避开车潮。
beat the crowd. -避开拥挤的人群。

Language Tips:
egg- 蛋,和牛肉般,有好多种做法与喜爱的吃法。
what do you want your egg? 
sunny-side up: 蛋黄在上的荷包蛋,只煎一面,半生半熟的。又因形看似太阳,太阳那面在上的。
over easy -蛋两面煎,(翻个面煎),蛋黄不要太熟的。
over hard -蛋两面煎,(翻个面煎)蛋黄要全熟的
hard-boiled egg :蛋黄要全熟的煮蛋。
soft-boiled egg :蛋黄不要全熟的软蛋黄煮蛋。
poached egg.- 水煮蛋,水泡蛋。
scramble egg -蛋打碎后用炒得。


Notes taking of StudioClassroom