Friday, August 30, 2013

Bluetooth® Fashion

Technology is getting a new look.
藍牙時尚  - 科技正換上新風貌

Bluetooth is a leader in wireless technology. It is built cars, phones, computers and more. It allows you to share information between two devices. But with a focus on function, Bluetooth -enabled devices haven't always looked "cool." That's changing, though, thanks to some creative designers. here are a few cool, trendy gadgets you may see on the market soon.

Bluetooth clothing
Clothing designer Asher Levine has released a line of clothing that contains Bluetooth microchips. These chips connect to your iPhone. If you lose an item of clothing, there's an app to help. push a button, and your clothing will "ring" if it's nearby. If it's too far away, you can use Google Maps to locate it.

The Ripple
Ladies, are you tired of wireless headsets that make you look like a character from Star Trek? llya Fridman was thinking of you when he designed the Ripple, a Bluetooth headset that looks like an earring. This circular device slides open to reveal a microphone. When closed the Ripple stays on so you can listen to music.

Spray Bluetooth Speaker
Clothing label Echo UNLTD is making its technology debut with a Bluetooth speaker that looks like a can of spray paint. The Spray Bluetooth speaker also contains a microphone, which you can pair with your smartphone for hands-free calling. The speakers have up to 10 hours of battery life. Twist the top to skip songs or control volume. Pros? Its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. Cons? Users will look like they are talking and listening to a can of spray paint.

Smart Watches
EZIO has created a line of Blutooth 'enabled watches that connect to your smartphone. The EZIO Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Watch beeps and vibrates when you get a call text or email. It also lets you know any time your phone is more than 5 to 10 feet away from you. Although this isn't the first smart watch on the market, it's sure to be a favorite. Why? It's designed to look like a high-fashion watch, not a piece of technology.

These new accessories show that fashion is getting smarter, and technology is looking better!

Grammar Gym:
Pros? its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. Cons? Users will look like they are talking and listening to a can of spray paint.
"pros and cons " - (idiom) the reasons why something should and shouldn't be done. pros -refer to good side, good reason, cons is opposite of good reason.
What are the pros to this new gadget? It is waterproof and lightweight. Cons? It needs to be recharged every four hours.
I don't know whether to buy these shoes or not, Pros? They're pretty and they fit comfortably. Cons? They are very expensive.

Vocabulary Tips:
wireless - no wire. 无线的wire - less- 没有,在字尾是没有之意。
*The ship's wireless phone was out of order.
*The wireless products market still rapidly expanding.
*The wireless message needs to be translated.
app - application. 应用程式。
*People love to download new apps just for fun.
*flashlight is one of the most commonly used apps.
headset - a device what you wear on your head to listen to music. 头戴式耳机或听筒。。
*Many drummers wear headsets to protect their eardrums.耳膜
*The fashionable look of the headsets made them very popular.
earphone - something that put it in the ears to hear. 插入耳朵内的耳机。
circular - 圆形的,圆的,圜状的。cir- “园”
*The distinctive circular shape of the island makes it look like a watermelon.
circular -绕圆圈。圜状的。
*The circular bike lane goes around this beautiful lake.
devices - electronic gadget, tool, that use electricity.
trendy - fashionable, something that many people are like and doing it.
trending - is popular.
on the market (idiom) - many places are selling it.
on the global market - anywhere in the world you can find it, people sells it.
battery - a kind of power that can make wireless electronic tool work. 电磁。
*The remote control only needs only one V battery.
*Using rechargeable batteries saves money and is also eco-friendly.
UNLTD - unlimited.
urban - city.
geek - someone who loves, and know well about technology or computer.科技产品迷或是电脑迷。
*My brother, the geek, studies all sorts of apps.
*This entrepreneur used to be a computer geek.
*The geeks at our school have their own club, and they always talk about computers and games.
vibrate - move very fast with no sound. 震动。
*My phone vibrates when it gets an app message.
*The sound of the drums vibrated the whole studio.
vibration (n) -震动
*This device can detect the slightest vibration.
accessory / accessories- something goes with what you wear to make you look nice.配件,装饰品。
*Scarves are an accessory that go with any kinds of clothes.围巾
*Sunglass are important accessories, especially for celebrities.
accessorize (v) -穿戴饰品,装饰。
*She used a belt to accessorized her plain grey suit. 用一条皮带来装饰平淡无奇的灰色套装。


Language Tips:
TM - trade mark. (商标,向美国国家商标局申请注册的。 )
(R) - R in the circle - officially registered in the legal department with government. 提出申请,并且被审核通过而获得专利权。
TM(trade mark) 只是有限的法律保护,不及(R),(R) 有完整的法律保护。
Trade mark became generic when people use their trade mark as a name for something.
infringement - without get a permission just use some name that had been registered for it's own. 侵犯他人权利的罪。
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debut - first time appear to the public. Not sound of "t". "t"不发音。
debuted /debuting /debuts - those words when you say it, just skip the  't', not sound it out at all.
debutant - both "t" need sound them out. - 重音在第三节。首次进入社交界的少女。


Notes taking of StudioClassroom



Quvenzhane Wallis

Happy 10th birthday to this rising young star!
天才童星葵雯贊妮.華莉絲    -  祝這位竄起的小明星十歲生日快樂!

Most actors search for years to find the ideal role that will make them famous. For quvenzhzne Wallis, however, the role found her while she was still in kindergarten!

Opportunity came knocking
The young girl, known as Nazie, from Houma Louisiana, was living the life of a normal 5-year-old. Then one day her mother received a call from a friend. The friend reported that a movie director was auditioning young girls to star in his movie.

The caller thought Quvenzhane would be perfect for the role, but Mrs. Wallis wasn't sure. It was true that people always said her daughter had a special gift. But nazie's parents considered her just a normal, active imaginative child.

When Mrs. Wallis asked her daughter if she would like to audition, Nazie said yes. They went to the library where auditions were being held for the movie Beasts of the Southern wild.

It turned out to be a trip that would change Nazie's life forever. Director Benh Zeitlin immediately saw the special quality in Nazie that others had seen. He chose her from among 4,000 others who had auditioned for the role of Hushpuppy.

It was Nazie's first acting role and Zeitlin's first full-length film. In the film, Nazie plays a courageous little girl. She tries to save her dying father and her neighbors. Audiences fell in love with. Beasts and especially with its young star.

The film won awards at Utah's 2012 Sundance Film Festival and France's Cannes Film Festival. Zeitlin was pleasantly shocked, but the praise didn't stop there. The film continued to receive many more awards.

In addition, it received four Academy Award nominations, including one for Bet Actress. The nomination made 9-year-old Quvenzhane the  youngest actress to ever be considered. Een though she didn't win, movie offers still came pouring in. Audiences got just a taste of quvenzhane's  talent as Hushpuppy. And now they are anxious to see more from this talented, young actress.

Grammar Gym:
but the praise didn't stop there.
(something) didn't stop there. - something does not end but continues on.
Tiffany had a lot of problems at work, her computer broke down, she lost her files and got yelled at by her clients and her boss, but her problems didn't stop there.
On her birthday, Annie's friends took her out to breakfast and gave her lots of presents; but the surprises didn't stop there.

Vocabulary Tips:
ideal (adj.) - something very wonderful, perfect, always dream for it. 理想的,最佳的,完美的。
*This apartment is ideal for newlyweds.
*Frank is the ideal person to take the position.
ideally  (adv.) - 理想地。
*The car is ideally suited for families.
audition (v) - people go to try on the roll for a movie or a commercial. 试镜 , 为何而试镜用for。
*Dancers from around the country came here to audition for the musical.
audition (n) - 试镜。
*The audition only took me three minutes.
imaginative - very creative, think different with others.
imagine (v) -想象
*The author's imaginative stories attracted many readers' attention. 富有想象力的,富有创造力的。
imagination (n) -想象力。
beast  (n) - big animal that very wild. 野兽。
*The lion is the king of beasts. 兽中之王。
*The aboriginals used fire to keep the beasts away from them. 原住民。
*The football player worked out so much that he was as strong as a beast.
immediately - right away, do it quickly.立刻地,马上地
*When Wesley got his girlfriend's call, he rushed out of the door immediately.
immediate -立即,马上。
*Immediate action must be taken to stop the chaos.混乱。
courageous (adj) -勇敢的,有勇气的。
*It was courageous of you to go inside the burning house to save the boy.
*Your decision to study abroad is courageous.
courage (n) -勇气。
*Derek didn't have courage to ask Molly out.
pour in - 'pour' -倒。 倾倒,倒水。此指“大量的涌入”。
*She poured some hot water in the cups.
taste -尝试,品味。
*Fan letters poured in after the band released their first album.
*Audiences got just a taste of Quvenzhane's talent as Hushpuppy.
taste - short enjoyment or experience. 短暂的尝试或体验。
*the camping trip was the boy's first taste of freedom.

Language Tips:
Quvenzhane Wallis - 1960 年后,非洲裔的人常用非洲语言,或回教,或阿拉伯文化来为小孩命名,不同于一般的美英国家的英文名那么耳熟名详,通俗化。
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"ough" - sound out at least 6 different ways, such as:
though - even though.
thought - think.
through - pass over.
rough - not smooth.
cough - sound come out from mouth when you chock.
bough - (n), sound (bou) - a main branch of a tree.
All "ough" are sound not the same from each. 英文并不是都是很有规则的。



Notes taking of StudioClassroom.


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Managing Difficult Workers

Dealing with difficult workers can be … difficult
管理難搞員工   - 應付難搞員工可能會很……難搞

Uncle Bob: You need to figure out how to make this a win-win situation.
Ben: How do I do that?
Uncle Bob: Well, problem employees often behave the way they want, because their behavior has helped them get what they want in the past.
Ben: There's definitely a kernel of truth in that.
Uncle Bob: So making this a win-win situation will depend on making sure that bad behavior is no longer an effective way for Ralph to get what he wants.
Ben: I already have rules, It's just that he won't abide by them.
Uncle Bob: Then you need to have clearly defined consequences for rule breaking and use them.
Ben: Ok, so I need a plan.
Uncle Bob: That's a start, but don't just sit around lamenting the situation and planning a response.  Once the rules and consequences have been communicated, the main things is to confront problems head-on.
Ben: And if problems continue?
Uncle Bob: Make sure that consequences match the magnitude of the problem.
Ben: And ultimately I need to act in the best interest of my business.
Uncle Bob: Right. And a time may come when it's no longer worth tolerating the problem.  Then you'll  have to let him go.
Ben: Thanks for the advice.
Uncle Bob: Well, I hope things work out.

Vocabulary Tips:
kernel -果肉的果核。此指“一小部分”。
*I assume there's a kernel of truth in her argument. 有一部分事实。。
kernel - 重要部位。核心。
*the kernel of the company's problem is its insufficient funds.
abide - stay.
abide by - submit to it,  follow the rule. 遵行,忍受承受 (遵守+by + 受词
*Not many people here abide by the traffic rules.
abiding (adj) -遵守的。
*a law-abiding citizen. 一个守法的公民。
*I can't abide that man's rude behavior.忍受,,,那人粗鲁的行为举止。
lament - mourn. 悔恨,哀悼,悲叹,感到叹息。
*Lamenting a past glory won't help you have another breakthrough.
*Our neighbor Mr. wang lamenting the ungratefulness of the young generation. 感到叹息。。不知感谢,不知感恩。。。
magnitude - something big, describe the measurement of the big thing. 重要性,严重性。  'mag' - big.
*Now we're facing a financial crisis of considerable magnitude.
magnitude -等级,强度。(规模)
*The 6.5 magnitude earthquake caused a lot of casualties. 损伤,伤亡。
comfrotatin - comfront, point out, bring out the problem.
head-on - don't go around, be directly, say directly.
best interest - think something for someone, not just yourself.

Language Tips:
let someone go - fire someone from the work. 开除某人,解雇某员工。。
Then you'll have to let him go.
pink slip - fire notification paper. (these days are no longer pink, usually in white.) 解雇单。早期雇主解雇人,就在薪水袋里放一张粉红色的字条,上面写着为何原因被解雇。pink slip 虽然仍延生至今,但是解雇单已经不再用粉红色纸张了。



Drawings Come to Life With 3Doodler

Turning doodles into 3-D objects
神奇繪圖筆畫出3D實物   - 將塗鴉化為3D立體實物
In their spare time millions enjoy doodling, which, up till no, has usually involved drawing on paper. But now, folks can try doodling in the air, thanks to 3Doodler, the world's first 3-D printing pen! As one draws hot plastic comes out of the pen, cools and becomes a solid strand.

Would-be artists can draw flat forms or separate parts and then join them together. Lifting the pen up into the air adds a strand that can stand on its own! Created by toy and robotics company wobbleWorks, this pen is quite different from a 3-D printer.

For example, this pen requires no computers or image files, and it can be used to create anything a person can dream up. How about a bicycle or a bird? Or what about a miniature Eiffel tower? The 3Doodler website features these and other examples of 3Doodles!

Initial interest in 3Doodler has been extraordinary. In the first 3D hours of the 3Doodler Kichsatrter campaign. WobbleWorks raised more than US$500,000 o make the product a reality! Now, with more than US$2 million in support, WobbleWorks plans on shipping the finished version of 3Doodler in late 2013. Get your drawing hand ready!

Grammar Tip:
But now, folks can try doodling in the air,.....
folks - people. (casual)
Everybody, may I have your attention please?
Folks, may I have your attention please?
The folds in may neighborhood like to come out in the evenings and hang out.

Vocabulary Tips:
doodle-涂鸦,画画,随意乱画。
*Kate loves to doodle on her textbooks during class.
*No one could have know that the artist's doodle would one day be displayed in a museum.
strand - 线。一股线,线的一股或一缕,一串(珠链)
*The police found a strand of hair at the crime scene and took it to the lab.
*The elegant lady wore a strand of pearls to go with her dress.
dream up -凭空想像出,虚构出。
*The college kids were always dreaming u different practical jokes to play on their friends.
*You can continue dreaming up different excuses for your tardiness.
miniature, mini - small.微小的。
*The miniature golf course is a popular dating place.
*The doll comes with cute miniature furniture.

Language Tips:
would-be : 将来有潜力。。。会成为。。。。
a would-be author. 成为有潜力的作家。
a would-be actor. 成为有潜力的演员。
a would-be artists. 成为有潜力的艺术家。
would-be :想成为什么。。但未达到的。
a would-be assassin. 是一个刺杀未遂的刺客。
wannabe - want to be. 梦想,想要成为某种人,与天赋无关。
wannabe (adj) - 梦想,想要成为
wannabe artist.- 梦想,想要成为一个艺术家。
wannabe (n) - 仿冒,模仿(艺术家)的人。
You're such a wannabe.


Take notes of StudioClassroom


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

How to Raise an Elephant

The Jumbo Foundation aims to help large orphaned animals
收容大象孤兒  - 金寶基金會以協助大型動物孤兒 為宗旨。

Think about caring for a baby. Mothers can tell you all about the considerable amount of time it takes to feed, change, comfort and care for a helpless infant. Now what if that infant is an elephant calf? Instead of weighing 3 to 4 Kilograms at birth, he weight 100! And he needs to be fed every two hours, 24 hours a day for four years! Would you want to take on that kind of responsibility? jenny Webb did. She lives in the Africa country of Malawi.

She took in Moses when he was a week old after his mother was killed, probably by poachers. No one else would take him in as elephants are very expensive and time-consuming to care for. But Jenny was willing and said, "humans caused this problem so humans must fix the problem. "She spent as much time as she could caring for Moses. She also hired two employees to be with him during the day so he wouldn't be lonesome.

She works as the Director of the Malawi Division of Food Products.  To help with the costs of caring for Moses Jenny started the Jumbo Foundation Elephant Orphanage. It's the first organization of its kind in Malawi. The foundation will take in other orphaned large animals. "Our orphanage is not only for elephants but all large animals like hippos, buffalos, rhinos, as no one will take them in, " said Jenny. the foundation's goal is to care for the orphaned animals and prepare them to be released into the wild.

Jenny quickly learned that an elephant baby needs more than just a special formula every two hours. Elephant mothers provide not only food but also shelter under their big bellies. elephants can get sunburned, and Moses didn't have his mother's large size to protect him. He needed sunscreen and creams applied to his skin every day. A blanket was tied over his back during the day to protect him from the harsh African sun. Moses needed company, especially at night, so Jenny would sleep next to him on a mattress on the floor.

When Jenny took in Moses in February of 2012, she believed he had only a 20 percent chance of survival. Without the immunities he'd get in his mother's milk, Moses frequently got sick. Thankfully, veterinarians and people from the Elephant Orphanage Project in nearby Zambia helped out a lot. But sadly in November 2012, he got severe diarrhea and could not get over it, and Moses died. Jenny and her many friends continue to mourn the little elephant who touched their lives in such a special way.

"Elephants are very sensitive and pick up on your emotions, if you are sad they comfort you, if you are stressed they are tense, if you are ill they are loving." Jenny said. At the moment, the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for. But as elephant poaching remains a serious problem, Jenny will no doubt take in more orphans in the future. What Jenny learned from caring for Moses will help her when the next orphan comes along.

Grammar Gym:
At the moment, the Jumbo Foundation has no elephants to care for.
'At the moment' - right now.
At the moment, the restaurant is full and we will have to wait an hour.
The manger is not here at the moment but will return to the office this afternoon.

Vocabulary Tips:
infant - newborn to one year old baby. 婴孩,幼儿。
*Parents need to learn how to interpret the signals their infants send.
infant (adj) -婴儿的,幼小的,幼期的。
*The expecting couple went shopping for infant clothes.
poacher - a person who illegally hunt and kill animals. 不合法的狩猎者,盗猎者。
*the poachers were arrested and prosecuted.
poach - illegally hunt or kill endangered animals.不合法的狩猎,盗猎。
*many endangered animals have been poached because they can be sold for good prices.
time-consuming : something need to take a lot of time to do it or finish it. 消耗时间的,耗时间的。
time-时间
consuming/consume -消耗
*Sorting all the files in the computer is a time-consuming task.任务
*Rehearsing a play is time-consuming and it requires a lot of patience.排练演出
lonesome - feel lonely, need some company around. 寂寞,孤单渴望需要朋友的。
lonely - a sad feeling that you feel alone.感到寂寞,孤单的。
*Jake felt really lonesome when he first transferred to the new school.
lonesome (adj) -荒凉,人烟稀少的。
*We drove on a lonesome road.
calf - baby animal, baby cow, baby elephant.
take in for  something - provide a shelter, food and care for it.
orphanage (n) - a place to keep and care for human or animal whom does not have parents or animal has father but no mother. 孤儿院,育幼院
*Bobby was brought up in an orphanage.
*Claire was sent to an orphanage when she was just a baby.
orphan (n) - a child or an animal has no parents or mother.孤儿。
*Nathan became an orphan at 10 when his parents died in an accident.
rhino ( rhinoceros) (n) - a big animal similar to cow but has a horn on their face. 犀牛。
*the rhino suddenly charged toward the tourists' truck. 冲向。。
*Many rhinos are killed because their horns are valuable on the black market. rhino多数加s
formula (n) -配方奶。
*Mandy hasn't decided on which formula to give her baby.
formula (n) - (数学)公式,工程式。
*The newly developed mathematic formula won the professor a Nobel Prize.
shelter (n) - a place that provide protection from rain and wind or dangers. 护庇,庇护。遮掩。掩蔽。
*We used a big tree as our shelter during the rain.
shelter (v) - We use a big tree to shelter us from the rain.
shelter -(n) -护庇,避难所,护庇所。
*They are going to use the funds to provide food and shelter for homeless people.
harsh - difficult, challenge, not simple or easy.
harsh storm, harsh punishment, harsh typhone,
harsh words- 说话说得很重很不客气,很严酷的。
immunity - something in your body that can defend and fight for you, keep you healthy.免疫力
*Stress and lack of sleep can lower your immunity to disease.
immunity -豁免,免除。
*The witness will get immunity from prosecution if he's willing to testify. 作证
veterinarian (n) (short for vet) - animal doctor.兽医
*Several vets were sent to the affected poultry farm.
veteran -退役军人。
Hank is a veteran of the Persian Culf War.
pick up on something ( pick up your feeling) 对某事的了解,注意到 (了解,注意到对方的感受),
pick up on -can sense what you feel even you didn't say a word.了解,注意到。
*Alice is a very reserved person. Only close friends can pick up on her feelings.
*Alex and Nancy are great partners on stage. they pick up on each other's jokes.
tense  (adj) -紧张,紧绷。
*The tense atmosphere in the meeting made everyone very nervous.
tension (n) -情绪或局势的紧绷。紧张的情绪。紧绷的局势,情势。。
The tension between the two countries affected their stock markets.
no doubt - no question about it, it definitely will happen.
survive - to live, to stay alive.
to get it over - it not bother you any more.
severe - really extreme, not simple or easy to deal with.
server weather - means the weather is extremely hot or cold, not easy to deal with.
mourn - to express your sad feeling about something that is gone.

Life is all about learning, constantly learning from our mistake or from our pass experiences or something new.  

Language Tips:
'white elephant' - (俚语) spend a lot of money on useless things. 指‘又花钱又没有用的东西。如花大钱但是不卖座的电影片。
(由来是因为白象通常是皇家饲养的动物,用以专门对付一些讨厌的官员们,不降级,不开除,只送他一头大白象,叫他花钱费力的照顾着,因为是皇家的东西,皇帝赏赐的,,退不能退,送不能送,卖又不能卖,只能花钱养着它,却无一点用处可言,直到花光积蓄,破产收场。。

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not only.....but also ................, 用于强调‘一个重点,加上第二个重点,尤其是but also 之后所提出的部分往往是出乎读者想象以外的。
not only....一个重点之后还有。。。 (用的事介系词片语.-
not only.....(用的是介系词片语.。。。"but also" -(也要用介系词片语.-)
'but also' or 'but' or 'also' - is the same as but also.
but all large animals like hippos, buffalos, rhinos.
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sympathy/ empathy -同情心/同理心。
pathos - emotion.感情,情感。
sympathy -对人事物所产生的悲天悯人的情怀,而愿尽所能得去给与对方帮助。
empathy - 针对那个人,站在对方的立场上,设身处事的为对方着想的去了解对方的感受,感如身受的为对方着想,去接受对方。如put yourself in his shoes。



Take notes of StudioClassroom


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Tips for Souvenir Shopping

Avoid collecting vacation junk with these helpful tips買紀念品有訣竅  - 這些有用的訣竅能讓你在度假時 少買一堆無用的紀念品.

One of the fun parts of traveling is shopping for souvenirs. But I go to a lot of different places, and how many T-shirts, mugs and keychains from everywhere do I want? Plus, those things aren't usually cool or unique to me. With a bit of effort, I can find something better that will really awe my friends back home.

Here's what I do:
Pick and choose. Think: Do I really want this? I don't need a ton of things to help me remember my vacation. I buy myself two or three small things that I really like. They won't weight me down on my trip, and they won't clutter up my room when I get home.

Use it, I get so many compliments on clothes and jewelry I bring back from trips. I love saying, "Oh, I bought this at a little market in Thailand!" For you it might be wall art, bags or maybe music. Buy things you'll use; don't spend money on something that will just collect duct!

Get personal. Think of your friends and family I recently went to India and bought my mom a bracelet made out of seashell. It wasn't expensive, but I had my mom in mind when I bought it. And she loved it! small, colorful unique. Perfect. If you're buying a gift for someone, think about who they are and what they like.

Now get impersonal. You need to take something back for your class or office, but you can't buy something special for everyone. Buy a tasty snack or candy from the place you're visiting and bring it back to share.

Make an exception. I do collect one useless thing: flag patches. I like to buy one for every country I visit. Collecting the same thing from each place you visit is fun, and big collections are impressive. But pick something small and interesting.

The last tip? Enjoy the hunt! Shopping for souvenirs should be an entertaining part of your travel adventure, not a chore!


Grammar Gym:
They won't weigh me down on my trip......
'weigh me down' -
To weigh (someone) down - to feel the trouble of carrying or dealing with.
Janet is carrying a lot of shopping bags and they are weighing her down.
The stress from having three jobs and going to school every night is weighing Scott down.

Vocabulary Tips:
souvenir (n) -纪念品,纪念的物品。
*I bought some clothing as souvenir when I visit Taipei.
*Sandra kept a handmade bookmark as a souvenir of her summer vacation.
awe - impress someone. amazed. 使惊讶,使惊奇。
*the little kids were awed by the lions in the zoo.
*Everyone present was awed by the courage of the firefighters.
awe - amazed. in awe生出敬畏的心。
*you can't help but stand in awe of this rock legend.
clutter - messy, not organized. 弄乱或堆满(常用被动式)
*Tommy's desk was cluttered with newspaper and soft drink cans.
clutter - things pile up and messy. 乱七八糟的东西。
*Nancy is organized, so her home is tidy and free of clutter.仅仅有条。。。没有 乱七八糟的东西。
compliment - praise, say something nice when you notice about someone.恭维,赞美。
*About what you said before, I take it as a compliment.
*Mark loves to pay his wife many compliment, which made her very happy.
tons of something - a lot of something.
use it - something is useful to you that you will use it or wear it.
wall art - a piece of art that able to hang on the wall.
dust collector - something not use just laid on there for dust to pile up.
bracelet - something that you wear on your wrist.
*Sam bought a diamond bracelet for his wife as her birthday gift.
necklace - 项链
pendant - 项链上的坠子。
brooch - 别针。
anklet -脚寰。
impersonal -not very important to you. 不是针对个人的,一般的,针对大众的。
personal -very important friend or relative in your life. 针对个人的,个人的。
*The course can be tailored to your personal needs. 这课程是完全针对你个人需要而制定的。
impersonal - not personal. normal people.
*The boss comment is totally impersonal and objective.
patch - 布块,特别指印有文字或图案的布块。
*Mom loves to use colorful patches to decorate her bags.
patch - 补丁,补片,贴片。
*The boy wore a jacket with patches on the elbows.
entertaining (adj)- 有娱乐性的,有趣的。
entertain - 使有趣的,有娱乐性的。
*The movie is educational and also very entertaining.
entertainment (n) -娱乐。
*The multi-talented star is a role model in the entertainment business.
hunt - seriously seeking, searching for something.

Language Tips:
tourist trap -专门以高价卖敲诈游客的地方。
Don't go to that store, it's a tourist trap.
touristy -观光客的,或是观光客喜欢的。也有比较负面的意思“过度观光化,观光气息的。
I don't like that area. It's too touristy. 太过于观光化,观光气息的。
------------------------------------------------------------------------
errand / chore - 杂事,跑腿 (要出家门去做的杂事。 / 作杂物,家中一些固定有重复的杂事。(在家中做的)
chore - 单数不加“ s”是指“令人讨厌的事,一件非做不可又不喜欢的事”。
chores - routine things you are doing it at home. always 用 复数 加“s”。 
household chores -  such as take trash out, wash dishes, do laundry etc. 家事杂物。
errand - 跑腿办理一些杂事,出门做一些或一件琐碎的事
go on an errand / run an errand - go to bank or post office, run to a store to get something. 出门跑腿。
chore - A thing that is unhappy, not present  to do.
It's such a chore to file taxes. 报税是一件令人讨厌又不得不作的事。



Study notes taking of StudioClassroom.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Back to School

Summer vacation is coming to an end
開學  - 暑假接近尾聲.

Despite warm days and laughter from the poolside, summer vacation is ending. And everyone knows it. The review packet for summer - still not opened - suddenly appears. Sale signs at the mails, supermarkets and bookstores remind students and parents. Notebooks, folders pencils and something special called binders are piled up in stores. In American schools, students must keep their book bags in their lockers.

So, most carry binders between classrooms. A 3-hole binder holds handouts, homework and a pencil pouch. Students also must complete the student-service learning (SSL) requirement in summer. Most schools in Maryland require students to complete at least 75 hours of community volunteer work. They must do this before graduating from high school.

Students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. My daughter Irene has been working at a library to earn her SSL hours. She helps check out books, make posters and clean up the environment. This experience is helping her not only contribute to society but also enhance her communication skills.

Many students attend summer school for two sessions, each for three weeks. It usually runs five days a week for four hours a day, plus homework and exams. Most high schools provide intensive courses in summer. Students can take a course and move to the next level when the school year officially starts.

The perfect place to say goodbye to summer vacation is the annual county fair. All kinds of carnival rides attract entire families. Traditional American food is served everywhere - hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy, barbeque...Be sure to go when you're hungry!

The fair is also a place for displays of farm produce. many farmers also attend the farm-animal competitions. Kids love the horse shows and goat-milking contest. Fun contests like watermelon-seed spitting and tricycle races interest the younger children. Women and girls go to exhibitions of quilts and flowers.

Soon the fairground will be quiet. Instead, kids will gather at the school-bus stop. Summer vacation is over.

Grammar Gym:
Students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations.
'to devote (one's) time to......' - to use most of one's own time to do something.
Dennis really cares a lot about animals and devotes his time at the animal shelter.
Paula dreams of becoming a skater and devotes her time to training at the ice rink.

Vocabulary Tips:
packet -包装盒,包装袋。
*Vivian ate a whole packed of cookies during lunch break.
*Every student will receive a training packet when they register.
binder (n) - a thing that keep all the school or teacher hand-outs and home work etc.活页夹
bind - 捆,绑,束,装订
3-hole binder (3-ring binder) -
*the accessones are attached to the fabric with a special binder.
volunteer (n) - 自愿者。
*All the food was distributed by the volunteers.
volunteer (v) - self willingness to do or to involve something. 自愿。
*Josh volunteered to take out the trash.
volunteer (adj) - 自愿的,
*William is a volunteer firefighter.
enhance - 促进,增进。'en' - 使如何如何。
*A warm and happy environment can enhance children's learning. 增进小孩的学习。
*The company's reputation was enhanced by this charity campaign.
SSL - Student Service Leaning. also called " community service."
contribute to something or for the cause - given to something or for a reason.
contribute - give to.
contribution (n) - the act that you provide or give to. - making a good contribution in society or in the class.
leadership - help out the community and learn how to lead people to work.
mall - many stores sale different things in a big building.
folder -  a file that keep paper or things.
locker - a close out thing that a person has assigned a key to open it and keep things in it.
intensive -密集,密集课程,密集班
*The players underwent intensive training before the football season began.
intense - 紧绷的,密集的。
*The poem shows the author's intense feelings toward his first love.
officially (adv) - 正式地,官方地。
*The couple officially announced their wedding date.
official (adj) - 正式的,官方的
*The press is still waiting for the police's official statement regarding this case.
competition (n) - 比赛。比赛,竞争。contest.
*The fierce competition among the contestants on the games show attracted a large sudience.
compete (v) - 比赛
*Boys love to compete with each other while playing.
quilt (n) -拼花做的百纳布。A blanket that made by many small size of patches of cloth sew together.
*Pamela's grandma made a quilt for her wedding gift.
*The design on the quits is a beautiful butterfly.
county fair - fun activities held in county.
state fair - is larger than county, fun events are going on.
carnival - a lot of exciting activities, all in one area.
tricycle - tricycle has three wheels. 'tri' - three.
contest - competition.
fairground - a place where the fair is held. 
 
Language Tips:
U.S High School is different from most other countries high school:
* U.S. high school students need go from class to class, every teacher has an assigned classroom to teach the class.
* Home classroom - that student need to be there in assigned time to get school or class information.
Student does not have their own assigned desk, no regular classroom or regular desk. Each student has a locker to keep all school books, bags, and personal belongings. 类似台湾的级任老师(班导)和早会是聚集之处。
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exhibit/exhibition - 展览。
exhibition (n) -展示会,展览会。
exhibitions of quilts and flowers.
exhibit (v) - 展示,展览。
exhibit (n) -展览品。
There are different exhibits on display at the exhibition.


Taking notes of StudioClassroom.

 

Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies

Money has more forms than you think
特殊貨幣的興起  - 金錢的形式遠比你所想的還更多樣化 .

The exchange rate tables in banks and airports include many currencies but probably not Makkies or Bitcoins. That's because governments do not back these alternative currencies. But all over the world people are making purchases with alternative currencies, and if current trends continue, this may become more and more common.

Community currencies
Your country probably has its own currency, but does your neighborhood? Loal currencies are appearing in communities in the Netherlands, the United States, South Africa and elsewhere. For example residents of Makassarsquare, a neighborhood in Amsterdam, can earn "Makkies" for actions like cleaning up a public space or assisting an elderly neighbor.

For these good deeds, they receive 'money' that can buy library subscriptions, movie and sport tickets, swimming pool visits and more Residents also pay each other Makkies for favors like baby-sitting. the Makkie's inventors hope it will promote cleaner public areas. Increase interaction among neighbors and encourage unemployed residents to use their skills.

In Belgiuum, the regions of Limburg and Diest have developed a similar system - the 'e-wallet.' It rewards residents for eco-friendly actions by giving them electronic points to spend on public transportation, sporting events and other things.

Online currencies
The world's most popular alternative currency the bitcoin is used in online transactions by over 1100,000 people worldwide. Any online company can choose to accept them so bitcoins can buy video games, books and even socks! Bitcoins are generated through 'mining,' a process in which computers run complex programs to record bitcoin transactions and keep the network secure. wining is regulated to produce the coins at a predictable, limited rate. This avoids creating too many bitcoins, which would decrease their value.

Other Internet users exchange stranger things, like hats from the video game Team Fortress 2. The hats were originally intended to make characters look distinctive. But players must pay for chances to find hats, and some unique ones are very rare. Thus, players trade hats among themselves for money, bitcoins or in-game items. Since people agree on the hats' value and trade them for other things they arguably count as currency. By one estimate, items traded within the game are worth a total of US $22 million. That equals almost 60 percent of island nation Tuvalu's GDP!

Alternative currencies probably won't replace official ones, but they are changing society and economics.

Grammar Gym:
That's because governments do not back these alternative currencies.
back - opposite of 'front'.
back - here means "support".
Gina's family has backed her ever since she decided to go into politics.
Timothy is not afraid to accept the difficult task because he knows his team will back him.

Vocabulary Tips:
subscription - 订阅。
*The yearly subscription rate for the magazine is only $59.
subscription 'to' -订阅什么用“ to
*Bob decided to buy an annual subscription to a golf magazine.
unemployment - 失业的 “un ”-有否定之意。
employed - 被雇佣的。
*Henry has been unemployed for three years.
*The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% last quarter.
transaction - 交易,业务。
*the stock transaction is now under investigation.
*The procedure of a loan transaction is carefully monitored.
predictable -可预期的。
predict (v) -预期
*The film was full of predictable plots but it was still very popular.
unpredictable -不可预期的。 “un ”-有否定之意
*unpredictable weather -
distinctive - 容易区别的,可辨识的或是与众不同的。
*Her distinctive taste made her the top stylist in the Field.
*Make you look distinctive.
*Many fans love the singer's distinctive voice.
arguably - 按理说,可以说,无疑的。照理说。
*Picasso is arguably one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
*Arguably, the vaccine should not be accessible to the public yet.
exchange rate -货币的汇率。 'exchange' -交换,兑换。 'rate' -率,汇率。
*the exchange rate today is 29 NTD to 1 USD.
*Because of the rising exchange rate, our exports dropped last quarter.
alternative - 替代。非主流的,非传统的。另类的。或是可能选择的事物或方法。
*Timothy decided to quit chemotherapy and go for alternative therapy.
*we had no alternative but to stay in an expensive hotel. 没有选择的。。
rise - get more and more.
rising star - get more and more people to focus on.
treading something with someone - exchange things with each other.
alternative currencies - other currencies is usable instead of real cash (dollar.)

Language Tips:
Joachimsthal -捷克国家,五百年前的一个小镇,有银矿,产银,制成钱币。所制成的银币叫做joachimsthalers
loanwords -借来的字。不是本国字,原不是英文。
loan -借贷,借。
Dollars - loanwords, from joachimsthalers, last few letters "thalers'
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Internet - 国际网路。
demote - 降级。
internet - Internet - 国际网路降级为小写i是因为普遍的被人使用而正式被人接受而纳入英文中。
stylebook - 一本提供写作方法,写作风格的书,也教导字与字之间的微妙处,何时用,如何用数字,何时用文字等。。。





Taking notes of Studioclassroom.



Friday, August 9, 2013

August

“If the first week of August be unusually warm, the winter will be snowy and long.”八月之樂   -「如果八月的第一個禮拜反常地天氣 溫暖,那麼冬季將會多雪又漫長。」

The dog days of summer remain in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. As the month progresses, the evenings become cooler in northern regions and mountains. But in the Southern Hemisphere. August means winter's end is fast approaching. Festivals can be found worldwide this month. One of the more outstanding ones is La Tomatina in Spain. If you like tomatoes, then you'll like this one because people throw them at one another!

Is music more to your taste? Then head to the Lollappalocza Festival in Chicago. Although it's primarily a music festival, crafts and comedy get mixed in as well. The world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland is on, too. Or perhaps you like horses. Then head to Siena, Italy, where a bareback horserace is held. It only lasts about a minute and a half!

"Evening emeralds," August's birthstone, the peridot, was called this by the Romans because of the way the peridot reflected lamplight. "Love at first sight!" August's flower, the gladiolus, held this hidden meaning during the Victorian era.

Grammar Gym:
.......winter send is fast approaching
'fast approaching' - coming quickly or happening soon.
We need to hurry to the station, I see our bus is fast approaching.
James has been very busy with his assignment because the due date is fast approaching.

Vocabulary Tips:
swing -摇动的幅度。
in full swing - is going, will not stop any soon. 正活跃的进行。
*The discussion was in full swing and nobody wanted to stop for lunch.
*The cherry blossom season was in full swing in March Kyoto.
outstanding - stand out, something is special.杰出的,显著的。
*The actor's outstanding performance won him an Oscar.
*George is outstanding at analyzing data.分析资料
outstanding -未完成的。
*We still have some outstanding issues to discuss. 还有一些尚未完成的议题要讨论。。。
primarily -mainly.主要的,根本的,
*The film's failure was primarily due to poor casting.
*The discussion focused primarily on the company's financial status.
primary -重要的。
*The primary goal of our trip is to find new clients.
reflect -反应,反射。  回来之意。
*This fabric reflects sunlight better than those fabrics.
reflect -反应,显现出。
*The conflict reflected the tension between races.
gladiolus -(花名)剑兰花。

Language Tips:
古时,预测天气是农夫,渔夫或水手们很关注的事:水手们多年的经验而有:
"Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning, red skies at night, sailor's delight." (早上天空泛红,水手们提高警觉,天气会有变,。。晚上天空泛红,水手们很高兴,因为知道明天会有好天气。
牛不喜欢迎风吃草,面向着风。久而久之,农夫们知道当:
"A cow's tail to the west makes the weather the best, a cow's tail to the eat makes the weather the least." 牛尾朝西,是好天气,。。牛尾朝东,那就是会起风,不会是个好天气。



taking not of Studiocalssroom

Thursday, August 8, 2013

The Great Train Robbery

50 years ago to the day …
火車大劫案 - 距今五十年前……

1963, at about 3:00 in the morning
The Night Flyer rolled to an unexpected stop. The train was traveling from Glasgow, Scotland, to  London, England, but had been halted by a red signal light. Seeking an Emergency phone, a fireman stepped off the train only to be seized by robbers dressed as track workers. The men then entered the cab of the train and hit the driver over the head. Once they had unhooked the train's engine and first two cars from the rest, the Night Flyer moved on.

3:15 a.m.
It soon stopped at Bridego Bridge, where the thieves removed 120 mailbags from the High Value Package car. The driver and fireman were then tossed into the car with its five mail sorters and were told not to move. By 3:45, the thieves' mission was complete, and all 15 of them made off with their goods without a trace. A stolen total of about 2.6 million pounds (US $50 million today) earned the crime is name - the Great Train Robbery. But though the robbery was successful, there are no clean getaways....

The Hunt
In response to Britain's biggest train robbery. Scotland Yard assembled a team of detectives called the Flying Squad. They received a call about suspicious activity at a place called Leatherslade Farm. It turned out to be the thieves' hideout. "the whole place is one big clue," one detective said. They made the first arrest the following day, but the last wasn't made until 1968, when mastermind Bruce Reyolds was final caught. Most of the robbers received 25 or 30 years of jail time though all were released by 1978.

The Man who Ran
The exception was Ronni Biggs, who escaped from prison in 1965 and ran from one country to another. Hiding behind plastic surgery, he was discovered in Brazil but avoided capture several times. Finally in 2001 over 30 years after his escape, an unhealthy Biggs turned himself in to serve his jail time. In 2009, he was released for compassionate reasons a day before his 80th birthday. He happens to share the date with the anniversary of his famous crime.


Grammar Gym:
The Night Flyer rolled to an unexpected stop.
rolled - The ball rolled across the floor.
rolled - to move smoothly. (refer to something big that move...)
We jumped into our car and rolled down to the beach.
The truck rolled into the parking lot.

Vocabulary Tips:
halt -stop. 停止,使中断,阻止。
halted - stopped by something.
*A police officer halted the truck to check if there were any illegal immigrants.
*The government halted the construction of the highway due to environmental objections. 停下。。。环保考量的反对声浪
unhook - to separate it from something,  release. 解开,松开,把某物品从钩子上取下。'hook' -钩子,松钩。扣子松开。
hook - attached to something. 扣起来
*The workers spent hours carefully unhooking the curtains before painting the room.
*The fisherman unhooked the fish from the net because the fish was too small.
goods (n) -something that very valuable, can buy or sale it. 货品,商品。
*The store sells a whole variety of leather goods.
*The goods in the warehouse were all damaged by the fire.
*The price of dry goods rises during the Chinese New Year holiday.
getaway - get away. escaped with no trouble. 逃跑,离开。
*Perfect getaways only happen in movies, not in real life.
getaway -a short vacation. 短暂,短时间的假期。
*Patricia went to Miami for a weekend getaway.
....years ago to the day - (number of years) ago to the day. (number of years and number months ago) to the day. (number of years ago) to (this second), (to this moment), (to this hour)...
seized -stop someone and not allow someone to go anywhere.
make off with - to steal with something and get away. to get away with.
without a trace -no path or clue to find them. trace - path, clue.
no clean getaway - always some kind of clues or trace to find them.
suspicious -you are not sure, believe it might be bad.可疑的,引起怀疑的。
*The guy's suspicious behavior caught the security guards' attention.
suspicious -怀疑的,觉得可疑的。
*A suspicious neighbor heard screaming and called the police.
mastermind -the person who organized the robbery. 主谋,幕后主使者,操纵者。
 'master' -主要的。 'mind'- 思想,意念。
*The mastermind behind the kidnapping was arrested at the airport.
mastermind (v) - 主谋,策划,幕后操纵。
*Ray masterminded the whole scheme to  cheat the investors.
plastic surgery -  整形,(整形用很多的朔胶物资来填充。)
plastic -朔胶
*The girl had plastic surgery to change the shape of her nose.
plastic surgeon -整形医生。
*Greg is a famous plastic surgeon in Hollywood.
anniversary -celebrate the date of something very special.周年纪念。
*Brandon and his wife celebrated their wedding anniversary at a fancy restaurant.
*The company held a banquet to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
detective - collet all possible clues and search for the crimes.
turned out - you are not sure for something, that you find out the fact.
compassionate - concerned and have mercy.

Language Tips:
英文单字,每个字几乎都有好几个定义,要掌握到它在文章句子中的真实意思。
car/engine/cab -车/引擎/计程车
car - 此处不是‘车’,而是‘railroad carriage’火车的一节车厢。.
engine -此处不是‘引擎’,而是指‘火车头’。
cab -此处不是 ‘taxi.’而是‘火车头的驾驶室’
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turn in - informal way to say "go to bed". 上床睡觉。
what time do you turn in? 你何时上床睡觉的?
I usually turn in at eleven o'clock. 我通常都在11点就寝。
turn in - 缴交。交作业,报告等。
Turn in to the teacher 。
turn someone in - 告发,检举某人。
turn himself in to the police. 自首,他向警察自首。
turn him in -告发,检举他。
..an unhealthy Biggs turned himself in to serve his jail time.。健康情形不佳的。。去自首而服刑。



Taking notes of Studioclassroom



Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Adventures for Cause

These trips are exciting and charitable but not for the faint of heart
有目標的冒險旅程  - 這些旅程既刺激又有慈善目的,但膽 小者勿試.

This Saturday, on the windswept plains of  Mongolia, 35 riders will line up and then explode into action, galloping over the steppe. This is the beginning of the world's longest horse race, the Mongol Derby. Participants spend 10 days traveling its nearly 1,000-klometer-long route - or rather, "un-route." They choose their own path across the vast Mongolian wilderness, occasionally checking in at rest stations to change horses. Riders may choose to sleep in tents at these stations, enjoying the local hospitality. Or they may prefer to sleep in the open under a night sky sprinkled with stars.

These riders are following in the hoofprints of Genghis Khan and his ancient Mongolian warriors. Like those warriors, they have a mission. But instead of conquering the world, their goal is to save it.

For Charity
The Mongol Derby is one of several events organized by the Adventurists, a team of courageous, eccentric adventure-lovers. The adventures are for fun, but a noble purpose can make any experience more exciting. So participants must raise at least 1,000 pounds for charity to enter. At least half of this goes toward rain forest conservation, "so future generations have somewhere to get stuck.".

What if you wnat' to experience an adventure for a cause, but horses aren't you thing? Never fear, there are others to choose from - after raising that 1000 pounds.

The Mongol Rally
What's more exciting than a 16,000-kilometer road trip across mountains, deserts and other rugged terrain? Doing it in a vehicle with an engine smaller than 1.2 liters! Mongol Rally participants follow another 'un-route' that consists of a starting point in the U.K., a finish line in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and nothing in between. After all, it's an adventure, not a guided tour.

The Rickshaw Run
When asked how to travel across India, almost no one would say, "drive a rickshaw." These three-wheeled, 145.45cc vehicles were built for short trips on roads, not a 3,000 - to 5,000-kilometer journey. Attempting this journey sounds utterly crazy - but it can be great fun. Just watch out for cows in the road.

The Bajai Rally
Even more impractical than India's rickshaw is Indonesia's Bajai, or tuk-tuk. These motorized rickshaws are loud, poorly designed and prone to breaking down. But that didn't stop adventure-seekers from taking them through jungles and over mountains, finding their own routes across Indonesia. Although discontinued, this adventure lives on in people's memories.

The Ice Run
Those willing to brave frigid temperatures can try the Ice Run, driving old Ural motorcycles across Siberia in February Usually rusty, with a design that has remained unchanged since before 1939, these vehicles are sure to break down at some point. But to the Adventurists, that's part of the excitement. So is the weather, often with temperatures around -30 degrees  (30 degree below zero) Celsius, sometimes colder, with 40 mile-per-hour winds.

The Mototaxi Junket
Continuing the trend of traversing the world's wildest terrain in the world's least reliable vehicles, the Adventurists present the Mototaxi Junket. Peru's mototaxis resemble 125cc scooters with a wide seat on the back and minimal steering and brakes. Riders take tehm across Peru, traversing mountains so high that the mototaxis' motors sometimes struggle to start, then plunging into the Amazon rain forest basin.

So there you have it - six of the craziest journeys ever. Do you have a taste for adventure, a disregard for comfort or safety and  a desire to help save rain forests? Then join the Adventurists in their quest to make the world a better - and more exciting -place.

Grammar Gym:
So there you have it - six of the craziest journeys you could possibly take.
'So there you have it' - That's it. Let people knows you are going to finish the speech.   Start with a sentence with " So there you have it " to close out your speech.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the Mona Lisa.

Vocabulary Tips:
the faint of heart -  someone who give up easily, or afraid of something.
faint of heart -胆小之人,胆小之辈。 'faint' -昏倒
*Bungee jumping is not for the faint of heart. 高空弹跳。
faint-hearted (adj) - 胆子小的,懦弱的。
*There's no time to be faint-hearted when you are at war.
windswept - wind comes blow that grass sway toward one direction. 被风吹袭的,迎风的。wind - 风。
swept/sweep -席卷,横扫。
*It's difficult to shoot a video on such a windswept hill.
*You can find goats on this treeless, windswept field.
eccentric - (ek-cen-tric)  act not usual.古怪,怪异的。
*The eccentric old man lives with a bunch of reptiles.爬虫类
*The woman's eccentric behavior attracted a lot of attention.
conservation - reserve, protect, keep or restore of something.保护,节约。
*The company is saving over $10,000 each month by its energy and water conservation efforts.
*The wildlife conservation proposal was passed in Congress. 野生动物的保护提案。
explode into action - (explode: things explode out),  get into action with exciting.
galloping -refer to horse riding.
steppe - dry plain place, dried grass covered place.
Derby - horse race.
check in -register in (at hotel, airport, private club etc).
hoofprints - means footprints, riding horse instead of walking with foot.
get stuck - is negative but here with positive meaning that people get stuck but they rain-forest in there and enjoy the forest.
rally -refer to car or motor vehicles racing. 指汽车,摩托车公路大赛。
*The best drivers from around the world went to the New Zealand Motor Rally.
rally - refer to a big gathering.群众的大会,聚会。
*This rally was organized to help raise money for the victims of the earthquake.
rugged -not smooth.崎岖的,高低不平的。
*The rugged yet beautiful coastline attracts many visitors each year.
*This rugged area is only accessible by four-wheel-drives.
impractical -not practical, not useful,  不合用,不切实际的 'im' -not ,有‘否定’之意 。
practical -useful.实际的,实用的。
*It's impractical to spend a lot of money buying lotto tickets.
practical -very useful. 实际的,实用的
*Sandra is very practical. She knows what a good deal is.
prone (adj) -very likely that would be happen. use or talk in a negative things. 容易如何如何的。。倾向于某种结果的。
*He's prone to get angry whenever he's under pressure. (prone +不定词 +动词 ) 他在压力下。。就容易发脾气。
prone - prone + to (介系词 ) + 名词或动名词。
*Amold is prone to making hasty decisions. 。。。是倾向于很容易冲动做出轻率的决定。。。
one's thing - usually use on talk something that is not you interested. That's not my thing. (you don't want to go or join it)
utterly - completely. use on the negative of feelings. I am utterly tired.
rickshaw - 此指‘机动三轮车, 一般是指人手拉的二轮车。
frigid (adj) - very cold, ice cold. 极其的冷,寒冷的,冰冷的。
*The actors have to jump into the frigid water for the scene.
*The funny stones the chairperson told changed the frigid atmosphere of the meeting.
traverse / traversing - across over.越过,穿过,横贯,横越,通过。  'tra' -有 “穿过”的意思 ,'verse' -有‘转弯’之意。
*We traversed the desert by jeep.
*The tour guide told us to traverse the suspension bridge with care. 通过危桥是要小心。
minimal -very small. very little.  'mini' -very small. 极少,极小的。
*Tom's minimal income can't support his family. 极微薄的薪水不够养家的。
*Only minimal damage was caused by the hurricane.
maximal -very large.与minimal 反意
*We made the maximal use of our free time in Rome and visited many sites.
disregard -not regard, not care for some important things. 不在乎,不管。。 'dis' -有“否定”的意思。
*The disregard Ben had for his parents' advice was obvious.
disregard (v) -不顾及。
*The boy completely disregards other people's feels.
wind chill factor - is very cold add, but with cold wind make even colder.
wind- breakers - something can break the wind to keep you worm.
- 30 degree Celsius   : a negative 30 degree, 30 degree below the zero.

Language Tips:
a week has 7 days -一星期有7天。它们的名字由来,通常是从罗马神话,北欧神话以及天体行星而命名的。
Sol - sun (Sunday)-罗马神话中的‘太阳神’命名。
Luna - moon (Monday) -罗马神话中的‘月神’命名
Mars - God of warrior. Tiu  ( Tuesday ) - Mars罗马神话中的‘战神’命名,被北欧神话里的‘战神Tiu ’取代。
Woden -  (Wednesday) -北欧神话中的‘诸神之父’命名的
Thor - God of thunder (Thursday )-北欧神话中的‘雷神’。
Frigg - Venus  (Friday) -Venus  罗马神话中的‘爱神’命名,后被北欧神话里的‘爱神Frigg’取代
Saturn - (Saturday )-罗马神话中的‘农神’命名,也是天体行星中的‘土星’。
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on road / in the road -   在马路上。什么时候用on,什么时候 in,是英文中介系词的奥妙处
preposition use need to avoid three things:
1. 用了错的介系词:'for pain' not 'against pain'.
2. 随便加了不该加的介系词:go home, not go to home.
3. 遗漏了该有的介系词:listen to music, not 'listen music'
---------------------------------------------------

在一个句子里,出现了气温,和时速的单位。
metric system -测量东西的公制单位。
Celsius -摄氏。
metric system -公制单位
U.S. customary unit.-美国惯用单位。(世界上还有三个国家尚未采用公制单位,虽然其中一个就是美国,但也有些事物开始使用公制单位)
metrication - 采用公制单位。



Taking notes of StudioClassroom

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Hualien From a Hot Air Balloon

You’ve never seen Hualien this way before!
搭熱氣球遊花蓮 - 這樣看花蓮,你以前一定沒試過!

I'd always wanted to visit Hualien. The city is one of Taiwan's most pleasant, known for spectacular Taroko Gorge. But on this trip my friends and I had another mission. We traveled there to participate in the county's first hot air balloon event.

In a flat, open field, two colorful balloons lay in a bundle under white cloth. All visitors watched a platform where a red flag was standing. A barrier between us and the sky, red meant the weather would not allow flight. Still, the balloons were laid out next to their baskets. Fans were first used to fill the balloons until they looked like huge sofas.

After that, burners on the baskets breathed fire to fill up the balloons with hot air. As they took shape, the balloons rose gradually to a standing position. Feeling no wind, we hoped that the red flag would soon be changed to a green one. Instead, a yellow flag was raised - proceed with care.

The first group boarded one balloon, which remained tied to the ground. Lifting off slowly, the white shape in motion was exciting to watch. Once it rose to a certain point, the wind suddenly started to carry it off. Many held their breath as it began to fall just as quickly. We soon relaxed as the balloon stabilized. After several minutes in the air, the balloon touched ground while a blue one rose.

Then we were told to make our way to the white balloon. We were about to experience a balloon flight for ourselves! We traded places with its passengers one by one to maintain the balloon's weight. Our pilot Tawin fired the burners, which caused us to tip rather than rise! The ground crew pulled the other side of the basket down. The balloon corrected itself, and we were off. Our spirits rose with the balloon as we gazed below.

Our view from the balloon can be summed up in one word - beautiful. Hualien's fields and mountain peaks shone bright green against the blue sky. And watching the people far below us was a relaxing moment in a busy day. The wind blew gently, causing us to sway a little from side to side.

While in the air, Tawin told us of some of his experiences. He even told us of a close call he had experienced in Malaysia. He had ballooned the world over, flying as high as eight or nine thousand feet. His shirt read "Hua Hin Ballooning," and he was indeed from Thailand.

The burners heat air inside the balloon to take it up. A rope can be pulled to release air from the balloon. But there are no controls for direction - you go where the wind blows. Though difficult to pilot, hot air balloons are easy to enjoy. In what seemed like a moment, we found ourselves back on the ground.


Vocabulary Tips:
mission - important task.重要的任务,使命。
*The ambassador has to accomplish a difficult mission in secret.
*Howard's team was sent on a rescue mission last night.
mission -使命,天职。
*Rick considers teaching to be his mission in life. 一生的使命。
participate - join the event. 参与,参加。
to participate in something - (不及物动词,加介系词 'in' .)
*Half of the factory's workers participated in the strike. 参与罢工活动。
participation (n) -参与
*We would like to see more participation from the fathers in these kinds of activities.
breathe (v) - taking and brew out the air from nose or mouth continually.呼吸
*We drove to the country to breathe some fresh air.呼吸新鲜空气。
breath (n) -呼吸
*She took a deep breath before diving into the pool.
proceed - go forward.  in process.前往,进行,前往。 'pro' -‘向前’之意。
*All of the campaign's activities proceeded smoothly.
*The passengers of flight 018 should proceed to gate 12 for boarding.前往。。登机
burner(s) - gas burner. more than one burner.
took shape - come to the full shape of something.
gradually - not at once, take time to do it, over a period of time ...
remain (v) -保持,依然。
*Jason remains energetic and active even though he's over 70
*The building remained in tack after the severe earthquake.
remains (n) -残骸,遗迹。remain当名词要加s
*The remains of the crashed plane were quickly removed.
stabilize - 使稳定。
*The patient's heart rate stabilized after the injection.
*The government tried to stabilize the stock market but failed.
stable (adj) - 稳定。
*Harry doesn't have a stable income.
fire (n) -火
fire (v) -点燃,引爆,开火。
*The policeman fired his gun at the robber who was attacking him.
*The engine finally fired up, and we moved on.
fire (v) -解雇。
*Dave was fired for his frequent tardiness.
gaze (v) - looking,take things in by eyes.凝视,注视。
*A little girl stood in front of the window, gazing at a beautiful doll.
gaze (n) -凝视,注视 (不及物动词+ 介系词 at +受词)
*That man's gaze made me feel very uncomfortable.
carry off - move, unexpected to leave...
hold one's breath - held breath, not breath.
rise /rose -上升
one by one - 一个接着一个。
traded places with its passengers one by one - one passenger gets out, and one gets in.
one on one - 一对一。
sum up - summarize, make a long story short. 总结。将某情况或讨论作总结
sum - summed/ summing.
*The best way of summing up our new management system is to say it is 'an absolute disaster'.
sway -move back and forth, front and back, side to side.前后或左右摇晃。摇曳。
*the heavy rainstorm made the ship sway from side to side.
*We joined hands and swayed back and forth.
sway -动摇,影响。
*Eric was swayed by his friends and decided to quit school.
release -释放,释出。
*The device can help release heat when the engine is overheating.
*The toxic waste was released into the sewers without being processed.
release - 释出,出院,允许离开。
*The suspect was released after interrogation.侦讯。
pilot (n) -a person who operate or control a aircraft.. 飞行员,引航员。
*The airline pilot was trained in Britain.
pilot (v) -direct or operate.驾驶,领航。
*He piloted his private jet all the way to San Francisco.
fire breath into the balloon - balloon filled up by the air of fire.
the world over - around the world.
bird-eye view - look down and view at a high place like the bird fly on the high sky looking down.
contrast of two different things. - two different things are against each other.
find yourself somewhere - noticed you are in a place where you know or you dreamed or planed before.

Grammar Gym:
Though he clearly enjoyed his job, he told us of a close call in Malaysia.
'close call' - a dangerous situation that somebody almost did not escape from. 有着‘几乎就没命了’之意。
That was a close call! (when you escape from a severe accident)

Language Tips:
lay/lie /laid - 放,躺,被放在。。
lie -平躺着,平放着,强调处于休止,休闲,休息的状态。(不及物v)
lie around - 闲置着,放置着,休止状态,不被使用的意思。东西停放在某处。
lying around -人休假,悠闲的躺在沙发椅上看电视。不用上班。
lay -放东西在某个面上。(及物v + 受词
laid - lay 的过去式。
lay a book on the table. (not  put it away) -顺手把书放在桌上。
a book is lying on the table.书躺放在桌上。
laid out next to their baskets.被放(摆)在。。。旁。
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英文中不可小看 :preposition -介系词 / article -冠词
有关"air" 的片语:
in the air - 在空中。
on the air -(指广播),在空中。
on air - walking on air. 飘飘然,很开心,心情愉快的。通常与"walk" 一起用。
Ever since she met Derek, she's been walking on air.
up in the air -悬而不决的,还未作决定的。
My plans are still up in the air.还未作决定的。
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hot air balloons - 热气球。
hot air -热气。也指 '爱说大话,夸张,空洞的话‘。
His promises turned out to be a lot of hot air. 他的保证到头来是一大堆夸张,空洞,不实的大话。
full of hot air - 形容一个人爱说大话,夸张,空洞的话。
a blowhard -你也可以称这爱说大话,夸张,空洞不实话的人或总向你吹嘘他多有钱的人为 a blowhard.


Taking notes of StudyClassroom.