The Benefits of Sports

Seven good reasons to start playing your favorite sport today!
運動好處多 - 七大好理由，讓你今天 就開始做你最喜愛的 運動！

Hitting a tennis ball, throwing a baseball or kicking a soccer ball bring hours of enjoyment. But did you know that participating in sports has lots of benefits, too?

The benefits include:
Greater confidence: Winning helps you feel a sense of accomplishment and feel good about yourself.

Becoming a good sport: 
Winning feels great, but losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life while still maintaining a positive attitude.

Improved math skills: 
Players use math skills as they calculate team scores, etc.

New friends: 
Playing on a team gives you the chance to meet people with the same interests.

Disease prevention :
Playing sports helps prevent cancer, heart disease, depression and other diseases. Playing also helps to build healthy bones.

A healthy lifestyle:
Kids who play sports are less likely to smoke or take drugs because of the negative effects on their performance.

Reduced stress: 
Playing sports helps to reduce stress. Exercise releases a chemical ( endorphin ) in the brain that makes you feel happy and less anxious.

Whether playing competitive sports or just a social game, you should have fun. So get up and get active because there are lots of good reasons to go out and play!

Grammar Gym:
".....losing teaches you how to deal with disappointments in life while still maintaining a positive attitude."
[ Situation 1] + While still maintaining [ Situation 2 ].
Robert was able to compete in several tennis tournaments while still maintaining good grades in school.
Miriam was able to attend classes during the day while still maintaining two jobs.

Vocabulary Tips:
sport (n) - 运动
a good sport - 有运动精神的人，气度宽宏的人，有度量的人，（输了还保有良好风度的人）
*No one wants to play with a person who isn't a good sport.
*George is always a good sport while playing basketball.
calculate - relate to math, adding or subtracting...计算。
*We need to calculate the sum of our total costs before giving your our estimate.
calculation (n) -计算
*We did a rough calculation of the profit we can get from this deal.
prevention - 预防。
prevent -stop from getting something. 预防，防止。
prevent from -
*Exercise can prevent cardiovascular diseases. 心肺疾病。
*The research team is working on cancer prevention.
compete (v) - race. 竞争。
competition (n) -竞争的，有竞争性的。
competitive (adj)  - compete with someone else.竞争性强的。
*You have to work hard to excel in this competitive environment. 出类拔萃。
* Claire is a very competitive tennis player.求胜心强的。。。
loser - a party who is not winning. 败者。
get something - get up and get active, get going, get up, get involve and to do something.

Language Tips:
sport (n) - 运动.
sport (v) - 炫耀，惹人注意的穿著打扮。
to sport - 用以炫耀。
sport your favorite hat - 自豪或炫耀的戴着自己喜爱的帽子。
sport a mustache -自豪或炫耀留着的山羊胡子.
sport a goatee - 自豪或炫耀 留着的小胡子.






Notes taking of Studioclassroom

Customer Troubles

Negotiating skills are an important part of customer service
客服難題 -協商技巧是客服的重要一環.

Ben: Hey, Uncle Bob.

Uncle Bob: Hi, Ben. How's the business?

Ben: OK, but I'm having trouble with some customers.

Uncle Bob: What kind?

Ben: I feel like they are taking advantage of me. I keep getting pushed into doing more work for less pay.

Uncle Bob: Give me an example.

Ben: OK. When I give one of my customers a price quote for a job, he'll agree to the price. But then when we're about to sign the contract, he'll say something like "Technical support is part of this package, right?"

Uncle Bob: So what do you do? 

Ben: What can I do? I basically agree to whatever he's asking.

Uncle Bob: It sounds like you're having trouble with negotiations.

Ben:  Negotiations?

Uncle Bob: Your customer is using a negotiating strategy called "the nibble.". 

Ben:  The nibble?

Uncle Bob: It's called the nibble because each of those little requests is like a little bite.

It's effective because you've already made the deal in your mind, and the extra concessions seem small compared to the bigger deal.

Ben: What can I do to stop the nibble?

Uncle Bob: There are many ways to counteract the nibble. The easiest is probably just to show your customer a written price list that lays out the costs of additional features or services.
Ben: I have another example.
Uncle Bob: Okay.
Ben: One of my customers always responds to a price quote by saying " You'll have to do better than that!"
And you respond by lowering the price?
Ben: Right, but I always feel like I've lowered it too much.
Uncle Bob: That strategy is called "the vise". The best way to handle it is to ask how much better you'll have to do. That way, you don't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary.
Ben: I see. I also have a customer who always responds to my prices by claiming he doesn't have that much money.
Uncle Bob: Do you remember the game hot potato?
Ben: Sure. You have to pass the hot potato to someone else before time runs out, right?
Right. That's what your customer is trying to do to you. He's trying to manipulate you by passing his problems on to you.
Ben: How can I prevent that?
Uncle Bob: Don't become hostile. Just pass one of your problem right back to the customer. Explain that you won't be able to complete the project for the money he's offering or that you need the money for your children's education.
Ben: That's great. Thanks. Uncle Bob.
Uncle Bob: Glad to help. Ben.

Grammar Tips:
"That way, you don't end up in the downward spiral of negotiating against yourself by offering lower prices than necessary.
'the way' - Do I go this way or that way?
'the way ' - if you follow what was just mentioned.
Pack your book bag before you sleep; that way, you will have one less thing to worry about in the morning.
Always keep an extra umbrella at work; that way, you will be prepared in case it suddenly rains.

Vocabulary Tips:

push someone into something -强迫某人或逼迫某人去做某事。

push -逼迫，施加压力。

*Howard felt that he was pushed into taking over his father's business.

*Max got pushed into joining the football team by his friends.

package -整套服务或整套的商品。全套的。

*I thought medical insurance was included in the package.

*The package includes train tickets and a one-night stay at the Hilton.

concession - 让步，妥协。

*The company decided to make a concession in order to get the contract signed.

*The president declared that the government would make no concessions to the terrorists. 宣布。。绝不让步。

counteract -对抗，抵抗，抵制。 'counter' -反对。

*The doctor prescribed some medicine to counteract the side effects of the treatment.

*New measures were taken to counteract bullying at school.

quote - here refer to price that how much someone need to pay.估价。 also means someone says something use quotation mark, such as quote someone's word. 引号，引用别人的话。

too much for too little / or too little for too much.

having trouble with something - have problem with something.

getting pushed into doing something - make you have to do it.

negotiation (n) / negotiations - talk to lower the price or ask for adding something ..讨价还价，商议。

nibble - take a small bite.  take a small bite of something. because just a small piece people would not care too much. 小口小口的吃。一次只咬下或吃一点点。
vise/ vice (n) - a kind of tool. 也指邪恶的行径，恶习，弱点，缺点，恶劣的行径。
*Pride is one of his vises.骄傲是他的缺点之一。
*The police successfully smashed a large vise ring. 破获了。。犯罪集团。
*The reporter revealed the vice and corruption of the politician. 揭露着政客。恶劣及腐败的行径。
downward spiral - things are keep getting worst. 恶性循环。spiral - 螺旋。
*Lack of funds and high interest rates pushed him into a downward financial spiral.
manipulate - control to get your way or what you want.操纵，操控，控制。
*The movie star is good at manipulating the media to get the attention she wants. 善于操纵媒体。。
manipulate -操作或操控某种机械。
*Pilots go through strict training in order to manipulate the controls on the panel in the cockpit.
hostile -not friendly. opposite of friendly. 怀有敌意的，不友善的。
*The people in that town are pretty hostile to outsiders. 对外来的人非常不友善。
*The boy is so hostile because he was physically abused for years. 如此怀有敌意是因为他多年来一直受到肢体暴力对待。
upward spiral - things are keep getting better and better. 增增日上，越来愈好。

Language Tips:

question mark - ? 不只是有问题向人提出请问。也用来表示“疑问，不确定或惊讶"

She asked if I was hungry -  间接疑问句后面不需要问号。

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cheap / frugal - 小气鬼/ 节俭的人。
cheap - 便宜，不值钱。
cheap - is stingy,  like to haggle. 用在人身上是很负面的。很小气，喜欢杀价，令周遭的人不愉快。
stingy -小气，吝啬。
haggle -杀价。
frugal - 节俭的。为了省钱而bargain， 省下来的钱，慷慨地愿意去帮助有需要的人。



Notes taking of StudioClassroom

The History of Pencils

A truly international writing instrument
鉛筆的歷史淵源  - 一種真正國際化的書寫工具

Pencils, pencils, everywhere!

Most of us have so many of them that we take them for granted. But these common writing tools have a long and interesting history.

It started in Rome
The first example of a pencil-type instrument probably came from ancient Rome. There, a thin piece of metal was used to scratch words onto an early form of paper.

Long, skinny pieces of lead were also used to make marks on the page. But writers had to wait until the 16th century for a much better writing instrument.

England's find
Around 1564 a huge deposit of graphite was discovered near Cumbria, England. The solid graphite was mistakenly considered to be a type of lead. Locals happily realized it provided a perfect way to mark their sheep. The graphite was also easily sawed into sticks but was very soft. People tried wrapping them in string or other materials to provide a covering. But then a couple form Italy thought of a better idea.

Italian and German changes
The Italian couple hollowed out a wooden stick and then placed a graphite stick inside it. This created a wooden holder for the graphite. In the late 1500s, someone in Germany glued two wooden halves together around a graphite stick. The concept still used today.

German improvements
In 1839 Germany's Lothar von Faber devised a way to make graphite sticks all the same width. He also invented a machine to cut the pencil wood.

American production
By the late 1860s in America, pencils were in great demand. American companies began designing machines to mass-produce them. It helped meet the need and cut the cost of pencils by 50 percent.

Japanese ideas
Several people are said to be responsible for inventing the mechanical pencil. In 1915, however, Japan's Tokuji Hayakawa created a mechanical pencil similar to the one used now.

Today both kinds of pencils are very popular with the wooden pencil being number one. More than 6 billion wooden pencils are manufactured in 40 different countries each year.

Grammar Gym:
'It helped meet the need.....'
'to meet the need' -to satisfy the need.
'to meet a need = to meet the need.'
The school encourages students to volunteer and help meet the different needs in the community.
After a natural disaster strikes, relief organizations will send helpers to meet the different needs of the disaster victims.

Vocabulary Tips:
take for granted -always have and enjoy it, not appreciated.把某个事或物的给予， 视为理所当然的。
grant -give.给予，授予。
*Charles tends to take other people's help or kindness for granted. 帮助和恩惠。
take someone for granted -对某人不重视，不关心。
*Susie complains that her husband takes her for granted.
scratch - not smooth, is rough to touch the surface. 刮伤，刮，抓痒，。
*The CD was scratched so badly that I can't play it now.
scratch - 刮伤，刮痕。
*The victim of the car accident has a few scratches on his face.
deposit - large amount of something was stored. 沉淀物，矿床。
*Some geologists found a large deposit of coal in this area. 煤矿的矿床。
deposit -存款
*Janet made a deposit of $500 at this ATM.
deposit -定金。
*They paid $1000 as a deposit for the apartment they wanted to rent.
wrap -包裹，缠绕。
wrapped/ wrapping.
*Alison wrapped her gift and decorated it with a ribbon.
wrap - 环绕。
*The man wrapped his arms around his wife. 用他的膀臂环绕他的妻子。
wrapping (n) -包裹的材料。
*The boy tore the wrapping off his gift excitedly.
instrument -tool. 工具，器材。。
hollow - the center is empty. 挖空，挖空（某东西）
*The tribesman hollowed out a canoe from a log.
hollow  (adj) -中空的，空心的。
*The tree trunk is hollow inside. 树干
*The patient's eyes and cheeks are hollow.  栓眼和面颊是凹陷的。
devise (v) -invented,  coming up something. 想出，设计出。
*Chelsea devised a method to keep herself awake during night shifts.
*The engineers devised a new kind of TV which reacts to human voices.
demand - needed, ask, require. 需求，要求。
in demand - 有需求的。
*The demand for organic products has increased in recent years.
*Smartphone chips are still in great demand.
mechanical -机械的。 'mechan'-有‘机器’之意。
*These mechanical clocks need constant maintenance.
mechanic (n) - 技师。器械师。
*The mechanic charged me $500 to replace the air conditioner in my car.
devise (v.)-(发z 音)  away - invented a way, to devised a plan.
device (n) - (发s 音)  -a thing.
concept - idea, thinking,  a create thought.观念，想法。
to hollow out - to take out, to remove the things out. 挖空。
graphite - a material that is in the center of the pencil, not a lead, but look like a lead.
manufactured - have making, produced.

Language Tips:
sheep /goat - 绵羊/山羊。
sheep (n) - 绵羊，不可数名词。不能加‘s‘。
one sheep, two sheep, 200 sheep.
goat (n) -山羊。普通名词，可数名词，要加‘s‘。
two goats, five goats, one goat.
mutton - 一般吃的羊肉。
lamb - 羔羊，羊羔的肉。
ram - male sheep. 公绵羊。
ewe -（eu) -female sheep we call it ewe.母绵羊。
billy goat - male goat called billy goat. 公山羊。
nanny - female goat.母山羊。
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pencil (n) -铅笔
pencil (v) -  to pencil.-用铅笔写。
to pencil -用铅笔写或画。（铅笔写是可以擦去重写或更改的）
pencil in - 暂定的约会。（暂时先定下来，铅笔写下，可擦拭并变更的。）
I will pencil you in. - 我先帮你暂定下来，不能的话，可以改的。



Notes taking of StudioClassroom

The Psychology of To-do Lists

Here’s why to-do lists work … or don’t work
待辦事項清單的心 理學    -  以下揭露待辦事項清單有 效……或沒效的原因 .

As I write this, a long list of tasks sits on the desk beside me, reminding me what to work on. Many people like me use to-do lists to organize work and manage time. So what makes this method effective?

Psychologists have observed that people usually focus on tasks that aren't finished. This tendency may sound helpful - but it isn't always. In one study, people who didn't finish a warm-up activity struggled with later tasks.

Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up. Planning how to finish the warm-up removed this distraction even if they couldn't complete the task. Similarly, to-do lists let people plan when to complete tasks not yet finished. That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand. But writing a to-do list doesn't guarantee success. This technique has several limitations.

Problem: A long list of tasks that need to be done can be overwhelming. When faced with too many choices, people may find it difficult to do anything.

Solution: Prioritize the items on the list and start with the most important tasks.

Problem: Most people have a preference for short, easy tasks. But this can lead to the easy jobs getting checked off while long ones remain.

Solution: Divide long assignments into smaller parts. For example, don't write Plan trip to Japan: write Check plane-ticket prices online. This makes long tasks seem easier. You can also use "fun" tasks as rewards when you finish difficult ones.

Problem: Writing the list itself can be a form of procrastination. It gives you a sense of accomplishment - without doing any real work.

Solution: Don't just list tasks; decide when and where to do them. This will help you follow through. Some experts recommend a method called if/then planning. For example, rather than writing Call Steve, write Monday after lunch, call Steve. Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar.

Remember, to-do lists are tools. They won't solve all your time-management problems. But if used well, they can make you more effective at work and at home.

Grammar Gym:
That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand.
'frees' - letting go.
After the war, the prisoners were freed from prison.
'free' - to make something available for another purpose.
*Jan decided to quit her second job; this frees her time to be with her kids more.
*Benjamin needs to free his schedule before he can say yes to any new commitments.


Vocabulary Tips:
psychology -心理学。 'psych'-有‘灵魂，心志’之意。, 'logy' - 有‘学问，理论’之意。
*The detective majored in criminal psychology.
psychological (adj) - 心理的。
*Psychological analysis. 心理的分析。
tendency - usually does, as a habit. 倾向。
*The patient is struggling against suicidal tendencies.
*Tanya has a tendency to avoid conflicts.逃避冲突。
tendency -趋势
*There's a tendency for gold prices to rise when the economy is bad.
concentrate -set mind focus on something.集中，注意，专注。concentrate on 。。。。
*Rita decided to concentrate on her career.
concentration (n) -集中注意力。
*Driving requires constant concentration. 持续的集中注意力。
overwhelming - too much came at once toward you that effect your feeling.使不知所措，令人无法承受。
overwhelm -令人无法承受，或势不可挡， 压倒性的。
*The overwhelming success almost ruined the teenage star.
*The team celebrated their overwhelming victory with their coach.
the task at hand - work on your job at hand. Something you are doing right now.
limitation - something you can not do, unable you or limit you to do something.
preference - 偏好，偏爱。
prefer - 更喜欢，偏好。
*Greg has shown a strong preference for astronomy since he was a boy.
*In order to serve our customers better, it's important to know their preferences.
procrastination -拖延，延迟。
*Any procrastination in decision-making can cause a loss of millions of dollars.
procrastinate (v) -延迟，蓄意拖延，拖延。
*The buyers intentionally procrastinated when making their house payments.
follow through -坚持，进行到底，持续到最后完成任务。
*Chloe is good at planning, but really bad at following through.
follow through on something. -对某项任务持续到底，贯彻始终。
*Richard was assigned to follow through on this project.
abandon -抛弃，中途停止。stop, not finish with, give up, dump.
*David was forced to abandon his studies because of his illness.
*This little baby was abandoned in front of an orphanage.
*The captain decided to abandon ship as it began to sink.

Language Tips:
occupied / preoccupied :
occupied - 在使用中或是被占据，被侵占。
The seat is already occupied.
preoccupied -全神贯注，心思被占据。很入神，心事重重的。
She seemed preoccupied when I was talking to her.
occupied - refer to physical.
preoccupied - refer to mental, (our thought and mind)
Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up......=They were still preoccupied with the warm-up...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
all together - 大家在一起。（非常重要，句子中不可少的，否则意思就不全了）
* The last time we were all together was in 2001.
altogether (adv) - （副词），完全地，简直是。（在一个句子中可有可无，不会影响一个句子的意思。）
*That test was altogether too difficult. 简直是太困难了。
*Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar.

"Country Roads, Take Me Home"

“Almost Heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River”
《鄉間小路帶我回家》  - 「宛如天堂，西維吉尼亞，藍嶺山脈，仙納度河」

Fall is probably the most beautiful season of the year. The cooler temperatures make it perfect for people to enjoy nature. For Asians, Moon Festival makes autumn a unique season. But here, not much attention is given to Moon Festival. Instead, Americans appreciate this season in a different way.

As the tree leaves change color, it is time for a fall leaf tour. One of North America's most popular spots is Shenandoah National park. John Denver described it in his song "Take Me Home Country Roads" Skyline Drive, which runs through the park attracts over 2 million visitors every year. They go to admire the fall leaves. Like most leaf peepers, we left early on a Saturday. A long line of cars was already waiting to enter the park. We drove at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the gold, orange and red leaves.

Overlooks provided places to take pictures. Around bends, valleys of different shapes of colors caught our eye. After leaving Skyline Drive, we visited a well-known cave, Luray Caverns, Found in 1878, this cave is one of the most spectacular caves in the world. We were amazed by the limestone shapes inside. The most famous one is the world's largest musical instrument, the Great "Stalacpipe" Organ. Fortunately, we were able to hear a piece of music.

Other famous formations include Dream Lake, Totem Poles and Saracen's Tent. Dream Lake is a mirror-like surface which reflects the stalactites above the lake. To Totem Poles are columns of various shapes and colors. Saracen's Tent is considered the best well-formed drapery in the world. Walking around this underground natural wonder is an unforgettable experience.

On the way back home, we rolled down the widows and enjoyed the autumn breeze. Suddenly, the winding road looked like the road we had often taken on Yang-Ming mountain in Taipei. As the song says, these country roads are taking me home - to the place I belong!

Grammar gym:
to run - how something long and skinny goes through an area.
A river runs through the middle of the jungle.
The power lines run along the east side of the building.

Vocabulary Tips:
unique - different from others, very special. 独一无二的，唯一的，独特的。
*The region has its own unique dialect and customs.
*The jazz singer's unique voice is very charming.
uniqueness (n) -独特的
*Each student's uniqueness should be recognized and respected.
instead -取代。代替。
*After winning the lottery, Jonah didn't quit his job, instead, he has kept working at the same company.
instead of -replace this for something else.
*Margret got laid off, but instead of feeling down, she went on a vacation.
admire - really enjoy or respectful.
*We stood in front of the waterfall admiring the view.
*The general's character and courage is greatly admired by his colleague.
shade - type of color, light or dark or some other different color.同一色彩的不同层度上的明暗，深浅。
*The designer used different shades of pink on the gown.
*There're over 100 shades of eye color on display.
shade -树阴。
*We stood in the shade of the tree.
amaze - 使惊叹，使惊奇，
*The little girl's singing talent amazed not only the audience but also the judges.
amazing (adj) -令人惊讶的，惊奇的。
*The movie's amazing special effects were created by an award-winning team.
formation -结构形态。
form -形成。
*Timmy loves to study the formations of the clouds. 云层的结构形态。
formation -事物的形成。
*The formation of a child's personality is strongly affected by his family and friends.
column - round post. 圆形柱子。
*The marble columns of the building were delicately carved.
column -（印刷）栏，行。
*Each page of the brochure has two columns.
column - 报纸，杂志的专栏。
*This fashion column is quite popular among female readers.
breeze -微风。
*You can feel a cool summer breeze blowing in the valley.
breeze -轻松的随意缓慢的。。。
*Alex breezed into our meeting as if he were the one who called the shots.轻松的随意的慢慢的走入。。。一副他是当家作主的（洋子）
peep - secretly take a look at something - 偷窥。
as..... - 古人云；有人说。


Language Tips:
leaf peeper -观赏叶子。
peep -偷窥
gaze - 凝视，
stare -眼盯着看。
leaf / peep -因为leaf 和 peep，leaf peep， leaf peeper 唸起来较顺口，所以用peep，而不用leaf gaze,stare or look. - bird watching.
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命其名（取名）：
Skyline Drive -city of buildings are tall, reach to the sky, we call it skyline, here it refers to the road on high land, drive on it feel like very close to the sky, so call it Skyline Drive.
Dream Lake - 当然，Dream Lake想必是因为湖有着像梦幻般的美景。
Totem Poles -圆柱上有图腾，而命名为‘图腾柱’。



Notes taking of StudioClassroom

The Speed of Cities

 A city’s pace of life reveals a lot about its size, success and culture
城市的速度-   一座城市的生活步調 大大透露出其大小、 成就與文化。

Are you a fast or slow walker? Is your city or town wealthy or poor? Believe it or not, research suggests walking speed and a city's prosperity may be related! Citizens of bigger affluent cities tend to walk faster, while residents of poorer cities tend to take things a little slower. Why is that? A social psychologist named Robert Levine wanted to know, so he went out into the streets to get answers.

A worldwide experiment
With help from all over the world, Levine conducted an experiment. What's the average speed of a pedestrian over a distance of 18.29 meters? Volunteers in big cities in 31 countries timed pedestrians as they covered this distance and submitted their results. The fastest pedestrians lived in Ireland, crossing the distance in an average of 11.13 seconds. The slowest walkers hailed from Brazil, where they got from point A to point B at a more leisurely 16.76 seconds.

Levine found that these results were strongly related to economic success. Residents of cities that struggled or were still developing moved at a slower pace, and residents of wealthy cities moved faster. The motto "Time is money" seems to be true!

Pace of life
Walking speed is only part of the pace of life in any city. The pace of life also includes how fast people talk, how quickly a bank teller gives out change and how accurate everyone's watch is. Levine also researched some other factors and found that the pace of life was fastest in Western Europe and Japan. East Asian economic powers like Hong Kong and South Korea landed in the middle, along with Canada and the U.S. The slowest pace seemed to be in Central and South America and In Indonesia.

Along with wealth, population size and culture also affect the pace of life. But how does pace affect the well-being of people in the fast lane? Studies show that "time urgency" predicts heart disease. People who move fast and feel stressed about time are more likely to die of heart disease than those who live slower lives. So does walking fast make people ill? Or is the fast-paced, stressed lifestyle the culprit? While some people thrive under stress, most don't and should slow down.

What's your city's speed? Is it better to be fast and pursue economic success or to move more slowly and live a healthier life?

Grammar Gym:
"......while residents of poorer cities tend to take things a little slower."
to take things - to handle or respond to situations.
Edward likes to take things one at a time.
Sam doesn't take things too well whenever he's hungry and tired.

Vocabulary Tips:
pace of life -生活节奏`。
pace -节奏，步调，速度，走路的速度。
*Helen is still adjusting to the fast pace of city life. 适应。。快节奏。。
*The girl's pace quickened when she felt someone was following her. 加快脚步。。。
teller - who work as a cashier or register. 柜台人员。
*The bank teller is verifying the check with her supervisor.
*The bank teller is very friendly to her customers.
ATM = automatic teller machine.
urgency - important, have to do immediately.紧急。
*The urgency of her phone call caused us to drive over to her apartment immediately.
*The urgency of situation requires our instant response.
urgent (adj) - need to do as soon as possible. to do now.紧急的
*There's an urgent need for drinking water and food in the flooded area.
thrive - doing very well. success. 兴旺，茁壮生长，
*William's business thrived even during the recession.
thrive on - 靠什么，在何情形（况）下 用'on'.
*Pants thrive on sunlight, water and fresh air.
affluent - rich and wealthy. 富裕的，有钱的，富足的。you and your neighbors all have a lot of money.
*Tina lives in an affluent neighborhood in Miami.
*Jacky was born and raised in an affluent family.
pedestrian - person who are walking. -have the right of the way.行人。  'pedes' -refer to 'legs and feet'. 有‘脚“的 意思。
*Pedestrians are not commonly seen in Los Angeles.
pedestrian (adj) -徒步的。
a pedestrian zone 行人徒步区。
a pedestrian bridge.- 专供行人徒步的路桥。
hail from -come from, came from. 生于，来自于。
*The band hailed from Sydney, Australia.
*The girl hails from a wealthy family, but she's very down to earth.
motto -座右铭。
*My father's motto is "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper."  -乞丐
culprit - your culprit, your are to blame for.
well-being - whole body include mental, physical, spiritual and thoughts.
conduct - to do, to experiment it.
down to earth - 实事求是，平凡实在，脚踏实地。

Language Tips:
speed/ pace -速度，机器，车，船等的速度/ 速度，人的生活，走路的步调
The Speed of Cities.
A city's pace of life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
change - 不可数n.不加‘s。 零钱，兑换，找开来的钱。找零钱。
I have some loose change in my pocket. 一些铜板，零钱。
Do you have change for a hundred?你能换开这百元大钞吗？
.....how quickly a bank teller gives out change...
exact change - 恕不找零钱。



Notes taking of Studio Classroom

Answer That Telephone!

How to say what you need to say on the telephone.
接電話啊！ 如何在電話中說出 你該說的話

When the telephone rings and you know you have to answer it in English, do you get nervous? Maybe you do because you have to depend only on your ears to understand.  When you talk to someone in person, you can use body language to help interpret the meaning. In reality, though, you don't have to be fluent in English to use the phone. Let's try to calm those nerves by looking at some of the verbs you'll hear - or use.

People use the word call a lot. But by adding different prepositions, you get different meanings. You can call someone or call someone up to reach them by phone. They mean the same thing. When someone is not in, you call them back later. In England, you phone someone rather than call them. Or you phone them up. 

You can also ring or ring up someone. So call, phone and ring all mean to use the phone to get in touch with someone. When you are finished with a call, you hang up. If you need to interrupt a call for a moment or two, you can ask the other party to hang on or hold on.

Sometimes when the phone rings, someone may demand that you pick up the phone. That's the same thing as answering the phone. After you pick up the phone, the person may ask you a question. If you don't know the answer, you can promise to get back to them with the answer. That means you will find out the information and call them again.

If you are calling a business, sometimes you can't reach the person you wish to talk to. Then you can say. "I couldn't get through." Or a receptionist may answer the phone and say they will put you through to your party. Or, if the person is not available, you will be put through to voice mail.

By learning these phrases, you will find that answering the phone in English won't be so nerve-wracking.


Grammar Gym:
"Let's try to calm those nerves by looking at some of the verbs you'll hear...."
to calm nerves - to make someone feel not so nervous.
Before John went to take his test, he listened to some music to calm his nerves.
Tony brought Mina a glass of water to calm her nerves.

Vocabulary Tips:
interpret - 翻译，特别指口译。'inter' - 两者之间。
*Victor interpreted for his client during the negotiations.
interpretation (n) -翻译。
simultaneous interpretation. 同步翻译。
fluent -流畅的，流利的
*Frank, my American coworker, can speak fluent Cantonese.
fluent in -  in 在那方面 很流畅， 用‘in'。
*Lawrence is fluent in both French and Italian.
fluency (n) -流畅，流利。
*Fluency in English is one of the job requirements.
preposition -前置词，介系词。 'pre' -在。。之前, 'position' -位置，
*Theo has trouble using the correct prepositions in his writing.
*Many phrasal verbs contain a verb and a preposition. 动词片语
touch -接触，
get in touch with -与某人联络，联繋。
get in touch with someone -与某人联繋
*I will get in touch with her tomorrow.
*Many people now use Facebook or Twitter to get in touch with each other.
party -此指“ 当事人的一方。不是指‘派对”。
*Both parties agreed to negotiate on their prices.
*The conclusion of the meeting didn't seem to satisfy either party.
demand - ask, require.要求，请求。强烈要求。需求。
*The boss demands absolute loyalty from his employees.
*The people demanded the government's immediate explanation regarding the incident.
demand - 需求。
*The market demand is much greater than we expected.需求大于预期。。
receptionist - the person who usually sit in front of the desk to direct or answer or giving initial help.接待员。
*The hotel's receptionists are fluent in many languages.
reception (n) - 接待，欢迎。
*The speaker received a warm and passionate reception from the audience. 受到观众。。温暖又热情地接待。
nerve-wracking / nerve racking - 令人紧张不安的。
nerve -神经。
wrack - 折磨，使痛苦。
*The waiting before the auditions is so nerve-wracking. 试镜之前的等待。。。
*I will never forget the nerve-wracking experience of bungee jumping. 高空弹跳。

Language Tips:
phone -打电话（给某人）。（英国人常说，美国人比较少这么说）
phone someone up -打电话给某人
call -打电话（给某人）。
French fries (U.S.A.) = chips (English) 炸薯条。
chips - 薯片。（美国）
consistency - 贯彻性，持久性，一致性。（在一篇文章中，无论你用英式，或美式文法，选中一种，就要有一致性的贯彻到底。）
----------------------------------------------------
spelling reform: 拼音重组（整）
'gh' - such as laugh, through...
laugh - 微笑，发音与‘laff’较更贴近。
through -通过，借由。。发音与‘thru’较更贴近 .
you -  你。发音与‘yu' 较更贴近.



Notes taking of StudioClassroom

Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise

 Enjoy some of the finest nature has to offer in Banff National Park
優美的班夫和路易絲湖    - 欣賞班夫國家公園美好無比的大自然風光

What can be more beautiful than brilliant blue water or snowy mountains? If that's your idea of eauty, put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your travel list. Banff and beautiful Lake Louise lie in the majestic Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park. The park, Canada's oldest, offers 6,641 square kilometers of wild land to explore. Within the park, you'll find not only mountains but meadows, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and wild animals.

You can find plenty of outdoor adventure all year round. You can explore the park using a car or bicycle, hiking boots, skis or a canoe. Stop first in the delightful town of Banff, which was designed as a tourist town. The first street was laid out to give visitors a great view of Cascade Mountain. Grab breakfast and coffee at one of the many small cafés before heading out to explore the park. Or finish your day by looking around in the small shops along Banff's main street.

Be sure to ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain. You can see six mountain ranges from the top. take the easy 1 - kilometer walk around the top of the mountain. You can enjoy the view from every direction. Have your camera ready to shoot not only the views but also the animals. Rocky Mountain big horn sheep and other animals frequent the gondola area. But mosquitoes also frequent the area, so keep moving. When you stop, they attack! You can ride the gondola down or hike down the 5.3 kilometer switchback trail.

Another popular trail takes you through Johnston Canyon. Take an easy hike to enjoy the Lower Falls, but don't stop there. The trail will take you past seven waterfalls. You can walk through a wet tunnel and enjoy a close-up look at the Upper Falls. They are more than twice as high as the Lower Falls. Keep your eyes open, and watch for birds, too. Many species live and nest in the canyon.

From Johnston Canyon, drive up the Bow Valley Parkway to lovely Lake Louise, Along the road, you may glimpse deer, elk or even a black bear. When you arrive at lake Louise, you'll notice its unusual color. That color and the snow-covered mountains make it the subject of countless photographs. Lake Louise's water is about 4 degrees Celsius and too cold for swimming but perfect for boating. Rent a canoe and glide peacefully across the water. Or ride around the lake on horseback to enjoy the views!

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits regally near the lake. Sine 1890 the grand luxury hotel has welcomed ordinary as well as famous visitors. Don't miss afternoon tea in the dining room.

You can appreciate the mountain views in many ways. So enjoy all that Banff and Lake Louise have to offer.

Grammar Gym:
If that's your idea of beauty, put Banff, Alberta, at the top of your travel list.
"one's idea of (something) - one's view or opinion of what something is all about.
Being out on a beach in the sun was Stanley's idea of fun; unfortunately, it rained the whole time while he was there.
Going to a baseball game is not Lola's idea of a perfect weekend; she prefers staying indoors.

Vocabulary Tips:
brilliant - bright in color, very shinny, stand out or very smart. 光彩夺目的，很棒，很出色的。
*The photo captured the brilliant colors of the butterfly.
*The actor's brilliant performance conquered the whole audience.
meadow - large grassy place.草地，牧场，草皮。
*Many lovely wild flowers and birds can be found in the meadow.
*The meadow on the campus was just mowed this morning.
*You can see cattle grazing in the green meadow.
delightful -is pleasing.  make you happy. 令人愉快的，可爱的。
*It is delightful.
*The weather is delightful in Fall.
*The conversation with someone is delightful.
*I have a delightful conversation with my friend, we haven't been see each other for a long time.
camera - a thing that can shoot pictures, catch a nice shot.
delight (n) -愉快，高兴。
*We dined at a delightful Italian restaurant downtown.
*Susan takes delight in playing the piano.
lay out / laid out -设计，规划，摆设。
*The office was laid out so the staff would have a comfortable environment.
*The waiters laid out knives and forks on the tables.摆设
range - a measure of items, numbers, ages, or something.范围，幅度，
*The store provides a wide range of colors and patterns of fabrics for customers to chose from.
frequent (adj) - often to come over, often to visit.经常地出入。
*Our boss frequents this golf club to meet his friends.
frequent  -经常的，频繁的
*The students in our school frequent this sandwich place.
to keep your eyes peeled - to keep your eyes open.
canyon - 峡谷
*The Grand Canyon is famous for its beautiful scenery.
*The observation tower overlooks a majestic red-rock canyon.
close-up : 特写，特写镜头。
*The satellite took several close-up pictures of this planet. 人造卫星。。星球。
*It's kind of odd to see a close-up of yourself on TV.
The rookies  - refer to rocky mountain.
countless -无数的，数不清的。 'count' -计数。
*In the mountains, you can see countless stars in the night sky.
*The invention of the vaccine saved countless lives.
peacefully - 和平地，平和地，平静地。" peace" -和平
*The baby rested in her mother's arms peacefully.
*The protest ended peacefully.
peaceful  (adj) - 和平的。
*The couple had a peaceful breakup.
regally - majesty, royal as a king or queen. 帝王般的，雄伟的。
*The crowned princess waved her hand regally. 未来继承王位的公主。。具有王者之风的挥手。
*The palace sits regally in the center of the capital. 雄伟的
regal (n) - 如皇室般的，华丽的，有王者之风的。
*The restaurant's regal decorations attract many customers.
luxury - very expensive thing, high class. 奢侈的，豪华的。
*Mark collects luxury watches. 名贵的
*One night in this luxury hotel costs over US.$500.豪华的
luxury (n) - 奢侈豪华
*The family lives in luxury, and they always travel first class.

Language Tips:
What can be more beautiful than brilliant blue water or snowy mountains?
rhetorical question - ask a question that not expect people to answer. 休辞疑问句，问问题的人提出不需要回答的疑问句。
What are you waiting for - is a rhetorical question. 也是一种休辞疑问句。
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What the place got its name?
Banff - Banffshire  -加拿大太平洋铁路公司老板，以他苏格兰出生地Banffshire命名。
Sulphur Mountain - the mountain has a lot of sulfur.
Johnston Canyon - 淘金者Johnston 发现这美丽的峡谷而命名。
Upper Falls / Lower Falls. - 有上就有下，俩瀑布相距不远或同在一处，上，下相应而命名。
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
alliteration - 口韵的。如：
lovely Lake Louise
Coca Cola
Paypal
tongue twisters - 饶舌令。
twist- 扭转，打结的。




Notes taking of Studio Classroom

September

“By all these lovely tokens September days are here
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer.” Helen Hunt Jackson
九月大解密  - 「憑著這些可愛的象徵 九月降臨大地 有著夏日最美.

What does September mean to you? For students, it means the start of school. For others, It means fall is in the air, if not immediately, then soon. September 19 this year will be a time to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. people will celebrate with delectable moon cakes - both traditional and unusual!

September 8 was the official day to celebrate grandparents this year, in 1989, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation, urging "each citizen.... to reflect on the influence his grandparents have had in shaping his own destiny."

Do you like cookies? Fortune cookies? Well, eat them to your heart's content on the 13th to celebrate Fortune Cookie Day! If you prefer animals, then Elephant Appreciation Day on the 22nd may be more to your liking.

On the 28th show your teachers how much you appreciate their hard work. And speaking of teachers, U.S. teachers in the 1980s wanted to encourage students to ask more questions, so they created "Ask A Stupid Question Day." So go ahead - ask that question.

Popular since the Middle Ages, the sapphire is September's birthstone. Folklore Says it keeps you and your loved ones from harm. Symbolizing valor, the aster, this mouth's flower, is named for the Greek word for star which refers to the shape of the flower.

Grammar Gym:
'......elephant appreciation day on the 22nd may be more to your liking."
'to be more to one's liking' - to be more like how someone likes something to be.
*Tom and Tara are so different; Tom likes to eat at fast food restaurants while fancy Italian restaurants are more to Tara's liking.
Chloe hates camping; vacationing at a five-star resort is more to her liking.

Vocabulary Tips;
delectable - delicious food.美味可口的。
*These delectable chocolates are irresistible.
*The delectable menu created by the chef is very pricy.
proclamation -make officially announcement. 公告，宣告。clam-有‘呼吸’之意。重音在第二音节。
*The government issued a cease-fire proclamation.
proclaim (v) -宣称。
*The company proclaimed that all their products were subject to strict quality control.
folklore -any kinds of custom or stories that they get to pass down to generation and next generations.民间的传说。  'folk' -民间的，流传的。
*The tribes folklore says that their ancestors were actually ravens.-大鸟，乌鸦。
*As a child, Henry was fascinated by folklore and fairy tales.-民间的传说和传奇童话故事。
valor - brave, courage, soldier's brave in the war. 英勇，勇气，勇猛。尤其是用在战争上表现出来的勇气。
*The general used effective tactics and showed great valor on the battlefield. 极有效的战术和极大的勇气。
*The soldiers were awarded for their valor during the war.
shape - influence, influence people's thinking or doing or destiny.
*Jesus shapes my live.
 
Language Tips:
observance - 庆祝，纪念。（订立一些节日，纪念日。任何人都可以创造一个纪念日，是否真有人跟进去庆祝，那是另外一回事。）
Year of Water Conservation - is a observance. -一年一度的省水日。


*

Popcorn Time!

Fall is the season for popcorn-centered activities and festivals
吃爆米花囉！  -  秋天是享受以爆米花為主角的 活動與節慶的季 .

If popcorn tops your list of favorite snacks, then you're in luck because September and October have lots of popcorn festivals to enjoy.

Vaiparaiso, Indiana
Today the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival celebrates its 35th year by kicking off the festivities with their Popcorn Panic five-mile run. Games, handicraft booths and more provide lots of family fun. The highlight of this festival is its Popcorn Parade, featuring floats decorated with painted kernels and popped corn.

Marion, Ohio
Marion, Ohio's Popcorn Festival, which occurs the first weekend after Labor Day, is the largest popcorn festival in the world and typically draw over 250,000 people. Festival-goers can watch the annual parade with over 300 floats and performers, enjoy free entertainment on four different stages or choose from over 250 food and game exhibits.

Clay Country, Indiana
The Popcorn Festival of Clay County honors its native son Orville Redenbacher with an annual popcorn festival held in October Redenbacher became famous for developing a corn hybrid considered superior to other varieties of its time.

Festival events include the Orville Redenbacher Look-Alike Contest, judged by Redenbacher's family members, tours of the Redenbacher Family Memory Lane Museum and popcorn-eating contests. If October ends and you still haven't gotten your fill of popcorn activities, you'll be happy to know that National Popcorn Day explodes on the scene January 19.

Grammar Gym:
"If October ends and you still haven't gotten your fill of popcorn activities..."
' to get one's fill of (something) ' - to get enough of what someone needs.
After being in the art museum all day, Molly has gotten her fill of paintings and wants to go home.
Before her 12-hour flight was even over, Amy felt she has gotten her fill of movies.

Vocabulary Tips:
native son 土生土长的人（通常指男性）- 'native'- 本国的，本地的 。
*As a native son of Seattle, the famous quarterback always praises his hometown during interviews.
hybrid - mix, not pure.混种的，混和的。混合物。
*This particular tomato is a juicy hybrid.
hybrid - 油电混和车。混合动力车
*This hybrid vehicle uses both petrol and electricity. 这辆混合动力车是汽油和电混合的。
handicraft - crafts are hand made, crafts are made by hands. 手工艺。
*The people in this town are excellent at preserving their traditional handcraft techniques.成功保留。。。传统手工业技术。
*These aboriginal handcrafts are both creative and delicate. 原住民。。。精致。
kernel - a very small part of corn. 谷类除去壳后的果仁，果子。坚果。玉米粒。核桃里的核仁。等。
*Tina loves to use kernels of nuts in her salads.
kernel - 树的核心，重要点。
*The kernel of the conflict between the couple is a lack of communication.
labor -work.
top of your list - something you would like to do first.

Language Tips:
metaphor - 引喻，或是拿二样东西来作比较。
National Popcorn Day explodes on the scene January 19.
explodes on the scene  = come on the scene。
explodes on the scene = arrive on the scene。
explode -is metaphor, popcorn pops, is exploding, means that come or arrive.



Notes taking of StudioClassroom

Life in Nepal: Part 1

I jumped at the opportunity to visit this interesting country
尼泊爾生活筆記（一）      
我把握機會造訪這個引人入勝的國家 .

The first time I remember hearing about Nepal was in 2007. I was browsing through odd Internet news. One of Nepal Airlines' jets was having technical problems. So the airline sacrificed two goats in front of the jet to satisfy the Hindu god of sky protection. I admit I thought that was strange. But the news also made me curious. What was life like in this foreign country? What was the country like? What were the people like? I never completely forgot that incident or my desire to learn more about the place.

A few years later I was in my second year of graduate school. I needed an internship overseas to graduate. I wasn't having much luck finding a good position even though any country but the U.S. would do. My professor mentioned a possibility she knew about. She had a friend who was a director at a nonprofit organization in Nepal. Nepal! That place where they sacrifice goats at the airport! I remembered. I couldn't miss this chance, I had to go.

The director of the nonprofit in Nepal was named Colleen. By phone and email she interviewed me and helped prepare me for the experience of an 11 week stay in Nepal. She warned me that it would be difficult and that I'd have moments of puree frustration She advised me that being flexible would be the key. Nepal is a developing country in South Asia - little to nothing there is similar to life in the U.S. Things are unorganized, I couldn't let it bother me.

My professor gave me advice, too. She had never been to Nepal but had experience living in Southeast Asia. Take lots of stomach medicine and some antibiotics. Get vaccines before you go. Watch out for mosquitoes and dirty water. But I think the most valuable advice she gave me was this - take a jar of peanut butter. It's a familiar taste when the homesickness gets bad.

With their words in mind, I packed my backpack, took a deep breath and boarded the plane to Negal.



Grammar Gym:
"I wasn't having much luck finding a good position even though any country but the U.S. would do."
(something) would do - something is good enough or sufficient.
May I have a cup please? Any cup would do, thank you.
You need sugar to make this kind of candy - but not just any kind of sugar would do; you must use brown sugar.

Vocabulary Tips:
professor - a teacher in college or university, has a high level of education with special quality and skills. 'pro' -大众，公开的。  'profess' - 宣称，公开申明。 professor -公开对大众说话的人，教授。
*Alex is now an assistant professor at Harvard University.
profession (n) - work field, career.职业。
*He's a lawyer by profession.
nonprofit - 非以营利为目的的。'non'- not,  'profit' -利润。
*This nonprofit agency is famous for helping AIDS babies.
*This nonprofit program helps homeless kids stay in school.
for-profit - opposite of nonprofit. -以营利为目的的。
browse - quickly look around or look through. 浏览，翻阅。
*Samuel browsed through all his textbooks before the semester started.
browse - take look at the store with no specific buying target. 随意看看。
*I'm not looking for any particular items; I'm just browsing.
sacrificed (v) - give animal life to their god. 牺牲，献祭。
*The elder of the tribe sacrificed a goat to worship their god.
sacrifice (n) -牺牲。
*Louise sacrificed her career to take care of her family.
*many parents are willing to make sacrifices for their kids.
technical - not human problem, is machine operating problem.
incident - something that happen is called incident, is not normal, is look odd.
Any luck?  Do you have any luck? - people try to do something (shopping a specific item, or some conversation or relationship.....), you would like to find out the result, you can say " Any luck" , or 'do you have any luck? "
antibiotic - 抗生素1（多用复数 antibiotics.）。 'anti' - 对抗，. 'bio' - 生命。生物。
*after finishing a full course of antibiotics, the patient was released from the hospital.
*Billy is on antibiotics for pneumonia. 肺炎
homesickness (n) -思乡病 long for home.
*Teresa was overcome by homesickness and decided to cut her journey short.
homesick (adj) - miss home, think of home.想家的。
*Melissa got homesick when she became ill on her trip.
flexible - 有弹性的，灵活的，可变通的。'flex' -弯曲。
*The company's flexible working hours attract many college graduates.
*Our prices are very flexible.
flexibility (n) - 有弹性。
*Online learning offers great flexibility for people with busy schedules.
unorganized - 'un' -not, not organized, very messy. 杂乱无序，没有条理的，缺乏组织的。
*The unorganized protests turned into terrible riots. 缺乏组织的示威。。。可怕的暴动
organized - everything in order. 条理有序的，有条有理的，仅仅有条的。
*Patricia is a organized and highly efficient secretary. 效率极高的
a piece of something ： a piece of advice, a piece of music, a piece of information.
have moment of something ：have moment of frustration. have moment of enjoyment, have moment of peace.
frustrating - feeling bad about something that you are not getting the thing down or the way what you want. frustrated, frustration (n).

Language Tips:
demonym - 一个国家居民的名称。
Angelenos - 居住在洛杉矶的居民的名称。
Floridians -居住在弗罗里达州的居民的名称
Italians - 意大利人
Asians - 亚洲人。
Earthlings - 地球人。
French (n), (adj) - 法国人，法国的。
Chinese (n) (adj) - 中国人，中国的
Nepal (n) 尼泊尔, Nepali (adj)- 尼泊尔的 , Nepalese (n) -尼泊尔人。
Mexico - 墨西哥的 (move last letter 'o' add 'an' ) to be Mexican - 墨西哥人.
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take / bring : 中国语文法，无论说话人是在哪儿，都用“带”，‘带来’，‘带去’。英文语法则有别。
take - 事情不是发生在现场时，用take， 此文中的教授或作者都不是在尼泊尔。
课文中的二句：
take a jar of peanut butter.
take lots of stomach medicine.
bring -事情发生在现场时，用bring。如：
Can you bring me a cup of coffee.
bring - 站在对方的立场说话，用bring，如：
What can I bring to the party?
waiter/waitress - take.
I will take this plat to the customer.
customer -bring.
Can you bring me a plat?


Notes taking of StudioClassroom

The Tale of Tolkien

	Learn the story behind the stories of Middle Earth
‘	魔戒作者托爾金 -進一步了解中土傳說背後的故事-by Elizabeth Sunshine - By Elizabeth Sunshine. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings delight book and movie lovers alike. These great stories sprang from the mind of one man - J.R.R. Tolkien. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in 1892. He spent much of his childhood in the beautiful English countryside. He enjoyed studying and learning languages from a young age. And his mother taught him the strong Christian faith that he believed his whole life.But Tolkien's early life was also touched by tragedy. His father died when Tolkien was 4. Then Tolkien's mother passed away when he was 12. Love, War and Studies As a teenager, Tolkien fell in love with a girl named Edith Bratt. But his guardian forbade him to contact her until he turned 21. Tolkien obeyed and focused on school. But he didn't forget Edith, and he contacted her on his 21st birthday. His patience paid off. They were married in 1916. But soon Tolkien faced his darkest trial - fighting in World War I, Life as a soldier was difficult, painful and dangerous. Tolkien became sick and had to return to England. Others were not so lucky. "by 1918, all but one of my close friends were dead." Tolkien later wrote. Back in England, Tolkien became a scholar. He taught literature classes at Oxford University, did research and wrote-several influential papers. he continued to love languages, studying Greek, Anglo Saxon, Finnish and more. But Tolkien didn't just study languages; he invented his own! they added to the rich setting of the fantasy stories he had been writing for years. The Hobbit One day while grading tests, Tolkien found a blank page. He wrote the sentence, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This began his children's story. the Hobbit. When it was finished, a friend gave it to publisher Stanley Unwin. Unwin's 10-year-old, Rayner, loved the book, so Unwin published it in 1937. The Hobbit enjoyed instant success, and the publishing company asked for a sequel. So Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a longer, more complex tale. Rayner Unwin, now an adult, helped publish The Lord of the Rings. It was so long that it came out in three parts in 1954 and 1955. Tolkien's Legacy Yolkien died 40 years ago this month. He was a committed father to his four children. He received an honorary degree from Oxford for his studies. But his greatest legacy is his stories. Tolkien wrote many tales besides The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. They tell about good and evil, the importance of friendship and making right decisions. Tolkien's life shaped his stories. The peaceful, beautiful Shire resembles the English countryside where Tolkien grew up. Some think the evil land of Mordor came from Tolkien's war experiences. His relationship with his wife inspired the love stories he wrote. Through his work, Tolkien has brought joy, hope and encouragement to millions. Grammar Gym: "These great stories sprang from the mind of one man - J.R.R.Tolkien." 'sprang' - spring, to appear. The pond was nice and quiet, but all of a sudden some ducks sprang out of nowhere and the whole place became noisy. Mandy sprang through the doorway to show us her new outfit. Vocabulary Tips： delight- feel happy. 使高兴，使欣喜。 *The football team's victory at the state final delighted the whole town. delight (n) -高兴，愉快。 *Hanna takes great delight in taking care of her grandchildren. childhood -is the time you spend while you were a kid, during that time about your life.童年时期，童年时代。 *Sean had a happy childhood. *The novel is full of the author's fond childhood memories. *The artist's childhood home was turned into a museum. tragedy (n) -sad things happen to your life. Parents pass in person's young age, you can call it 'tragedy'.惨剧，悲剧。 *It was a tragedy that this great athlete lost her leg in a car accident. *Nathan never enjoys tragedies. tragic (adj) -悲惨的。 *The movie is about a boy's tragic childhood. guardian (n) -a person after to someone to watch and take care of somebody when someone died, or not be along.监护人。 'guard' (v) -指导，监护，看守。 "ian" - 人。 *The hospital needs the guardian's consent before operating on the child. guardian - 护卫者。 *These reporters see themselves as guardians of truth. tale - story. pay off - you work hard and endure for long time for something you are looking forward to, then you got what you expected at the end. something is pay off - your hard work at the end are awarded. scholar (n) -学者。 *Many scholars participated in this conference. *Dr. Williams is a well-respected scholar who specializes in Mayan culture. scholarship - (scholar + ship) 奖学金。 *Wesley got a scholarship to Princeton. influential -  （重音在"en"） impact to people's thought or think.有影响力的，或是有权势的。 *Eric is an influential biochemist. 。。。。举足轻重的地位，重要影响力的生化家。 influence (v) -（重音在 'in'）影响。 * Brenda is always influenced by other people's comments. fantasy - not happen in the real world, dream of something that almost is impossible. 幻想，幻想的产物。 *The little girl lives in a fantasy world. *The book is full of fantasies and exotic stories. fantasize (v) -幻想。 *Dave fantasized about becoming the world's greatest baseball batter. publish -出版，发行，发表，宣布。 'public' -大众。 *The writer's first poetry was published in 1983. publisher (publish + er) -出版商。 *Random house is a famous international publisher. take away from something - had removed from something. sequel - after the first book or first movie, there is another book or movie that continue the store of the first book or movie.指某本书或某个电影的续集。 'sequ' -跟从。 *The sequels to 'Iron Man' are now on DVD. 续集 sequel - 也指‘后续发展事件。 *The conflicts on the city streets were sequels to the riot at last night's soccer game.街市上的冲突事件。。。 complex (adj) - not simple, make of many different parts. many things come together, or a lot of things effect to it. 复杂的，难以了解的。 *The complex situation between the couple is beyond my understanding. 复杂状况。。。超过我能理解 complex (n) -指同类型的建筑物。 *Billy's factory is located in an industrial complex in Chicago. 工业区。 resemble - (‘s'发 'z'的音。) to look like someone or something, many similar with someone or something. 类似，与某对象相似。很像。're' -有‘再一次’之意。 *Sunny really resembles her grandmother. 很像她的祖母。 *The city resembled a war zone after the earthquake. inspired / inspire / inspiring -touched someone, give someone idea to do something.启发，激励，激发灵感。 'spir' -‘呼吸’ * The movie was actually inspired by a headline news report. inspiration (n) - 灵感。 *The writer finds her inspiration in her friends and family. legacy - earned respect and well-known. committed - work very hard, give your life to something. What are you committed to? honorary degree - a degree to honor someone for something. Language Tips: die -死亡。过世（euphemism） pass away -- die. Is a euphemism way to say die. euphemism -婉转，委婉的说法。（但要小心，用的太多或太刻意，会让人以为你在咬文嚼字，玩弄文字。 pass on - (Christian refer to die is not a pass away thing, is pass on.) has gone to meet his maker. He is in a better place.  过世， Watch! pass out is not die, pass out is faint. pass out 是昏晕过去，昏倒，不醒人事。 ----------------------------------------------------------------- all but - 所有。。。但是除了。。 all but - all except, I finished all but one book. 所有。。。只剩下。。。 .....all but one of my close friends were dead... 所有。。。。除了。 all but  - almost.- 几乎 the language is all but forgotten.。。几乎被遗忘。 He is all but bankrupt. -几乎破产。  ----------------------------------------------------------------- dozen/ hundred / thousand / million -都是用来表示数目的字。看你表达什么。若是表示大概的数字，可以在这些字后加‘ s’。如： dozens of cars were stolen. hundreds of people attended the meeting. thousands of flowers were in bloom. millions - 大概有百万。。。。 dozen/ hundred / thousand / million -若在前面有数字，则这些字的后面绝不能加‘’，因为不是大概数字，而是准确的数字。 He has three million in his bank account. three million - million 后面不能加 "s".因为不是大概数字，而是准确的数字。 Notes taking of StudioClassroom.