Traveling on a Shoestring

Tips to spend less on your trips
低價旅遊 - 花少錢享受旅遊樂趣的妙方

These days when you go on vacation, you spend most of your money just getting to your destination! Travel is expensive, but don't stay home due to a small budget! Here are some ways you can cut costs and still enjoy a trip:

*** Travel during off-season if possible. Flights and hotels are significantly cheaper when tourism is low.

*** Choose a hotel that's a little farther from popular attractions. If you're staying several days, check out prices on hostels or vacation homes - both can end up being cheaper than a hotel in the long run.

*** Lock for deals on metro or subway passes for your destination. A day pass will pay for itself if you use mass transportation instead of taking cabs.

*** Plan your meals, and eat like a local. Don't waste money at expensive hotel restaurants or fast-food chains. Depending on where you stay it may be cheaper to by your own groceries.

*** Check online for special rates - if you're a student, a senior citizen, or traveling with children, you could qualify for discounts! A little research could save you a lot of money.

Whether you're backpacking alone or going on a family vacation, your trip doesn't have to break the bank. The key is to plan ahead and track what you spend. Then put the money you save toward your next trip!

Grammar Gym:
A little research could save you a lot of money.
(A little of something could save something else bigger. watch: there is no verb in the sentence.)
A smile could save you a lot of time and energy when you need to ask for a favor.
A quick phone call to confirm your flight could save you a lot of headaches at the airport.

Vocabulary Tips:
shoestring - strings to keep the shoe tight. thin, low cost.鞋带，（也指很便宜，或是低廉的）
on a shoestring - very small budget, thin like shoestring.一点点钱 或资金。
*He started his ice-cream shop on a shoestring. 他用很少的钱开了一家。。
on a shoestring -拮据
*The family lives on a shoestring 。。。生活得很拮据。
off -使离开。
off-season : 淡季，商业或旅游业的淡季，或是运动结赛季节。
* I bought my air conditioner during the off-season.
high season - 旺季。
*The high season rate of a double room costs over $200 per night.
pay for itself - really worth that much, get back the money what you spend. 回本，回收。
*It might seem like it cost a lot when you bought the vending machine, but it will pay for itself within one year.
*The TV commercial sure paid for itself. Sales tripled in a month. 电视广告很够本，者个月销售额增长了三倍。值回票价。
qualify - meet some requirement, or you have certain criteria or certain abilities.有资格，或使合格。
*The training will qualify you to do CPR.
*One people who have a bachelor's degree are qualified for this position.
these days - refer to the current time.
significantly - big different, cheaper, or faster or easier or more expensive etc.显著地。
attractions (n)- something attracting you, you can go and have fun.
hostel - a place for people to stay over night, there are many beds in a room, people need to share a room and one bathroom with others.
in the long run - for a long period of time, in future.
rate vs. price - rate: the cost for unit, or the way charge for the current time. price: dollar amount of the cost.

Chat Room:
senior citizen -资深公民。年纪大的公民。
senior -资深，前辈。美国人统称 “old person”，“ aged person” 为“senior”.


Taking notes of study "Studio Classroom".

How To Host The Perfect Party

Planning a party? Check out these helpful tips!
舉辦完美派對的祕訣 - 打算辦個派對？試試這些有用的訣竅吧！

It's the season for holiday parties - a time for celebration! But if you're planning the party, it might feel more like a time for stress! Avoid the anxiety, and host a party your friends won't forget with these simple tips. 

* Think about how many guests you have room for.

* decide what you will do at your party. Will your guests be eating a meal, or will they be doing some kind of activity?  Let them know in advance.

* Prepare for your event. If it's in your home, clean the rooms that people will be using. If it's at a restaurant, reserve enough tables for everyone.

* If you are providing food - be prepared! choose food that is easy to make and serve. Better yet, prepare the meal with your guests. Is the party on short notice? Tell your guests which dish they can bring to share!

* And the final tip? After all your hard work, relax for about a half hour before the party begins.

* After the party, it's better to write down a summary about the party: how many came, who came to the party, what went wrong, what missed, what can be improved, what food was good for the party and what wasn't a good idea to serve at the party.....- Can help you have better planning next time.

Grammar Tips:
Better yet, prepare the meal with your guess.
"better yet" -an even better idea would be....
"better yet " - there was a good idea just mentioned but you have even better idea you want to mention....
Since it's rare that all of us have the day off, let's go out for dinner! Better yet, let's watch a movie afterwards!
We should send Becky a birthday card because it's her birthday today. Better yet, let's go to her house and surprise her with a cake!.

Vocabulary Tips:
anxiety (不可数n)- exciting and worry about it.焦虑。
*Max was full of anxiety after hearing about possible layoffs.
anxious (adj)- 感到焦虑不安的。
*Victor is very anxious about his test results.
on short notice - short amount of time before the thing happen. 临时通知。
"notice "- notify people.-通知。
*Sorry that I asked to have this meeting on such short notice.
*We changed our meeting schedule on short notice because the boss suddenly decided to join us.
relax -放松，休息。
*Why don't you take the day off to relax with your family?
relaxed -感到很放松的。
*I felt so relaxed during vacation.
potluck- a party that everyone bring a dish to joint.

Chat Room:
dish - 盘子，碟子。
dishes/ plates -菜肴。佳肴 / 盘子，碟子
a dish -一道菜，一道佳肴。
Tell your guests which dish they can bring to share. （可以）告诉宾客要带什么菜来分享。
dishes -菜肴， 也指盘碟等。
the dishes - 加定冠词“the ”在dishes之前。 ，意思是包刮了所有餐桌上的杯，盘，碗，筷，汤匙，调羹，刀叉等。
clear away the dishes.- 收拾（干净）桌上所有的碗盘。
to do the dishes -清洗（干净）用餐时所有的餐桌上的杯，盘，碗，筷，汤匙，调羹，刀叉等。
do the dishes - wash the dishes.

Surprising Uses for Salt

Salt can be used in some interesting ways .意想不到的鹽巴妙用 , 鹽巴有一些有趣的用途.

Pass the salt, please
How many times have you heard that? Salt is such a common part of our lives that we take it for granted. But in ancient times, it was hard to get and had great value. Some people believe it was one of they very first seasonings ever used. We still use it today to make our food taste better. But salt has many other uses that you may have never tried before.

Bug problems 
If you have trouble with ants, put a little salt on the ants' path. This should prevent them from going any farther. If you have been stung by a bee or other insect, wet the area. Then cover it with salt. This will relieve the pain.

Grease 
Always keep a box of salt near your stove. If a grease fire starts in a pan, pour salt over it to put out the fire. For easier cleaning, put a little salt into a greasy pan, and wipe it before you wash it.

Food problems
Before you throw away that wrinkled-looking apple, try some salt. Put the apple in water with a little salt, and watch the wrinkles disappear! Milk and salad both stay fresher longer when you sprinkle in just a bit of salt.

Smells
Sprinkle a little salt in your shoes to take care of bad smells. You can also use salt to remove the smell of onions from your hands. Just rub your fingers with salt and a little vinegar.

Ugly marks
Someone left a glass on your wooden table, and now there's a mark. Mix a few drops of water together with one teaspoon of salt. Then rub the paste into the mark until it disappears.

Bad breath 
Take care of bad breath with a mixture of salt and baking soda. Add the mix to half a cup of water, and rinse your mouth. To solve many of life's problems, look no further than the salt in your kitchen.

Grammar Tips:
Sprinkle a little salt in your shoes to take care of bad smells.
"to take care of "- our responsibility to be care with it.
"to take care of " -here is meaning of "to get rid of" or "to deal with"
*Dory took an aspirin and that took care of her headache.
*I'll be late because I have a few problems I have to take care of right now.

Vocabulary Tips:
take something for granted.- you are not easy to appreciate something easy to get. 理所当然的。把某人或某样东西视为理所当然的。
grant - 同意，给于。
* Sometimes teenage kids tend to take their parents' love for granted.
*Marian got angry because her husband always took her for granted.
sting (v) - (sting/stung/stung) 刺，扎，叮咬。
*Nathan was stung by a scorpion and had a serious allergic reaction.
*A bee stung me while I was taking a walk in the woods.
sting (n)- 刺，扎，叮咬
*She had several jellyfish stings after her dive.
wipe -擦拭或抹。
*Lillian wiped the table with a washcloth.
*You can wipe your hands with wet-towels.
*Helen wiped her tears, stood up and left.
wrinkle (v)-（及物）使起皱纹的。
*Jenet wrinkled her nose when she smelled vinegar.
a wrinkled shirt -有皱纹的。 （被动式当形容词用）。
*The shirt is made of silk, it wrinkles easily.
wrinkle (v)-（不及物）起皱纹的
wrinkle-free pants -免皱长裤。
sprinkle - 洒,洒水。
*Frank sprinkled some pepper on his fried eggs.
*Brenda sprinkled some olive oil on her pasta.
sprinkle (adj)-小雨，毛毛雨
*The afternoon sprinkle was quite refreshing.
breath  (n)-呼吸，气息。air came out of mouth.
bad breath - 口臭。
breathe (v)- (ea ' i" )呼吸。吸气。
*He took a long breath before diving into the pool.
rain drops keep falling on my head.
a drop of something - very small amount  of something.
salt shaker - salt in a small container, use for sprinkle the salt.
worth his salt - hard workers deserved their pay.

Chat Room:
Pass the salt, please.
Can you pass the salt, please?
Can you pass the pasta, please?
Can you pass the cream, please?
Can you pass the potato, please?
Can you pass the sugar, please?
** Don't worry to ask people for help on the table, people are used to and willing to help you. Just remember, never reach out your hand pass through someone to get them, it not polite way on the table manner.
Personal space - Western people in a formal dinning, very care for its own privacy, every one should have their own room or space that others should respect each other's personal space, it's very rude behave if you go over or pass through someone to get something. 人与人之间的距离。
-------------------------------------------------------
drop (n) -水滴,雨滴。
a few drops of something - very small amount of measurement. 几滴。。
Mix a few drops of water together with one teaspoon of salt.几滴水。。
a drop in the bucket - very small amount, tons of drops to fill up a bucket, means lack of ability or power to change something. 微乎其微。沧海一勺。

Study Tips

Make good use of your study time 善用你的读书时间

A new school year is just beginning! This year, try to make your study time more productive.

Start early
Don't just study the night before a test. Studying a little each day helps you from stronger memories than studying all at once.

Find a good place to study
Pick a quiet location where you won't be disturbed or distracted. Make sure that it's comfortable and that all the materials you need are right there.

Start with the hardest subject
Difficult assignments require the most energy, so do them before you get tired.

Recite the material
As you review information, stop and say it aloud to yourself. Don't look at your book or notes. Try to say the information in your own words.

Take breaks
Most people can only concentrate for a short time. After that, they can't retain new information. Some experts say you can solve this problem by taking 10-minute breaks every 50 minutes. Get up and walk around, or get a drink. Then come back and continue studying.

Grammar Tips:
Difficult assignment require the most energy, so do them before you get tired.
"subject..requires...so...." - subject requires something .. so you need to do certain way to accomplish.
Making bread the traditional way  requires a long process, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time.
This job interview requires applicants to take a physical endurance test, so make sure you wear the right clothes and shoes to the job interview.

Vocabulary Tips:
disturb - interrupted, bothered.搅扰，妨碍 "dis" -使“分开”， "turb"-搅乱
*Mom told us to stay quiet and not to disturb dad because he was working.
*Sorry for disturbing you. Do you have the time?
recite -say it aloud, not reading it. 背诵，朗诵。"re" -再一次。
*Theo is nervous about reciting his work in front of the class.
*In the play, Adam recited the poems from Shakespeare.
recital (n)-演奏会。
*The piano recital lasted for two hours.
retain -to hold to something or continue to do something. 记得，记住，
*I still retain the fond memories of my grandparents who passed away a long time ago.
retain -保持，仍然有。"re" -再一次，"tain "抓住。
*Raymond still retains control of the company after the merger.
distract - drive your attention away.
productive - have very high positive result.

Chat Room:
grade -年级，通常用在小学或初中。
What grade are you in?
grade school -小学
What year are you in? 对于高中或大学的孩子，用“”， 不用“ ”。
calendar year -历年。
school year - 学年。
A new school year is just beginning!
freshman year -高一，大学一年级。（回答）
sophomore year -高二，大学二年级。
junior year - 高二，大三。
senior year -高三（高四 - 高中有四年的话） ， 大四。
10th grade -高一
11th grade- 高二。
12th grade - 高三。

Language Tips 12/10

Grammar on the go:
Say, you are looking really good. Have you dropped some pounds?
"say"- here is try to get attention.
"say"="be quiet!"
Say, Bring me a chair, please.
All this talk about food is making me hungry. Say, does anyone know what time the restaurant opens for dinner?
Say, is anyone interested in getting ice cream?


Vocabulary Tips:
figure-體形，身材，尤指“女性的身材”
*Sherry has a very good figure since she works out every day.
*Renee got her figure back just a few months after she had her baby.
pessimistic-悲觀的
*The author's pessimistic views of the world were expressed in his work.
*The doctor is pessimistic about the patient's condition.
optimistic- 樂觀的 是悲觀的反義詞opposite of pessimistic
*Our team is very optimistic about winning the title.
fad-一時的流行或狂熱。
*The fad of wearing mini skirts has lasted for many years.
*Some teenage girls spend a lot of time and money following latest fashion fads.
sacrifice (v)-捨棄，犧牲 give something up or not doing something you like for someone's good.
* Mandy and her husband sacrificed a lot to support their kids' education.
*Many people sacrificed their time to volunteer for the charity campaign.
*Sometimes we forget how much of a sacrifice our parents make for us.
yo-yo dieting- 一下節食，一下放縱大吃大喝的節食法。yo-yo is a toy, but here mean move or change constantly, unsteady.
yo-yo: 溜溜球。延伸出“上下起伏，搖擺不定的”意思。
*The government's yo-yo tax policies were strongly criticized by the people. 搖擺不定的稅制。
sustain-維持，保持。to keep or maintain the same condition.
*To sustain the present rate of sales growth, we need to find new ways to merchandise our products.
*The coach required harder training of our team in order to sustain our momentum. 維持我們的動力，趨勢。
trim=slim=fit.


Chat Room
pound-重量單位。
Have you dropped some pounds? 你是否掉了幾磅，你是否減輕了幾磅？
put on extra pounds. 發福，增加了體重。
shed-脫落，脫掉。
shed some pounds.-減重
sweat-流汗
sweat off the pounds.流汗方式把多餘的重量除掉，燃燒掉.

Speak Up With Confidence!

帶著自信暢所欲言！Giving a speech doesn't have to be scary.發表演說不見得會那麼可怕 by Chelsea Ewald

You've prepared for this moment for months. You've written, memorized and practiced your speech. All that's left now is delivering it. But as you walk to the front of the room, you suddenly become very nervous. The audience is staring at you in silence. Your hands begin to sweat. Your eyes start to twitch. Your breathing becomes more rapid. And worst of all, your mind goes blank. Sound familiar?

Giving a speech can be scary. But it doesn't have to be a miserable experience. You can give a speech with confidence by following a few easy tips:

Step one: Focus on your content
The content of your speech is important because it expresses your ideas and opinions. Begin by creating a memorable introduction. Do this by asking a question, telling a brief story, stating a fact or repeating a famous quote. This will grab your audience's attention right at the beginning. Next, focus on writing the body of the speech.

The body of your speech consists of your main points. It is the longest part of your speech and often contains three points. Support your points and ideas in this section with facts. Finally, complete the content of your speech with a conclusion. Briefly repeat your main points in the conclusion.

Step two: Focus on your delivery.
Now, prepare your delivery. Ninety percent of communication is nonverbal. Therefore, how you look and behave in front of your audience is critical.

* Pay attention to your body language. Stand straight with your legs shoulder-width apart. Move your hands in a natural manner as you speak.

* Pay attention to your facial expressions. Make eye contact and smile at your audience.

*Pay attention to your voice. Control the pitch of your voice as well as the pace of your words. Speak clearly and naturally.

You're ready to go! Now take a deep breath, and speak with confidence!

More information:
Who's Afraid of Speaking?
-If you'll be using visual aids in your speech, be sure to practice with them first. Remember-- these are just aids. They are not supposed to be the main part of your speech.
_ Never end your speech with "That's all," or "I'm finished" Conclude with a clear ending that is directly related to your topic.

Grammar on the go:
And worst of all, your mind goes blank.
"to go blank" = "to become unable to think"
"to go blank"-
Sabrina's mind went blank when the man of her dreams asked her to go out with him.
Brian prepared for his job interview, but his mind went blank when he sat down in front of his interviewer.

Vocabulary Tips:
twitch-抽動,抽筋,痙攣.抽慉
*His face twitched when he got nervous.
*The corner of Jay's mouth started to twitch because he smiled too long.
*The actor twitched his nose like a mouse sniffing a piece of cheese.
introduction-介紹,序言,序曲,序.
*In the introduction, the author talks about what motivates him to write continuously.
*The speaker loves to tell jokes in the introduction of his speech.
body-is content. important part. 文章,演説的主體, 著作的主要部分.
*He finished the body of his thesis in 6 months, but the collection of data took him over a year.
*The main body of the auto biography talks about the author's childhood memories.
rapid-fast.
speak up-說大聲些, 說出口.
grab-take, get, catch.
content-内容
*The content of his speech is very solid, but his poor delivery made it really dull.
delivery-運送,此指"表達,傳遞," 演講,講課,表演的表達. 方式的表達.
*The actor's delivery isn't believable enough in this role.
expression- 表情,臉色.臉部表情. express-表達
*Nick is a serious person; you can't really tell what he thinks by just observing his facial expressions.
*His expression shows great disapproval of my suggestion. 不贊成我的建議.
pace-速度,精進,爭競, 步調
*Hanks slowed his walking pace down so his daughter could keep up with him.
*The pace of life in big cities doesn't suit everybody.

Chat Room:
blank-空白
blank (v) out something-使一些事情成爲空白.即刻意不去想它,逃避現實(但終究還是要面對)
blank out the memory-purposely try not remember something. 從記憶中忘記,故意不去記得. go blank-腦筋一片空白,完全想不起任何事情.
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content (adj)-滿足的

content (n)-内容，

He is content with his life. 他很滿足他的人生.
the content of the speech.-一篇演講的内容。
the makeup of the speech.- 一篇演講的内容的結構(makeup)
the table of contents.- 一本書，由它的内容。書的目錄。書的目錄content要用複數 (s)contents