Not far from Whim is the 16-acre St. George Village Botanical Garden, built around the ruins of another old plantation: the Estate St. George. It, too, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Water Mill was built around 1830 and destroyed in an 1867 earthquake. Surviving are the blacksmith shop, the village bakery, lime kilns, water flumes and the ruins of the sugar cane factory. Today the grounds are dominated by more than 1,500 species of native and exotic plants.
St. Croix is the largest and least-developed of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It covers 84 square miles and has about 51,500 residents. The western part of the island is rain forest; the eastern end is rocky and arid.
It often is overlooked next to its more famous sister islands, St. Thomas and St. John. They are about 40 miles to the north.
Colorful Christiansted on the north coast is the largest
city on St. Croix. It features a historic district on the waterfront
with more than 100 brightly painted buildings from the 18th and 19th
centuries. It is one of the best-preserved towns in the Caribbean. An
old fortress, Fort Christiansvaern, was completed by the Danes in 1749
to protect the island from pirates, privateers and slave uprisings.
Buck
Island Reef National Monument off the north coast is one of the premier
diving-snorkeling spots in the Caribbean and the No. 1 tourist
attraction on St. Croix.
It covers more than 19,000 acres, mostly
below water, and preserves one of the finest marine gardens in the
Caribbean. It features imposing walls and gardens of coral,
concentrations of red, purple and blue sea fans, spectacular elkhorn and
brain corals and colorful fish. It is five miles from Christiansted and
1.5 miles offshore.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130430ada6852196a646235151622504f74859f38.wma
Monday, April 29, 2013
Location, Location, Location (2)
Ben: What else should I be thinking about?
Bob: You also need to think about your brand image.
Ben: You mean I should think about what the office says about my company?
Bob: Right. You need to pick a location that is consistent with the image you want to have.
Ben: OK. That makes sense.
Bob: You can't just think about your customers though. You also need to consider your supply chain.
Ben: But our company doesn't really have a supply chain. We just build apps for our customers.
Bob: That doesn't mean you aren't reliant on other companies, though. A good location can make face-to-face meetings convenient and help avoid misunderstandings.
Ben: I guess I should also think about competition.
Bob: Good idea. You may be able to pick a location that is near complementary companies rather than those that will compete with you directly.
Ben: Anything else?
Bob: Yes. Happy employees.
Ben: What?
Bob: You should choose a place that gives you access to talented employees and doesn't require them to make long commutes.
Ben: That's good advice, Uncle Bob. Thanks. I'll have to think about those things.
Bob: I'm happy to help, Ben.
Info Cloud
location
本文說到做生意需要好的地點,
而買房子也要選好的地點,
有小孩的話需要好的學區: school district
有些人再意的是生活機能或交通便利
Language Lab
supply chain n.產品的供應鍊 [supply供應/chain鍊子]
- The food company is very strict about its quality control for its supply chain.
這家食品公司對於供應鍊的品質控管是非常嚴格的
reliant adj.依賴的, 依靠的 [reliance n. 依賴]
/rɪˈlajənt/
needing someone or something for help, support, etc. : dependent — usually + on or upon
- Jennifer became more and more reliant on her husband after she got ill.
Jennifer 生病之後就越來越依靠她的先生了
- Many people are reliant on their smartphones to store information.
許多人都很依賴智慧型手機來儲存資訊
face-to-face [only before noun]
in person; a face-to-face meeting, conversation etc is one where you are with another person and talking to them
- a face-to-face interview
complementary adj. 互補的 [complement v.補充, 補足]
/ˌkɑ:mpləˈmɛntəri/
complementary things go well together, although they are usually different
- The research of these professors is actually complementary.
這些教授的研究是互相相輔相成的
to regularly travel a long distance to get to work
- Laura commutes to Washington, D.C. every day.
Laura每天都通勤到 Washington, D.C.commuter 通勤者
- The MRT is packed with commuters during the rush hours.
捷運的尖峰時刻擠滿了通勤的人
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130430_cec73.wmv
Bob: You also need to think about your brand image.
Ben: You mean I should think about what the office says about my company?
Bob: Right. You need to pick a location that is consistent with the image you want to have.
Ben: OK. That makes sense.
Bob: You can't just think about your customers though. You also need to consider your supply chain.
Ben: But our company doesn't really have a supply chain. We just build apps for our customers.
Bob: That doesn't mean you aren't reliant on other companies, though. A good location can make face-to-face meetings convenient and help avoid misunderstandings.
Ben: I guess I should also think about competition.
Bob: Good idea. You may be able to pick a location that is near complementary companies rather than those that will compete with you directly.
Ben: Anything else?
Bob: Yes. Happy employees.
Ben: What?
Bob: You should choose a place that gives you access to talented employees and doesn't require them to make long commutes.
Ben: That's good advice, Uncle Bob. Thanks. I'll have to think about those things.
Bob: I'm happy to help, Ben.
Info Cloud
location
本文說到做生意需要好的地點,
而買房子也要選好的地點,
有小孩的話需要好的學區: school district
有些人再意的是生活機能或交通便利
Language Lab
supply chain n.產品的供應鍊 [supply供應/chain鍊子]
- The food company is very strict about its quality control for its supply chain.
這家食品公司對於供應鍊的品質控管是非常嚴格的
reliant adj.依賴的, 依靠的 [reliance n. 依賴]
/rɪˈlajənt/
needing someone or something for help, support, etc. : dependent — usually + on or upon
- Jennifer became more and more reliant on her husband after she got ill.
Jennifer 生病之後就越來越依靠她的先生了
- Many people are reliant on their smartphones to store information.
許多人都很依賴智慧型手機來儲存資訊
face-to-face [only before noun]
in person; a face-to-face meeting, conversation etc is one where you are with another person and talking to them
- a face-to-face interview
complementary adj. 互補的 [complement v.補充, 補足]
/ˌkɑ:mpləˈmɛntəri/
to regularly travel a long distance to get to work
- Laura commutes to Washington, D.C. every day.
Laura每天都通勤到 Washington, D.C.commuter 通勤者
- The MRT is packed with commuters during the rush hours.
捷運的尖峰時刻擠滿了通勤的人
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130430_cec73.wmv
[Advanced] St. Croix’s Sugar Museum (1)
Caribbean mansion on a laid-back island preserves a 250-year-old way of life
The Estate Whim Museum in Frederiksted, St. Croix, provides a look at what life was like 250 years ago on a sugar-cane island.
It includes the plantation house, slave quarters, outlying buildings, a towering windmill and the remains of a factory where sugar cane was processed.
It is the oldest sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands, typical of the agricultural plantations laid out in the 1730s by the Danish West India and Guinea Company.
Whim is listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places and the U.N.’s Slave Route Sites of Remembrance. It is one of more than 50 sites on St. Croix where plantation remains may be found.
The plantation on the southwest corner of the island was surveyed in 1733-35 when it came under Danish rule. St. Croix was one of the richest sugar islands in the West Indies from 1760 to 1820, when production was high and sugar prices were stable.
In 1803, St. Croix’s population was 30,000, of whom 26,500 were slaves who planted, harvested and processed cane on 218 island plantations. More than 100 windmills and almost as many animal mills ran day and night in season, converting sugar into wealth.
At first, Whim grew cotton, according to records from 1743. In 1754, sugar was introduced and that was grown until the 1920s.
The local economy boomed from 1760 to 1820. The golden age of sugar cane declined with the appearance of beet sugar in the United States and Europe. Slavery was abolished on St. Croix in 1848.
In 1932, Whim became a federal Homestead site and the land was resold to residents who promised to raise sugar cane for the central factory. That effort failed.
In 1954, Whim was deeded to the St. Croix Landmarks Society for preservation. It was in bad shape but restoration efforts got under way.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130429ada72b1eaa5763a37101ec16b26b809ce17.wma
The Estate Whim Museum in Frederiksted, St. Croix, provides a look at what life was like 250 years ago on a sugar-cane island.
It includes the plantation house, slave quarters, outlying buildings, a towering windmill and the remains of a factory where sugar cane was processed.
It is the oldest sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands, typical of the agricultural plantations laid out in the 1730s by the Danish West India and Guinea Company.
Whim is listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places and the U.N.’s Slave Route Sites of Remembrance. It is one of more than 50 sites on St. Croix where plantation remains may be found.
The plantation on the southwest corner of the island was surveyed in 1733-35 when it came under Danish rule. St. Croix was one of the richest sugar islands in the West Indies from 1760 to 1820, when production was high and sugar prices were stable.
In 1803, St. Croix’s population was 30,000, of whom 26,500 were slaves who planted, harvested and processed cane on 218 island plantations. More than 100 windmills and almost as many animal mills ran day and night in season, converting sugar into wealth.
At first, Whim grew cotton, according to records from 1743. In 1754, sugar was introduced and that was grown until the 1920s.
The local economy boomed from 1760 to 1820. The golden age of sugar cane declined with the appearance of beet sugar in the United States and Europe. Slavery was abolished on St. Croix in 1848.
In 1932, Whim became a federal Homestead site and the land was resold to residents who promised to raise sugar cane for the central factory. That effort failed.
In 1954, Whim was deeded to the St. Croix Landmarks Society for preservation. It was in bad shape but restoration efforts got under way.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130429ada72b1eaa5763a37101ec16b26b809ce17.wma
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Location, Location, Location
Choosing the right location can be the most important decision a business makes
Business is great! Ben and Sandy Johnson's new company is doing well, and they are thinking about moving the business to a new location.
Bob: Hi, Ben. How's Sandy?
Ben: She is great, Uncle Bob.
Bob: And the business?
Ben: It's actually going very well. We've had a surge of new customers, and we're thinking about moving to a new office.
Bob: That's great news. Ben! Where?
Ben: We're looking at a bunch of locations, but we haven't deciding on one yet.
Bob: Choosing a location is the most important decision many business ever make.
Ben: I know the right location can make or break a business, but it can't be that hard to find a good spot.
Bob: There might be a lot more to it than you think.
Ben: What do you mean?
Bob: Well, most businesses choose their locations based on accessibility.
Ben: That makes sense. You need lots of customers for your business to grow.
Bob: That's true, but there's more to it than that.
Ben: Like what?
Bob: You don't just need to relocate to a spot near people. You need to find a place near the right types of people.
Ben: I guess that is true. What's the point of being surrounded by people if they aren't interested in your products?
Bob: Right!
Grammar Gym
a lot more to it: something is not so simple
- There might be a lot more to it than you think.
- Fixing this machine was tricky - there's a lot more to it than I thought.
- Becoming a successful actor is not easy at all - there's a lot more to it than most people think.
Info Cloud
thinking思想/sinking沉到水裡
如果會將thinking說成sinking則要多練習th[θ]的發音。在英文中，要用th發音的字約佔12%，所以要把英文講得標準, 絕不能忽視th的發音。學習者可以在鏡子前練習：只要有th的音, 就將舌頭稍微伸出來，放在上排牙齒的下方，就可以正確的發出thinking, thank you中的th[θ]
Language Lab
surge n. v.激增、急速上升、突飛猛進
/ˈsɚʤ/
n. a sudden, large increase
- As the temperature drops, you can see a new surge in flu cases.
溫度一降低，你可以看見流感的案例快速上升。
v. always followed by an adverb or preposition : to move very quickly and suddenly in a particular direction;
to suddenly increase to an unusually high level
- The company's stock price surged last season because of its sales growth.
這家公司因為業績增漲，股票上一季急升。
make or break ph.造成...的成功或失敗
something that is make-or-break will lead to either success or failure
- Marketing strategies can make or break a product.
行銷策略可以決定一個商品的成敗
- The outcome of a movie can make or break the director.
一部電影的結果可以決定這個導演的成敗
accessibility n. [uncountable]易接近、便利性
accessible adj.易接近的、可得到的
able to be reached or approached
1 a place, building, or object that is accessible is easy to reach or get into
2 easy to obtain or use
3someone who is accessible is easy to meet and talk to, even if they are very important or powerful
4 a book, poem, painting etc that is accessible is easy to understand and enjoy
- The easy accessibility of this department store contributes to its success.
這家百貨公司的交通便利性，讓它的生意非常成功。
relocate v.重新安置
if a person or business relocates, or if they are relocated, they move to a different place
- Because of the earthquake thousands of people were relocated.
由於地震，上千名民眾被安置到別處。
- Anna left her job because the company relocated.
因為公司搬遷，Anna就離職了。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130429_5d569.wmv
Business is great! Ben and Sandy Johnson's new company is doing well, and they are thinking about moving the business to a new location.
Bob: Hi, Ben. How's Sandy?
Ben: She is great, Uncle Bob.
Bob: And the business?
Ben: It's actually going very well. We've had a surge of new customers, and we're thinking about moving to a new office.
Bob: That's great news. Ben! Where?
Ben: We're looking at a bunch of locations, but we haven't deciding on one yet.
Bob: Choosing a location is the most important decision many business ever make.
Ben: I know the right location can make or break a business, but it can't be that hard to find a good spot.
Bob: There might be a lot more to it than you think.
Ben: What do you mean?
Bob: Well, most businesses choose their locations based on accessibility.
Ben: That makes sense. You need lots of customers for your business to grow.
Bob: That's true, but there's more to it than that.
Ben: Like what?
Bob: You don't just need to relocate to a spot near people. You need to find a place near the right types of people.
Ben: I guess that is true. What's the point of being surrounded by people if they aren't interested in your products?
Bob: Right!
Grammar Gym
a lot more to it: something is not so simple
- There might be a lot more to it than you think.
- Fixing this machine was tricky - there's a lot more to it than I thought.
- Becoming a successful actor is not easy at all - there's a lot more to it than most people think.
Info Cloud
thinking思想/sinking沉到水裡
如果會將thinking說成sinking則要多練習th[θ]的發音。在英文中，要用th發音的字約佔12%，所以要把英文講得標準, 絕不能忽視th的發音。學習者可以在鏡子前練習：只要有th的音, 就將舌頭稍微伸出來，放在上排牙齒的下方，就可以正確的發出thinking, thank you中的th[θ]
Language Lab
surge n. v.激增、急速上升、突飛猛進
/ˈsɚʤ/
n. a sudden, large increase
- As the temperature drops, you can see a new surge in flu cases.
溫度一降低，你可以看見流感的案例快速上升。
v. always followed by an adverb or preposition : to move very quickly and suddenly in a particular direction;
to suddenly increase to an unusually high level
- The company's stock price surged last season because of its sales growth.
這家公司因為業績增漲，股票上一季急升。
make or break ph.造成...的成功或失敗
something that is make-or-break will lead to either success or failure
- Marketing strategies can make or break a product.
行銷策略可以決定一個商品的成敗
- The outcome of a movie can make or break the director.
一部電影的結果可以決定這個導演的成敗
accessibility n. [uncountable]易接近、便利性
accessible adj.易接近的、可得到的
able to be reached or approached
1 a place, building, or object that is accessible is easy to reach or get into
2 easy to obtain or use
3
- The easy accessibility of this department store contributes to its success.
這家百貨公司的交通便利性，讓它的生意非常成功。
relocate v.重新安置
if a person or business relocates, or if they are relocated, they move to a different place
- Because of the earthquake thousands of people were relocated.
由於地震，上千名民眾被安置到別處。
- Anna left her job because the company relocated.
因為公司搬遷，Anna就離職了。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130429_5d569.wmv
[轉錄]泅游異鄉的失聲人魚(藍佩嘉)
我常常開玩笑跟別 人說，我是來美國讀書後才開始學做『第三世界女人』的。更準確地說，在一個放大的全球視野裡，我才清楚地看到自己的認同是如何地被語言的中心權力、國籍種 族的階層分類所建構銘刻。在過去三年的異國求學日子裡，我從上岸時的失聲瘖啞，逐漸找回自己的聲音，而且在曲折迴盪之間得以更加安靜清晰。我想說給你聽， 幾段人魚泅游異鄉的故事。
語言決定存在
剛到美國的第一個 學期，可以說是我所經歷畢生以來的最大的自信危機。脫離母國文化與熟悉語言的羊水保護，我墜落異鄉的姿勢笨拙而膽怯。覺得自己像是那隻為了得到雙腳上岸、 交換自己聲音的人魚（『美』就不必了）。剛開始的幾堂課，我在課堂上發言的時候，總覺得彼時空氣凝固凍結，我的中文靈魂心急地跑得遠遠的，卻只能慘不忍睹 地聽著那個，臉色發紅或漲白的自己說著破碎英文。我看著滿桌子說得口沫橫飛、天馬行空的美國同學，有時心裡會想，天啊，也許我活到現在才發現，過往人人稱 我聰明優秀，不過是個天大的謊言；一逕倔強好勝的我，有時幻想著突然在課堂上站起來，用中文講它個一大串，看看老師同學的反應會是什麼？
然而，我終究沒有 發過這樣的瘋，一面只能奮力地操練，慣習用英文思考說話，一面更加深刻地識得強勢語言的權力，在每每交手挫敗或小勝的情境裡，慢慢拼構建立自己的信心和認 同。彼時我重讀馬克思的『存在決定意識』，心裡苦苦地笑，唉，更貼近我的生活情境的是，『語言決定存在』吧。語言象徵具現、也複製鞏固了全球知識體系裡英 文世界的霸權。這樣的權力關係也滲透在日常生活裡，一個具體情境是外國學生當助教或教課的時候。碰到這些交學費皇帝大的美國大學生，我有幾個台灣朋友有過 好些令人又氣又悲的故事。比方說，一個朋友帶討論課，主題是sex and violence (性與暴力)，一個性別歧視兼種族歧視的美國男學生挑釁地說，「老師，你是說sax(phone) and violin (薩克斯風與小提琴)嗎？」
我在第一個學期教 書的時候，我們同時要定期參加一個教學workshop (研討會)，其中經常使用角色模擬的方式，來演練討論教學上會碰到的各種問題。有一次我好死不死抽到一個模擬狀況是，助教改考卷太慢而遭授課老師抱怨，我 當下應對的方式就是向授課教授（有點低聲下氣地）道歉，解釋我因為是個外國人所以閱卷速度較慢等等。當時並不覺得怎樣不適當，然而晚上回家讀 Bourdieu 的habitus (慣習)時，才心裡一驚發現我的身體，竟已經無聲無息間烙印內化了權力的痕跡，該道歉的不是我，而是沒有能力反省自己的權力優勢，以及尊重差異的優勢族 群。
下個學期開學的第一天，我於是大聲大氣地告訴我的學生：「My English is probably not as good as yours, just as your Chinese is not as good as mine。(我的英文或許沒有妳/你們的好，就像你們的中文不會比我的好。) 」他們在台下笑了起來，我心裡默默地想，不知道這些年輕又貴族的美國孩子有沒有真正聽懂，我要他們學習的這一門，不容易的人生功課。
從美國看天下
我在發表以台灣為 個案研究的報告時，總是有人問我：你只是在談一個台灣的個案呢，還是在談一個普遍的情形呢？這雖然是質化個案研究，在量化研究掛帥的社會學界經常碰到的方 法論爭議，如果我做的是一個美國的、芝加哥的個案，沒有人會要求你特別對此著墨說明，甚至在文章或書的副標題裡，他們也可以理所當然地省略了地方副詞， 『美國』被隱約地等同於『天下』，許多書許多理論經常『從美國看天下』，習焉不察地持有以美國，或西方世界為中心的社會文化預設。相對地，一個小小的台 灣，就不可忽略地成為一個普遍推論可議的『個案』。這讓我想起一個朋友告訴我，他在美國上課時，同學對台灣一無所知，老師善意地解釋說，「台灣是一個 island島嶼，你把它放到密西根湖裡，不管怎麼說，還是一個island島嶼。」 世界政經與知識體 系中的核心—邊陲關係，不只映現在標舉著普遍化的學術標竿下，美國或西方中心的盲點，另一個一體兩面或殊途同歸的問題，則是如同九零年代的後殖民學術浪潮 早已犀利批評的，西方學術世界將所謂『第三世界』加以本質化、他者化（otherize）。我在生活裡、課堂上也不時活生生體驗到這樣的情形。事實上，有 些老師同學算是對美國中心主義有所警悟，因而對跨國比較研究興趣濃厚的，然而，當他們靠著幾個月的田野訪問，隔著薄紗來描繪我的家鄉形象，便讓我不免失去 耐心，想狠狠撕開這塊東方主義的裹腳布。比方說，台灣的經濟奇蹟是最受國外關注的面向，而『面子』、『關係』、『人情』便成為台灣日常經濟生活中最能滿足 他們好奇窺探的奇風異俗。有一回我忍不住反駁說，「拜託，不是所有的台灣人都是儒教徒啊！」害得那個教alternative/global sociology (另類/世界社會學)的客座教授滿臉通紅。 本質化的趨向，一 則反應在用粗糙的同質範疇，抹煞某個社會群體的內部差異，二則把其中的行動者化約為無助的受難者，而忽略了他們的自主能動性。在一門女性主義理論課上，我 是全班唯一的非西方外籍學生，那次我們警慎地選讀了許多歐美以外的女性主義文獻。在討論相關課題的時候，我的白人同學們不如反常地大發議論，沈靜中隱約用 眼角瞄著我，似乎在等著我，這個在座唯一的『第三世界女人』，為我其他飽受壓迫的第三世界姊妹發言。我每每心裡反問著自己，我是個『第三世界女人』嗎？這 個熟悉又陌生的範疇究竟指涉的是誰？誰又有能力（論述的、政治經濟的）形構這樣的分類？而我又怎能理所當然地預設我和其他所謂『第三世界女人』之間的姊妹 情誼？ 我心裡的質疑聲音 在下一堂課裡，得到更清脆的迴響。那天，我的美國基督教同學，報告了她在泰國目睹女性從娼的種種悲慘遭遇，在座許多人都流下了感人的眼淚，我卻全身起雞皮 疙瘩不自在。因為，我聽不見那些泰國女人的聲音，我看見的只是一個被貼上『第三世界女人』符咒、面貌模糊、愕然沈默的稻草人。
聽見自己的聲音
返台進行一年的論 文田野前夕，我出席了一場勞動研究的研討會，我是會中唯一的外籍研究生，在報告後好幾個人很有興趣地前來提出進一步的問題，其中不只一個人問我，你是西北 大學的新聘教授嗎？我楞在那裡幾秒鐘，大笑說不是，我只是個仍在悶坐愁城和論文計劃奮鬥的窮研究生。心裡一面是忍不住竊喜得意，另一面卻有一種想當年不勝 欷噓的荒謬心情。研討會的當晚有一場晚宴，台上有爵士樂聲繚繞，台下有各式豐富菜餚，侍者忙碌地穿梭為手持美酒的學術大師加水換叉，我坐在那裡，愕然尷尬 地很，我想，這不是白天裡大談階級革命、勞資矛盾的同一群人嗎？那個片刻，我好想回台灣，好想回到田野裡，覺得早上的種種溢美之辭，像晚餐裡加了太多奶油 的千層麵，有些令人反胃。 國外求學的經驗， 於我最大的收穫，其實是跨越國籍語言文化藩籬、不斷辯證激盪的反省思考過程。跨海登岸，我見識到國際學界的浩瀚紮實，也度量了語言知識的權力地圖。我現在 慶幸自己的異國人身份，讓我更敏感於挑戰質疑西方知識體系中的盲點預設，而從母國社會抽離與返回的旅程，也讓我得以從不同的視野認識台灣。事實上，我在上 面描述的種種情形，經常也映現在台灣的學術社群裡，習焉不查地挪用美國中心概念來研究台灣的例子比比皆是，更不乏見將台灣文化或社會慣習加以本質化約的論 述。在學術本土化與國際化的爭辯雜音中，我們仍待努力摸索聽見自己的聲音。
僅以這篇文章送給其他泅游異鄉的人魚姊妹們，加油。
作者藍佩嘉 台大社會系教授
1970 年出生於台北，1995年飛抵芝加哥開始異鄉生活，
2000年夏天畢業取得美國西北大學社會系博士，人生依然海海。
藍佩嘉個人網站: http://sociology.ntu.edu.tw/~pclan/
語言決定存在
剛到美國的第一個 學期，可以說是我所經歷畢生以來的最大的自信危機。脫離母國文化與熟悉語言的羊水保護，我墜落異鄉的姿勢笨拙而膽怯。覺得自己像是那隻為了得到雙腳上岸、 交換自己聲音的人魚（『美』就不必了）。剛開始的幾堂課，我在課堂上發言的時候，總覺得彼時空氣凝固凍結，我的中文靈魂心急地跑得遠遠的，卻只能慘不忍睹 地聽著那個，臉色發紅或漲白的自己說著破碎英文。我看著滿桌子說得口沫橫飛、天馬行空的美國同學，有時心裡會想，天啊，也許我活到現在才發現，過往人人稱 我聰明優秀，不過是個天大的謊言；一逕倔強好勝的我，有時幻想著突然在課堂上站起來，用中文講它個一大串，看看老師同學的反應會是什麼？
然而，我終究沒有 發過這樣的瘋，一面只能奮力地操練，慣習用英文思考說話，一面更加深刻地識得強勢語言的權力，在每每交手挫敗或小勝的情境裡，慢慢拼構建立自己的信心和認 同。彼時我重讀馬克思的『存在決定意識』，心裡苦苦地笑，唉，更貼近我的生活情境的是，『語言決定存在』吧。語言象徵具現、也複製鞏固了全球知識體系裡英 文世界的霸權。這樣的權力關係也滲透在日常生活裡，一個具體情境是外國學生當助教或教課的時候。碰到這些交學費皇帝大的美國大學生，我有幾個台灣朋友有過 好些令人又氣又悲的故事。比方說，一個朋友帶討論課，主題是sex and violence (性與暴力)，一個性別歧視兼種族歧視的美國男學生挑釁地說，「老師，你是說sax(phone) and violin (薩克斯風與小提琴)嗎？」
我在第一個學期教 書的時候，我們同時要定期參加一個教學workshop (研討會)，其中經常使用角色模擬的方式，來演練討論教學上會碰到的各種問題。有一次我好死不死抽到一個模擬狀況是，助教改考卷太慢而遭授課老師抱怨，我 當下應對的方式就是向授課教授（有點低聲下氣地）道歉，解釋我因為是個外國人所以閱卷速度較慢等等。當時並不覺得怎樣不適當，然而晚上回家讀 Bourdieu 的habitus (慣習)時，才心裡一驚發現我的身體，竟已經無聲無息間烙印內化了權力的痕跡，該道歉的不是我，而是沒有能力反省自己的權力優勢，以及尊重差異的優勢族 群。
下個學期開學的第一天，我於是大聲大氣地告訴我的學生：「My English is probably not as good as yours, just as your Chinese is not as good as mine。(我的英文或許沒有妳/你們的好，就像你們的中文不會比我的好。) 」他們在台下笑了起來，我心裡默默地想，不知道這些年輕又貴族的美國孩子有沒有真正聽懂，我要他們學習的這一門，不容易的人生功課。
從美國看天下
我在發表以台灣為 個案研究的報告時，總是有人問我：你只是在談一個台灣的個案呢，還是在談一個普遍的情形呢？這雖然是質化個案研究，在量化研究掛帥的社會學界經常碰到的方 法論爭議，如果我做的是一個美國的、芝加哥的個案，沒有人會要求你特別對此著墨說明，甚至在文章或書的副標題裡，他們也可以理所當然地省略了地方副詞， 『美國』被隱約地等同於『天下』，許多書許多理論經常『從美國看天下』，習焉不察地持有以美國，或西方世界為中心的社會文化預設。相對地，一個小小的台 灣，就不可忽略地成為一個普遍推論可議的『個案』。這讓我想起一個朋友告訴我，他在美國上課時，同學對台灣一無所知，老師善意地解釋說，「台灣是一個 island島嶼，你把它放到密西根湖裡，不管怎麼說，還是一個island島嶼。」 世界政經與知識體 系中的核心—邊陲關係，不只映現在標舉著普遍化的學術標竿下，美國或西方中心的盲點，另一個一體兩面或殊途同歸的問題，則是如同九零年代的後殖民學術浪潮 早已犀利批評的，西方學術世界將所謂『第三世界』加以本質化、他者化（otherize）。我在生活裡、課堂上也不時活生生體驗到這樣的情形。事實上，有 些老師同學算是對美國中心主義有所警悟，因而對跨國比較研究興趣濃厚的，然而，當他們靠著幾個月的田野訪問，隔著薄紗來描繪我的家鄉形象，便讓我不免失去 耐心，想狠狠撕開這塊東方主義的裹腳布。比方說，台灣的經濟奇蹟是最受國外關注的面向，而『面子』、『關係』、『人情』便成為台灣日常經濟生活中最能滿足 他們好奇窺探的奇風異俗。有一回我忍不住反駁說，「拜託，不是所有的台灣人都是儒教徒啊！」害得那個教alternative/global sociology (另類/世界社會學)的客座教授滿臉通紅。 本質化的趨向，一 則反應在用粗糙的同質範疇，抹煞某個社會群體的內部差異，二則把其中的行動者化約為無助的受難者，而忽略了他們的自主能動性。在一門女性主義理論課上，我 是全班唯一的非西方外籍學生，那次我們警慎地選讀了許多歐美以外的女性主義文獻。在討論相關課題的時候，我的白人同學們不如反常地大發議論，沈靜中隱約用 眼角瞄著我，似乎在等著我，這個在座唯一的『第三世界女人』，為我其他飽受壓迫的第三世界姊妹發言。我每每心裡反問著自己，我是個『第三世界女人』嗎？這 個熟悉又陌生的範疇究竟指涉的是誰？誰又有能力（論述的、政治經濟的）形構這樣的分類？而我又怎能理所當然地預設我和其他所謂『第三世界女人』之間的姊妹 情誼？ 我心裡的質疑聲音 在下一堂課裡，得到更清脆的迴響。那天，我的美國基督教同學，報告了她在泰國目睹女性從娼的種種悲慘遭遇，在座許多人都流下了感人的眼淚，我卻全身起雞皮 疙瘩不自在。因為，我聽不見那些泰國女人的聲音，我看見的只是一個被貼上『第三世界女人』符咒、面貌模糊、愕然沈默的稻草人。
聽見自己的聲音
返台進行一年的論 文田野前夕，我出席了一場勞動研究的研討會，我是會中唯一的外籍研究生，在報告後好幾個人很有興趣地前來提出進一步的問題，其中不只一個人問我，你是西北 大學的新聘教授嗎？我楞在那裡幾秒鐘，大笑說不是，我只是個仍在悶坐愁城和論文計劃奮鬥的窮研究生。心裡一面是忍不住竊喜得意，另一面卻有一種想當年不勝 欷噓的荒謬心情。研討會的當晚有一場晚宴，台上有爵士樂聲繚繞，台下有各式豐富菜餚，侍者忙碌地穿梭為手持美酒的學術大師加水換叉，我坐在那裡，愕然尷尬 地很，我想，這不是白天裡大談階級革命、勞資矛盾的同一群人嗎？那個片刻，我好想回台灣，好想回到田野裡，覺得早上的種種溢美之辭，像晚餐裡加了太多奶油 的千層麵，有些令人反胃。 國外求學的經驗， 於我最大的收穫，其實是跨越國籍語言文化藩籬、不斷辯證激盪的反省思考過程。跨海登岸，我見識到國際學界的浩瀚紮實，也度量了語言知識的權力地圖。我現在 慶幸自己的異國人身份，讓我更敏感於挑戰質疑西方知識體系中的盲點預設，而從母國社會抽離與返回的旅程，也讓我得以從不同的視野認識台灣。事實上，我在上 面描述的種種情形，經常也映現在台灣的學術社群裡，習焉不查地挪用美國中心概念來研究台灣的例子比比皆是，更不乏見將台灣文化或社會慣習加以本質化約的論 述。在學術本土化與國際化的爭辯雜音中，我們仍待努力摸索聽見自己的聲音。
僅以這篇文章送給其他泅游異鄉的人魚姊妹們，加油。
作者藍佩嘉 台大社會系教授
1970 年出生於台北，1995年飛抵芝加哥開始異鄉生活，
2000年夏天畢業取得美國西北大學社會系博士，人生依然海海。
藍佩嘉個人網站: http://sociology.ntu.edu.tw/~pclan/
Friday, April 26, 2013
[Advanced] Musical Legends Get Better With Time (3)
The gospel-truth, if you believe most of the history books: Aretha Franklin didn’t really find her true voice until she began working with producer Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1967.
"My idea was to make good tracks, use the best players, put Aretha back on piano and let the lady wail," Wexler wrote.
But the Aretha before and after her soul golden age often gets short shrift. In his latest book, “The Fan Who Knew Too Much” Aretha Heilbut argues persuasively that even before Aretha walked into a studio to record with Wexler, she had already begun to change the game for women, African-Americans and music culture.
As the daughter of one of the most powerful ministers in America, Rev. C.L. Franklin, Aretha already had a platform at Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church to showcase her extraordinary multi-octave, multi-hued voice.
At 14, she was not just recording gospel, but imbuing it with drama and depth of feeling that were miles behind her years. Still, in her late teens she was touring the gospel circuit alongside the Staple Singers and Sammie Bryant second-billed to her father, the star preacher.
She signed to Columbia Records in 1960, a move widely interpreted as her leaving gospel to pursue wealth and fame on the wider stage of pop. But her father approved of the changeover, and his voice carried immense weight with his numerous followers. Franklin herself made a persuasive case in 1961, when she framed her transition in the context of the emerging civil-rights movement, a viable means of expression that didn’t repudiate her gospel roots so much as expand them.
"My idea was to make good tracks, use the best players, put Aretha back on piano and let the lady wail," Wexler wrote.
But the Aretha before and after her soul golden age often gets short shrift. In his latest book, “The Fan Who Knew Too Much” Aretha Heilbut argues persuasively that even before Aretha walked into a studio to record with Wexler, she had already begun to change the game for women, African-Americans and music culture.
As the daughter of one of the most powerful ministers in America, Rev. C.L. Franklin, Aretha already had a platform at Detroit’s New Bethel Baptist Church to showcase her extraordinary multi-octave, multi-hued voice.
At 14, she was not just recording gospel, but imbuing it with drama and depth of feeling that were miles behind her years. Still, in her late teens she was touring the gospel circuit alongside the Staple Singers and Sammie Bryant second-billed to her father, the star preacher.
She signed to Columbia Records in 1960, a move widely interpreted as her leaving gospel to pursue wealth and fame on the wider stage of pop. But her father approved of the changeover, and his voice carried immense weight with his numerous followers. Franklin herself made a persuasive case in 1961, when she framed her transition in the context of the emerging civil-rights movement, a viable means of expression that didn’t repudiate her gospel roots so much as expand them.
The Greatest Races (2)
Stepping into history
All the Great Wall Marathon in Tianjin, China, racers can run along the Great Wall of China. The route also takes their through beautiful villages and rice fields. Running this race can take 50 percent longer than most marathons because of the wall's steep steps.
Signaled by the sun
On unusual marathon took place on November 14, 2012, in Port Douglas, Australia. The day, there was a total solar eclipse. The sun's appearance after the eclipse marked the beginning of the race.
Extra help
Most marathon provide water for runners, but some go the extra mile. The Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas, USA, has a "lipstick station" near the end. It helps female runners look great for photos after the race. And in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, marathon runners can enjoy country music. Fifty groups perform on 26 stages set up along the route.
For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience.
Info Cloud
耐力比賽；漫長持久的活動
a weekend movie marathon週末馬拉松式的電影觀賞會
a dance marathon一場持久的跳舞比賽
-athon長時間的募款活動
walkathon n.長程競走的募款活動
bikeathon n.騎自行車的募款活動
telethon n.為募款舉辦，有收視者隨時以電話認捐的活動。
Grammar Gym
[subject] is a [adjective 1] but [adjective 2] [object].
- For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience.
- Carl is a pleasant but inexperienced office worker.
- Terrance's parrot is a beautiful but vicious bird.
Language Lab
route n.路徑、路程
- Alan always takes the same route to his office.
Alan總是走同一條路到辦公室
- Mandy lives on a bus route, so it's quite convenient for her.
Mandy住在公車路線附近，對她來說非常的方便。
signal v.給信號、用動作示意 n.信號、暗號
- The coach signaled to the quarterback to change tactics.
教練向四分衛示意，要他改變戰術。
- The detective gave his partner the signal to break into the room.
這名警探向他的搭檔示意，要破門進入房間。
go the extra mile指格外努力、格外用心
- A good leader always goes the extra mile to make sure everything is ready.
一位好的領導者總是格外用心，確認一切都準備妥當。
- Dean is a royal friend who's always willing to go the extra mile.
Dean是一位很忠心的朋友，他總是願意付出更多。
lipstick n.口紅
- Marisa loves to wear Coco Chanel's classic red lipstick.
Marisa喜歡擦香奈兒經典的紅色唇膏
- Rose doesn't usually wear lipstick unless there's a special occasion.
Rose平常不擦口紅，除非是特殊的場合。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130427_80013.wmv
All the Great Wall Marathon in Tianjin, China, racers can run along the Great Wall of China. The route also takes their through beautiful villages and rice fields. Running this race can take 50 percent longer than most marathons because of the wall's steep steps.
Signaled by the sun
On unusual marathon took place on November 14, 2012, in Port Douglas, Australia. The day, there was a total solar eclipse. The sun's appearance after the eclipse marked the beginning of the race.
Extra help
Most marathon provide water for runners, but some go the extra mile. The Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas, USA, has a "lipstick station" near the end. It helps female runners look great for photos after the race. And in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, marathon runners can enjoy country music. Fifty groups perform on 26 stages set up along the route.
For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience.
Info Cloud
耐力比賽；漫長持久的活動
a weekend movie marathon週末馬拉松式的電影觀賞會
a dance marathon一場持久的跳舞比賽
-athon長時間的募款活動
walkathon n.長程競走的募款活動
bikeathon n.騎自行車的募款活動
telethon n.為募款舉辦，有收視者隨時以電話認捐的活動。
Grammar Gym
[subject] is a [adjective 1] but [adjective 2] [object].
- For people around the world, running a marathon is a challenging but satisfying experience.
- Carl is a pleasant but inexperienced office worker.
- Terrance's parrot is a beautiful but vicious bird.
Language Lab
route n.路徑、路程
- Alan always takes the same route to his office.
Alan總是走同一條路到辦公室
- Mandy lives on a bus route, so it's quite convenient for her.
Mandy住在公車路線附近，對她來說非常的方便。
signal v.給信號、用動作示意 n.信號、暗號
- The coach signaled to the quarterback to change tactics.
教練向四分衛示意，要他改變戰術。
- The detective gave his partner the signal to break into the room.
這名警探向他的搭檔示意，要破門進入房間。
go the extra mile指格外努力、格外用心
- A good leader always goes the extra mile to make sure everything is ready.
一位好的領導者總是格外用心，確認一切都準備妥當。
- Dean is a royal friend who's always willing to go the extra mile.
Dean是一位很忠心的朋友，他總是願意付出更多。
lipstick n.口紅
- Marisa loves to wear Coco Chanel's classic red lipstick.
Marisa喜歡擦香奈兒經典的紅色唇膏
- Rose doesn't usually wear lipstick unless there's a special occasion.
Rose平常不擦口紅，除非是特殊的場合。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130427_80013.wmv
[Advanced] Musical Legends Get Better With Time (2)
Neil Young opens up in wistful documentary
It's only fitting for a documentary about Neil Young to venture to Canada's Northern Ontario region — his birthplace and the subject of a song. It certainly stays alive in this spare and intriguing film directed by Jonathan Demme, who has helmed two previous Young concert films.
Here, the 66-year-old rocker pilots a 1956 Crown Victoria through his rural hometown, casually pointing out a school named for his writer father Scott Young. But he has somewhere else to be: Toronto's Massey Hall, site of his solo Le Noise concert tour stop in May 2011.
His distinctive alto voice has become seasoned over the years, conveying all the power imaginable in his lyrics, underscored by a range of emotional urgency from his guitar licks.
Young performs simply with a guitar and harmonica, or piano. minus a back-up band that we never miss.The music is haunting. His storytelling has always plumbed the depths of the emotional landscape. Artistic integrity is a recurring theme.
There's something appealingly wistful about both the concert and Young's hometown tour. Down-to-earth and affable, Young recalls key moments in his youth but doesn't mourn the loss of it. Similarly, he doesn't skim the cream from his vast catalog of songs. He chooses a deeply personal mix of old and new, each song exploring fascinating emotional terrain.
Demme is clearly fascinated by Young's musical integrity and wants the audience to share his passion.
Neil Young Journeys underscores the continuing relevance of Young's artistry over the last 45 years and why he is regarded as one of rock's most influential musicians and songwriters. The introspective tales of his youth are an artful counterpoint to the urgency of his musical selections. He doesn't tout it or even refer to it, but Young endures. He hasn't burnt out and he's certainly not rusting or fading away.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130426ada556ddfec52215c50795d0621cc10e674.wma
It's only fitting for a documentary about Neil Young to venture to Canada's Northern Ontario region — his birthplace and the subject of a song. It certainly stays alive in this spare and intriguing film directed by Jonathan Demme, who has helmed two previous Young concert films.
Here, the 66-year-old rocker pilots a 1956 Crown Victoria through his rural hometown, casually pointing out a school named for his writer father Scott Young. But he has somewhere else to be: Toronto's Massey Hall, site of his solo Le Noise concert tour stop in May 2011.
His distinctive alto voice has become seasoned over the years, conveying all the power imaginable in his lyrics, underscored by a range of emotional urgency from his guitar licks.
Young performs simply with a guitar and harmonica, or piano. minus a back-up band that we never miss.The music is haunting. His storytelling has always plumbed the depths of the emotional landscape. Artistic integrity is a recurring theme.
There's something appealingly wistful about both the concert and Young's hometown tour. Down-to-earth and affable, Young recalls key moments in his youth but doesn't mourn the loss of it. Similarly, he doesn't skim the cream from his vast catalog of songs. He chooses a deeply personal mix of old and new, each song exploring fascinating emotional terrain.
Demme is clearly fascinated by Young's musical integrity and wants the audience to share his passion.
Neil Young Journeys underscores the continuing relevance of Young's artistry over the last 45 years and why he is regarded as one of rock's most influential musicians and songwriters. The introspective tales of his youth are an artful counterpoint to the urgency of his musical selections. He doesn't tout it or even refer to it, but Young endures. He hasn't burnt out and he's certainly not rusting or fading away.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130426ada556ddfec52215c50795d0621cc10e674.wma
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The Greatest Races (1)
Races around the world push runners to their limits
As exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens. It was 490 B.C. The man had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message: The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army. The runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before falling down, dead.This story may or may not be true. However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between Marathon and Athens. These athletic events are called marathons.The first marathon, held in 1896, was a selection race for the first modern Olympics. It had about a dozen runners. But more races, including the Olympic marathon, soon followed. The next year, the first annual marathon was run in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Today about 800 marathons take place in cities every year.
Location, location, location
Running a marathon is extremely difficult. But some runners can enjoy the sights as they go. Marathons in Paris and London take runners past these famous cities' most impressive landmarks.
Info Cloud
marathon 1908年的倫敦夏季奧運，當跑者跑進奧運閉幕會場之後，會在奧運會場內繞一圈，最後終點落在英國國王的看台正前方。總長度為26英哩又385碼(等同26.22英哩或者42.195公里)。倫敦奧運的這段軼事，確為現代馬拉松競賽標準長度之濫觴。
Language Lab
exhaust v.使精疲力盡；耗盡
exhausted adj.精疲力竭的
exhausting adj.令人筋疲力盡的
* The long hours of training really exhausted the students.
這個長時間的訓練，真的讓學員精疲力竭。
* Karl was exhausted by the end of the day.
Karl到了晚上，已經累壞了
* We had an exhausting schedule in Paris.
在巴黎，我們有一個筋疲力竭的行程。
greeting n.問候、致意
* People in the park exchange greeting in the morning.
早晨大家在公園時，會彼此打招呼。
* His warm and friendly greetings delight everyone.
他溫暖又親切的問候，讓每個人都很開心。
location n.地點
locate v.設立、建立
* The location of the restaurant is near a college.
這家餐廳的地點靠近一所大學
* The company's headquarters are located in Minnesota.
這家公司的總部位在明尼蘇達州
landmark n.地標；里程碑
* The Empire State Building is one of New York most famous landmark.
帝國大廈是紐約最有名的地標之一
* Studying abroad is an important landmark in life for Gina.
對Gina而言，去國外讀書是她生命中最重要的里程碑。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130426_f60d1.wmv
As exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens. It was 490 B.C. The man had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message: The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army. The runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before falling down, dead.This story may or may not be true. However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between Marathon and Athens. These athletic events are called marathons.The first marathon, held in 1896, was a selection race for the first modern Olympics. It had about a dozen runners. But more races, including the Olympic marathon, soon followed. The next year, the first annual marathon was run in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Today about 800 marathons take place in cities every year.
Location, location, location
Running a marathon is extremely difficult. But some runners can enjoy the sights as they go. Marathons in Paris and London take runners past these famous cities' most impressive landmarks.
Info Cloud
marathon 1908年的倫敦夏季奧運，當跑者跑進奧運閉幕會場之後，會在奧運會場內繞一圈，最後終點落在英國國王的看台正前方。總長度為26英哩又385碼(等同26.22英哩或者42.195公里)。倫敦奧運的這段軼事，確為現代馬拉松競賽標準長度之濫觴。
Language Lab
exhaust v.使精疲力盡；耗盡
exhausted adj.精疲力竭的
exhausting adj.令人筋疲力盡的
* The long hours of training really exhausted the students.
這個長時間的訓練，真的讓學員精疲力竭。
* Karl was exhausted by the end of the day.
Karl到了晚上，已經累壞了
* We had an exhausting schedule in Paris.
在巴黎，我們有一個筋疲力竭的行程。
greeting n.問候、致意
* People in the park exchange greeting in the morning.
早晨大家在公園時，會彼此打招呼。
* His warm and friendly greetings delight everyone.
他溫暖又親切的問候，讓每個人都很開心。
location n.地點
locate v.設立、建立
* The location of the restaurant is near a college.
這家餐廳的地點靠近一所大學
* The company's headquarters are located in Minnesota.
這家公司的總部位在明尼蘇達州
landmark n.地標；里程碑
* The Empire State Building is one of New York most famous landmark.
帝國大廈是紐約最有名的地標之一
* Studying abroad is an important landmark in life for Gina.
對Gina而言，去國外讀書是她生命中最重要的里程碑。
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130426_f60d1.wmv
[Advanced] Musical Legends Get Better With Time (1)
These well-known singers show resilience and talent as their legacies continue
For more than 25 years, Anita Baker’s voice has been one of the most distinctive and beloved in R&B. The 54-year-old singer release her first studio album in seven years last December. The single, “Lately,” like other tunes on the collection, “Only Forever” exudes the elegant but earthy warmth that has made her singing synonymous with romance.
“I’d love to be the political voice of my generation, but that’s not my gift,” says Baker, “Typically, the theme of my albums, if there is a theme, is, ‘How does it feel?’ And that always leads to love songs. It just does.”
“Lately, I’ve been writing odes to my family,” Baker says. Her younger son, Ed, 18, starts college next month; like brother Walter, he’s studying music.
Baker continues to apply her father’s counsel in her own career. For “Only Forever,” she “initially recorded everything live to analog, to be true to my soul. But I also want to be an artist of this time, to embrace 21st-century recording techniques. And with amazing producers, I was able to balance those goals.”
Essence entertainment director Cori Murray expects that the classic sound suggested by Lately will resonate with fans “who have been waiting for Anita to come back. Her popular songs were true love songs. Even if she sang about heartache and pain, there was a beautiful sweetness.”
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130425adad6095fd4e7fb21c35c42ecd308f8c1a1.wma
For more than 25 years, Anita Baker’s voice has been one of the most distinctive and beloved in R&B. The 54-year-old singer release her first studio album in seven years last December. The single, “Lately,” like other tunes on the collection, “Only Forever” exudes the elegant but earthy warmth that has made her singing synonymous with romance.
“I’d love to be the political voice of my generation, but that’s not my gift,” says Baker, “Typically, the theme of my albums, if there is a theme, is, ‘How does it feel?’ And that always leads to love songs. It just does.”
“Lately, I’ve been writing odes to my family,” Baker says. Her younger son, Ed, 18, starts college next month; like brother Walter, he’s studying music.
“So I’m an empty nester now,” Baker says.
“There’s a song, ‘Free,’ that just came through me, watching them go out
into the world. I want them to hear my voice and to have advice readily
available to them.”
Her sons’ decision to enter into their mom’s
famously risky profession hasn’t been a source of anxiety. My father worked on assembly
lines in Detroit while I was growing up. But he told me, ‘Life is
short. Do what you want to do.’
Baker continues to apply her father’s counsel in her own career. For “Only Forever,” she “initially recorded everything live to analog, to be true to my soul. But I also want to be an artist of this time, to embrace 21st-century recording techniques. And with amazing producers, I was able to balance those goals.”
Essence entertainment director Cori Murray expects that the classic sound suggested by Lately will resonate with fans “who have been waiting for Anita to come back. Her popular songs were true love songs. Even if she sang about heartache and pain, there was a beautiful sweetness.”
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130425adad6095fd4e7fb21c35c42ecd308f8c1a1.wma
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Beyond Bali (3)
We continued to Moni for a short sleep before arising at 4:00 a.m. to
hike up Mount Kelimutu, Flores' three-colored wonder. The volcano
erupted in 1886, leaving three lakes at its peak. Originally, red, blue
and white in color, the lakes have changed to turquoise, bluegreen and
black. The view not only of the crater lakes but also of the surrounding
countryside can only be described as stunning. We hated to leave but
had to begin our drive north, so we grudgingly made our way down the
mountain.
Flowing a restful sleep, in Riung, we hopped aboard a boat and headed to another fantastic park - the Seventeen Island National Reserve. We first viewed thousands of flying foxes - fruit bats - before heading to the coral gardens to snorkel to our heart's delight. The boat then made its way to one of the island beaches where we barbecued fresh fish. Delicious! As we headed back to where our journey had begun, we were so glad we had gone beyond Bali!
Info Cloud
nuance n.(色調、音調、意義、見解等的)細微差別
/ˈnu:ˌɑ:ns/
a very small difference in color, tone, meaning, etc. [count]
- We continued to Moni for a short sleep before arising at 4:00 a.m. to hike up Mount Kelimutu.
arising, arose, rising三者之間的 nuance：
arising也可以用arose, rising, 但用arising可以表示持續的過程，而且比rising有更強烈的進行式涵義。
Language Lab
erupt v.爆發、噴出；突然暴怒、發生暴亂
if a volcano erupts, it explodes and sends smoke, fire, and rock into the sky;
if fighting, violence, noise etc erupts, it starts suddenly [= break out]
- Lava erupted from the volcano and covered the whole city.
火山爆發出來的岩漿，掩蓋了整個城市。
- Violence erupted as the police dispersed the protesters.
當警方要驅散示威者時，突然暴發了暴力衝突。
grudgingly adv.勉強地、不情願地
grudging adj.勉強的、不情願的
/ˈgrʌʤɪŋ/
said, done, or given in an unwilling or doubtful way
- He grudgingly accepted the offer but was glad he had after a week.
他心不甘情不願接受所提出的條件，但一星期後就變成很開心了。
- Her grudging apology irritated her parents.
她不情願的道歉，讓父母非常生氣。
coral n[noncount].珊瑚 adj.珊瑚色的
- This pink coral necklace costs a fortune.
這條粉紅色的珊瑚項鍊非常昂貴
- There are schools of fish swimming around the coral reef.
許多魚群在這片珊瑚礁附近游來游去
- Rose loves this coral lipstick that got from her birthday.
Rose很喜歡生日時收到的這條珊瑚色的口紅
to one's heart's delight很開心、心滿意足
- On Saturday, Joe went skating with his friends to their heart's delight.
週六時，Joe和他的朋友們很開心的去溜冰。
stunning adj.
extremely attractive or beautiful
- You look absolutely stunning in that dress.
very surprising or shocking
- stunning news
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130425_b7049.wmv
Flowing a restful sleep, in Riung, we hopped aboard a boat and headed to another fantastic park - the Seventeen Island National Reserve. We first viewed thousands of flying foxes - fruit bats - before heading to the coral gardens to snorkel to our heart's delight. The boat then made its way to one of the island beaches where we barbecued fresh fish. Delicious! As we headed back to where our journey had begun, we were so glad we had gone beyond Bali!
Info Cloud
nuance n.(色調、音調、意義、見解等的)細微差別
/ˈnu:ˌɑ:ns/
a very small difference in color, tone, meaning, etc. [count]
- We continued to Moni for a short sleep before arising at 4:00 a.m. to hike up Mount Kelimutu.
arising, arose, rising三者之間的 nuance：
arising也可以用arose, rising, 但用arising可以表示持續的過程，而且比rising有更強烈的進行式涵義。
Language Lab
erupt v.爆發、噴出；突然暴怒、發生暴亂
if a volcano erupts, it explodes and sends smoke, fire, and rock into the sky;
- Lava erupted from the volcano and covered the whole city.
火山爆發出來的岩漿，掩蓋了整個城市。
- Violence erupted as the police dispersed the protesters.
當警方要驅散示威者時，突然暴發了暴力衝突。
grudgingly adv.勉強地、不情願地
grudging adj.勉強的、不情願的
/ˈgrʌʤɪŋ/
said, done, or given in an unwilling or doubtful way
- He grudgingly accepted the offer but was glad he had after a week.
他心不甘情不願接受所提出的條件，但一星期後就變成很開心了。
- Her grudging apology irritated her parents.
她不情願的道歉，讓父母非常生氣。
coral n[noncount].珊瑚 adj.珊瑚色的
- This pink coral necklace costs a fortune.
這條粉紅色的珊瑚項鍊非常昂貴
- There are schools of fish swimming around the coral reef.
許多魚群在這片珊瑚礁附近游來游去
- Rose loves this coral lipstick that got from her birthday.
Rose很喜歡生日時收到的這條珊瑚色的口紅
to one's heart's delight很開心、心滿意足
- On Saturday, Joe went skating with his friends to their heart's delight.
週六時，Joe和他的朋友們很開心的去溜冰。
stunning adj.
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130425_b7049.wmv
[Advanced] Good Design Is Good Business (3)
If Design Leads, Then Relentless Innovation Is the Norm
The main question remaining for VCs and old-line companies alike is whether design can deliver a sustainable edge. There’s reason to think that it can. Unlike a few more features or marginal increases in computing speed, a better user experience can mean everything. When Path, today’s most elegantly designed social networking app, launched in November 2010, it was quirky, textured, and a little bit too complicated. The second version, released a year later, cut the core interactions down to one simple screen and had plenty of lively touches.
Its present valuation, rumored to be about $250 million, has less to do with users than the user experience Path has created.
A reliance on design-driven innovation poses a challenge for the companies that live by it: You can’t easily patent how something looks, or the feel of a user interface. Features, subtleties, and finishes spawn imitators with unprecedented speed. That means that design-led companies must innovate constantly to maintain their edge.
Design isn’t being looked at as a solution to only business problems. Its practitioners are now taking up roles that used to be dominated by not-for-profits and governments, seeking new ways to raise the fortunes of the developing world. In our first Innovation by Design Awards, projects such as the Embrace Infant Warmer, a low-cost incubator, and the BioLite CampStove, a hyper-fuel-efficient cooking device, aim to significantly improve and even save the lives of people in poor countries with little modern infrastructure.
What everything in this issue shares is a motivating ethos that Watson also hinted at during his Wharton speech, just before the quote that everyone knows. "We are convinced," he said, "that good design can materially help make a good product reach its full potential." Replace product with business. Or even person. In every instance, the wisdom rings true.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130424adab891b2c39e76f7ebc1775cd5b98bb184.wma
The main question remaining for VCs and old-line companies alike is whether design can deliver a sustainable edge. There’s reason to think that it can. Unlike a few more features or marginal increases in computing speed, a better user experience can mean everything. When Path, today’s most elegantly designed social networking app, launched in November 2010, it was quirky, textured, and a little bit too complicated. The second version, released a year later, cut the core interactions down to one simple screen and had plenty of lively touches.
Its present valuation, rumored to be about $250 million, has less to do with users than the user experience Path has created.
A reliance on design-driven innovation poses a challenge for the companies that live by it: You can’t easily patent how something looks, or the feel of a user interface. Features, subtleties, and finishes spawn imitators with unprecedented speed. That means that design-led companies must innovate constantly to maintain their edge.
Design isn’t being looked at as a solution to only business problems. Its practitioners are now taking up roles that used to be dominated by not-for-profits and governments, seeking new ways to raise the fortunes of the developing world. In our first Innovation by Design Awards, projects such as the Embrace Infant Warmer, a low-cost incubator, and the BioLite CampStove, a hyper-fuel-efficient cooking device, aim to significantly improve and even save the lives of people in poor countries with little modern infrastructure.
What everything in this issue shares is a motivating ethos that Watson also hinted at during his Wharton speech, just before the quote that everyone knows. "We are convinced," he said, "that good design can materially help make a good product reach its full potential." Replace product with business. Or even person. In every instance, the wisdom rings true.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130424adab891b2c39e76f7ebc1775cd5b98bb184.wma
Beyond Bali (2)
About mid-morning, we headed back to Flores, stopping to snorkel along
the way. Komodo National Park is home to many world-class dive sites, so
these waters are excellent for diving and snorkeling. As we sailed, we
passed a giant sea turtle as well as numerous giant black morph manta
rays.
After spending the night in Labuan Bajo, the gateway to western Flores, we began our journey inland. We drove up and down through the mountainous terrain, snaking our way to Cancar. Here we gazed down at the spectacular spiderweb rice fields of the Manggarai people.
We continued southeastward. Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside. After a night in the town of Bajawa, we headed to Bena, to oldest and largest traditional village of the Ngada people. Sitting at the base of the impressive volcano Mount Inerie, this village consists of around 40 thatched-roof houses. Macadamia nuts, vanilla, cloves and coffee grow on the nearby slopes of the volcano.
Grammar Gym
abounded : to be in large number of
- Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside.
- There are lots of fish and sea creatures living in the coral reef.
=> Fish and sea creatures abound in the coral reef.
- There is so much creativity in Mr. Dawson's art class.
=> Creativity abounds in Mr. Dawson's art class.
Info Cloud
from...to... 表示某個範圍或幅度
- Photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside.
從令人讚嘆的風景到路邊玩耍的孩童，到處都可以拍到很棒的照片。
from soup to nuts 表示從頭到尾 (從湯到堅果, 西餐先喝湯到最後才吃有堅果的甜點)
Language Lab
world-class adj.
among the best in the world
numerous adj.數目眾多的 [numer字根:算數]
many
- Wesley has numerous jobs besides waiting tables.
Wesley除了當服務生，還兼了許多工作。
- Despite numerous attempts to beat this long-time opponent, Paul still couldn't succeed.
Paul雖然好幾次嘗試要打敗這位長期的對手，但是仍然沒有成功。
terrain n.地域、地帶
land of a particular kind [noncount]
- We spent hours crossing the rough terrain.
我們花了幾個小時通過這個險峻的地帶
- This terrain is very hard on regular cars. You should use a four-wheel drive.
這個地區用一般的車很難進入，你需要用四輪傳動車。
- The painter loves to paint this hilly terrain.
這位畫家喜歡畫這個到處都是山丘的地區
abound v.大量存在、充足
to be present in large numbers or in great quantity
- Rich resources abound in this area.
這個地區到處都有豐富的天然資源
abound in/with (something) : to be filled with (something) : to contain a very large amount of (something)
- Paris abounds with delicious restaurants and cafes.
巴黎充滿著美味的餐廳和咖啡廳
thatch v.用茅草去蓋
/ˈθætʃ/
to make (a roof) with dried plant material (called thatch)
- The tribe people thatched the roofs of their houses.
這個部落的人用茅草蓋屋頂
n.茅草屋頂；像茅草般亂哄哄的頭髮
dried plant material (such as straw or leaves) that is used to make the roof of a building;
a thick mass of hair on a person's head
- The family lives in a house with a thatch roof.
這個家庭住在一間有茅草屋頂的房子
- Patrick's thatch of hair is his trademark.
亂哄哄像茅草般的頭髮是Patrick的特徵
volcano n.
/vɑlˈkeɪnoʊ/
a mountain with a hole in the top or side that sometimes sends out rocks, ash, lava, etc., in a sudden explosion (called an eruption)
- a dormant volcano
dormant adj.
not doing anything at this time : not active but able to become active
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130424_cf142.wmv
After spending the night in Labuan Bajo, the gateway to western Flores, we began our journey inland. We drove up and down through the mountainous terrain, snaking our way to Cancar. Here we gazed down at the spectacular spiderweb rice fields of the Manggarai people.
We continued southeastward. Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside. After a night in the town of Bajawa, we headed to Bena, to oldest and largest traditional village of the Ngada people. Sitting at the base of the impressive volcano Mount Inerie, this village consists of around 40 thatched-roof houses. Macadamia nuts, vanilla, cloves and coffee grow on the nearby slopes of the volcano.
Grammar Gym
abounded : to be in large number of
- Around every turn in the road, photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside.
- There are lots of fish and sea creatures living in the coral reef.
=> Fish and sea creatures abound in the coral reef.
- There is so much creativity in Mr. Dawson's art class.
=> Creativity abounds in Mr. Dawson's art class.
Info Cloud
from...to... 表示某個範圍或幅度
- Photo opportunities abounded from the dramatic landscape to children playing along the roadside.
從令人讚嘆的風景到路邊玩耍的孩童，到處都可以拍到很棒的照片。
from soup to nuts 表示從頭到尾 (從湯到堅果, 西餐先喝湯到最後才吃有堅果的甜點)
Language Lab
world-class adj.
among the best in the world
numerous adj.數目眾多的 [numer字根:算數]
many
- Wesley has numerous jobs besides waiting tables.
Wesley除了當服務生，還兼了許多工作。
- Despite numerous attempts to beat this long-time opponent, Paul still couldn't succeed.
Paul雖然好幾次嘗試要打敗這位長期的對手，但是仍然沒有成功。
terrain n.地域、地帶
land of a particular kind [noncount]
- We spent hours crossing the rough terrain.
我們花了幾個小時通過這個險峻的地帶
- This terrain is very hard on regular cars. You should use a four-wheel drive.
這個地區用一般的車很難進入，你需要用四輪傳動車。
- The painter loves to paint this hilly terrain.
這位畫家喜歡畫這個到處都是山丘的地區
abound v.大量存在、充足
to be present in large numbers or in great quantity
- Rich resources abound in this area.
這個地區到處都有豐富的天然資源
abound in/with (something) : to be filled with (something) : to contain a very large amount of (something)
- Paris abounds with delicious restaurants and cafes.
巴黎充滿著美味的餐廳和咖啡廳
thatch v.用茅草去蓋
/ˈθætʃ/
to make (a roof) with dried plant material (called thatch)
- The tribe people thatched the roofs of their houses.
這個部落的人用茅草蓋屋頂
n.茅草屋頂；像茅草般亂哄哄的頭髮
dried plant material (such as straw or leaves) that is used to make the roof of a building;
a thick mass of hair on a person's head
- The family lives in a house with a thatch roof.
這個家庭住在一間有茅草屋頂的房子
- Patrick's thatch of hair is his trademark.
亂哄哄像茅草般的頭髮是Patrick的特徵
volcano n.
/vɑlˈkeɪnoʊ/
a mountain with a hole in the top or side that sometimes sends out rocks, ash, lava, etc., in a sudden explosion (called an eruption)
- a dormant volcano
dormant adj.
not doing anything at this time : not active but able to become active
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130424_cf142.wmv
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
[Advanced] Good Design Is Good Business (2)
You might wonder what design can possibly have to do with the success of a jet engine or an MRI machine. But hospitals and power plants are now linking their machines into ecosystems. And well-designed iPad apps are the simplest way to manage them. "If we don’t do it, someone else will," says Greg Petroff, general manager of user experience and design at GE. "GE could be relegated to not having the top relationship with the customer," Petroff says. "Our hypothesis is that we can build a better solution."
Designers are the ones best situated to figure out how a kit of parts can become something more--they’re the ones who can figure out the human interface for a vast chain. If they do their job right, the result--a working ecosystem--is a far better platform for innovation than an isolated product. Just think about Apple and how its products have expanded from iMacs to iPods, iTunes, iPhones, and iPads, all linked via its iCloud.
Commoditization Pushes Designers to the Fore
Innovation usually cycles between periods of raw, technical inventiveness and the finer task of packaging it for mass adoption.
Consider Bump, an app that lets users swap data between phones simply by bumping them together. Its cofounder, Dave Lieb, notes that in the first dotcom rush, online enterprises had to build their infrastructures from scratch, so engineers were paramount. In our app economy, everything has changed. Bump had 1 million users before it spent $1,000. It didn’t need infrastructure, thanks to Amazon’s server-hosting service; it didn’t need advertising because of social media; and the App Store solved any distribution problem. Development was a breeze, too, because of Apple’s software developer kit. "These are all things that used to cost millions," Lieb says.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130423ada69372f27239b4d66f2457a15c0ab492a.wma
Designers are the ones best situated to figure out how a kit of parts can become something more--they’re the ones who can figure out the human interface for a vast chain. If they do their job right, the result--a working ecosystem--is a far better platform for innovation than an isolated product. Just think about Apple and how its products have expanded from iMacs to iPods, iTunes, iPhones, and iPads, all linked via its iCloud.
Commoditization Pushes Designers to the Fore
Innovation usually cycles between periods of raw, technical inventiveness and the finer task of packaging it for mass adoption.
Consider Bump, an app that lets users swap data between phones simply by bumping them together. Its cofounder, Dave Lieb, notes that in the first dotcom rush, online enterprises had to build their infrastructures from scratch, so engineers were paramount. In our app economy, everything has changed. Bump had 1 million users before it spent $1,000. It didn’t need infrastructure, thanks to Amazon’s server-hosting service; it didn’t need advertising because of social media; and the App Store solved any distribution problem. Development was a breeze, too, because of Apple’s software developer kit. "These are all things that used to cost millions," Lieb says.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130423ada69372f27239b4d66f2457a15c0ab492a.wma
Monday, April 22, 2013
Beyond Bali (1)
Explore the land of Komodo dragons
When thinking of an Asian vacation, many consider Bali, Indonesia, the beautiful island paradise. However, why stop there? An hour's flight southeast will land you on Flores - Bali before the tourists. Last fall, my husband and I went!
After landing, we sailed to Komodo National Park. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, the park consists of three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and various smaller ones. We visited during the dry season, so the islands were brown and barren.
Our first stop was Rinca, home to about 1,300 Komodo dragons. The warnings were clear. Stay with your park guide; don't wander off the path; keep five meters away from the dragons. As we explored, we came across many Komodo dragons and even tracked one as it lumbered along.
From Rinca, we sailed west and anchored near Komodo Island. The next morning, we toured the island on foot. Again, we came across lots of wildlife - dragons, deer and water buffalo. And in one valley, many cockatoos flew about, filling the air with raucous calls.
Info Cloud
get off the beaten path :not on the usual path
字面上的意思是離開一般人常走的路,
指走冷門路線,不尋常的路線，或還保存著開發前原始風貌，比較冒險的地方。
go behind the scenes 幕後的, 秘密的, 不公開的
behind-the-scenes tour
一般遊客無法前往的旅遊, 要多付錢買票, 可以看到一般遊客看不到的幕後花絮
go native 入鄉隨俗, 採取當地人的生活方式
Language Lab
declare v. 宣布, 宣稱
to say or state (something) in an official or public way
- The entrepreneur declared his intention to become the number one smartphone company.
這位企業家宣布他想要成為智慧型手機企業的龍頭
declaration n. 宣言 公告 聲明
the act of making an official statement about something : the act of declaring something
- The declaration by the president ignited the war between the two countries.
總統的宣言攬起了二個間的戰爭
barren adj.荒蕪的, 不毛的
/ˈberən/
land or soil that is barren has no plants growing on it
- The barren field cannot grow anything.
這個不毛之地長不出任何東西
- Irrigating this barren area will require construction of a complicated watering system.
要灌溉這片荒蕪的地需要建蓋複雜的供水系統
無效的, 無用的
used to describe a period of time during which you do not achieve anything or get any useful results
- The artist became depressed during his barren years.
這位藝術家在他無法創作的那幾年變的很沮喪
lumber v. 緩慢的移動 [lumber n. 木材]
/ˈlʌmbɚ/
to move in a slow or awkward way
- The lumbering truck slowed down the traffic.
這部緩慢的移動的卡車讓交通變慢了
- The elephants lumbered across the plain in herds.
大象成群緩慢的越過平原
anchor n.
/ˈæŋkɚ/
a heavy device that is attached to a boat or ship by a rope or chain and that is thrown into the water to hold the boat or ship in place
come across [phrasal verb]
1 : to seem to have a particular quality or character : to make a particular impression
2 : to be expressed to someone
3 come across (something or someone) : to meet or find (something or someone) by chance
4 informal : to pay money that someone wants or demands
cockatoo n.
/ˈkɑ:kəˌtu:/
a type of large parrot from Australia that has a large colorful bunch of feathers on top of its head
raucous adj. 聲音沙啞的; 刺耳的; 喧鬧的
/ˈrɑ:kəs/
loud and unpleasant to listen to ; behaving in a very rough and noisy way
- You can hear the raucous cries of seabirds even from a long distance.
When thinking of an Asian vacation, many consider Bali, Indonesia, the beautiful island paradise. However, why stop there? An hour's flight southeast will land you on Flores - Bali before the tourists. Last fall, my husband and I went!
After landing, we sailed to Komodo National Park. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, the park consists of three major islands - Komodo, Rinca and Padar - and various smaller ones. We visited during the dry season, so the islands were brown and barren.
Our first stop was Rinca, home to about 1,300 Komodo dragons. The warnings were clear. Stay with your park guide; don't wander off the path; keep five meters away from the dragons. As we explored, we came across many Komodo dragons and even tracked one as it lumbered along.
From Rinca, we sailed west and anchored near Komodo Island. The next morning, we toured the island on foot. Again, we came across lots of wildlife - dragons, deer and water buffalo. And in one valley, many cockatoos flew about, filling the air with raucous calls.
Info Cloud
get off the beaten path :not on the usual path
字面上的意思是離開一般人常走的路,
指走冷門路線,不尋常的路線，或還保存著開發前原始風貌，比較冒險的地方。
go behind the scenes 幕後的, 秘密的, 不公開的
behind-the-scenes tour
一般遊客無法前往的旅遊, 要多付錢買票, 可以看到一般遊客看不到的幕後花絮
go native 入鄉隨俗, 採取當地人的生活方式
Language Lab
declare v. 宣布, 宣稱
to say or state (something) in an official or public way
- The entrepreneur declared his intention to become the number one smartphone company.
這位企業家宣布他想要成為智慧型手機企業的龍頭
declaration n. 宣言 公告 聲明
the act of making an official statement about something : the act of declaring something
- The declaration by the president ignited the war between the two countries.
總統的宣言攬起了二個間的戰爭
barren adj.荒蕪的, 不毛的
/ˈberən/
land or soil that is barren has no plants growing on it
- The barren field cannot grow anything.
這個不毛之地長不出任何東西
- Irrigating this barren area will require construction of a complicated watering system.
要灌溉這片荒蕪的地需要建蓋複雜的供水系統
無效的, 無用的
used to describe a period of time during which you do not achieve anything or get any useful results
- The artist became depressed during his barren years.
這位藝術家在他無法創作的那幾年變的很沮喪
lumber v. 緩慢的移動 [lumber n. 木材]
/ˈlʌmbɚ/
to move in a slow or awkward way
- The lumbering truck slowed down the traffic.
這部緩慢的移動的卡車讓交通變慢了
- The elephants lumbered across the plain in herds.
大象成群緩慢的越過平原
anchor n.
/ˈæŋkɚ/
a heavy device that is attached to a boat or ship by a rope or chain and that is thrown into the water to hold the boat or ship in place
come across [phrasal verb]
1 : to seem to have a particular quality or character : to make a particular impression
2 : to be expressed to someone
3 come across (something or someone) : to meet or find (something or someone) by chance
4 informal : to pay money that someone wants or demands
cockatoo n.
/ˈkɑ:kəˌtu:/
a type of large parrot from Australia that has a large colorful bunch of feathers on top of its head
raucous adj. 聲音沙啞的; 刺耳的; 喧鬧的
/ˈrɑ:kəs/
loud and unpleasant to listen to ; behaving in a very rough and noisy way
- You can hear the raucous cries of seabirds even from a long distance.
其實在很遠之處你都可以聽到海鳥吵雜的叫聲
- Sudden raucous laughter woke me up in the middle of the night.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
[Advanced] Good Design Is Good Business (1)
These words, spoken almost 40 years ago, are the guiding spirit of our innovation age today
by Cliff Kuang
When Thomas Watson Jr. told Wharton students in 1973 that good design is good business, the idea seemed quixotic, silly even. To many people, design still meant the superficial polish of nicer homes and cleaner graphics. But Watson had earned the right to his beliefs. The recently retired IBM CEO was a business oracle, having grown the company tenfold during his tenure by transforming its signature product line from cash registers to computer mainframes. Along the way, the perception of IBM had changed irrevocably. Once rooted in the grime of cogs and springs, Big Blue had become the face of a new computer age.
Watson had always been a pioneering advocate for design, going back to 1954 when he recruited Eliot Noyes to reinvent the street-level showroom at IBM’s Manhattan headquarters. And as IBM transformed, it became synonymous with the rise of modernism.
Only now, 19 years after his death in 1993, is Watson being proved right. Innovation today is inextricably linked with design—and design has become a decisive advantage in countless industries, not to mention a crucial tool to ward off commoditization. Companies singing the design gospel range from Comcast to Pinterest to Starbucks. But why now? What makes this moment different?
Good design yields higher profits
Apple’s rise offers a few important lessons about today’s connection between design and business. The easiest is that design allows you to stoke consumer lust—and demand higher prices as a result. Whirlpool’s VP of design, Pat Schiavone, recently told me, “We’re changing from being a manufacturing-based company to being a product company. It’s not just about cost cutting.” Schiavone was hired three years ago from Ford, where he most famously rebooted the Mustang’s design. “Why change? Because good design is very profitable.”
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130422adab1e49fe977080ae522e7af7c1fae4974.wma
by Cliff Kuang
When Thomas Watson Jr. told Wharton students in 1973 that good design is good business, the idea seemed quixotic, silly even. To many people, design still meant the superficial polish of nicer homes and cleaner graphics. But Watson had earned the right to his beliefs. The recently retired IBM CEO was a business oracle, having grown the company tenfold during his tenure by transforming its signature product line from cash registers to computer mainframes. Along the way, the perception of IBM had changed irrevocably. Once rooted in the grime of cogs and springs, Big Blue had become the face of a new computer age.
Watson had always been a pioneering advocate for design, going back to 1954 when he recruited Eliot Noyes to reinvent the street-level showroom at IBM’s Manhattan headquarters. And as IBM transformed, it became synonymous with the rise of modernism.
Only now, 19 years after his death in 1993, is Watson being proved right. Innovation today is inextricably linked with design—and design has become a decisive advantage in countless industries, not to mention a crucial tool to ward off commoditization. Companies singing the design gospel range from Comcast to Pinterest to Starbucks. But why now? What makes this moment different?
Good design yields higher profits
Apple’s rise offers a few important lessons about today’s connection between design and business. The easiest is that design allows you to stoke consumer lust—and demand higher prices as a result. Whirlpool’s VP of design, Pat Schiavone, recently told me, “We’re changing from being a manufacturing-based company to being a product company. It’s not just about cost cutting.” Schiavone was hired three years ago from Ford, where he most famously rebooted the Mustang’s design. “Why change? Because good design is very profitable.”
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130422adab1e49fe977080ae522e7af7c1fae4974.wma
Komodo Dragons
Meet the world’s largest living lizard
Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they number less than 6,000. They mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo - and humans if given a chance. Their clay-colored, scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately.
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. Their keen sense of smell enables the dragons to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers.
The females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. The mothers then lie near their nests, protecting the eggs until hatched. According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers!
Upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below.
Info Cloud
本文說到科摩多巨蜥: Komodo Dragons
dragon 是龍, 但西方跟東方的龍是不一樣的,
在西方dragon 是有大翅膀, 四肢粗壯的巨獸, 是邪惡的象徵
中國的dragon 頭上有一對角, 沒有翅膀, 沒有粗壯四肢, 而是正義吉祥的象徵,
也是中華文化特有的標誌
所以在西方稱中國的龍, 會說 Chinese dragon
但因為dragon有負面的象徵, 此後有學者說要把龍的英文改成音譯 long
目前為止還沒有得到廣泛的認可
Grammar Gym
"Upon hatching, the babies climb trees..."
upon: at that moment
- Upon hearing the good news of his promotion, Timothy called his parents to let them know.
- Upon seeing the mess in the living room, Cynthia knew her kids were home.
Language Lab
aptly adv.
likely to do something : having a tendency to do something
vulnerable adj. 脆弱的, 容易受傷害的 — often + to
easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
- This kind of material is vulnerable to heat.
這種材質對高溫很脆弱
vulnerability n. 很容易受傷害
- The engineers are trying to reduce the system's vulnerability to viruses.
工程師們正嘗試降低系統被攻擊的可能性
formidable adj. 強大的,
very powerful or strong : deserving serious attention and respect
- a formidable enemy/opponent/weapon
very difficult to deal with
- The mountains were a formidable barrier.
- This quarterback is a formidable opponent.
- Setting up a branch office is a formidable challenge.
設立分公司是個艱鉅的任務
succumb v.屈服於, 死於— often + to
/səˈkʌm/
to stop trying to resist something; to die
- After years of treatment, Vivian succumbed to cancer last year.
- We refuse to succumb to the enemy's threats.
venomous adj. 有毒的, 分泌毒液的
/ˈvɛnəməs/
capable of putting poison or venom into another animal's body usually by biting or stinging it
- This venomous spider can kill a small animal in seconds.
這種有毒的蜘蛛可以在秒殺一隻小型的動物
惡毒的, 狠毒的
expressing very strong hatred or anger
- These venomous personal attacks on the web wounded her so much.
這些網路上的人身攻擊讓他深受傷害
cannibal n.
/ˈkænəbəl/
a person who eats the flesh of human beings or an animal that eats its own kind
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130422_73070.wmv
Dangerous and deadly aptly describe the largest existing lizard species alive on Earth - the Komodo dragon. Listed as vulnerable (to extinction) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, they number less than 6,000. They mostly inhabit the islands of Indonesia's Komodo National Park as well as some areas of Flores. These formidable predators devour deer, wild pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo - and humans if given a chance. Their clay-colored, scaly skin provides them with perfect camouflage as they lie on the brown earth among dead leaves waiting for unsuspecting prey. To seize their prey, the lizard's powerful legs spring into action, and their deadly bites leave little hope for the victim unless treated immediately.
The dragons will follow a bitten water buffalo about a month, waiting for it to succumb to the venomous bite. Their keen sense of smell enables the dragons to detect the scent of blood up to 10 kilometers.
The females lay from 15 to 30 eggs in ground nests that they have overtaken from wild turkey-like birds. The mothers then lie near their nests, protecting the eggs until hatched. According to the park ranger, only three to five newborns survive due to predators, including their own cannibal mothers!
Upon hatching, the babies climb trees, build nests and survive on birds and insects until they are big enough to survive in the dragon world below.
Info Cloud
本文說到科摩多巨蜥: Komodo Dragons
dragon 是龍, 但西方跟東方的龍是不一樣的,
在西方dragon 是有大翅膀, 四肢粗壯的巨獸, 是邪惡的象徵
中國的dragon 頭上有一對角, 沒有翅膀, 沒有粗壯四肢, 而是正義吉祥的象徵,
也是中華文化特有的標誌
所以在西方稱中國的龍, 會說 Chinese dragon
但因為dragon有負面的象徵, 此後有學者說要把龍的英文改成音譯 long
目前為止還沒有得到廣泛的認可
Grammar Gym
"Upon hatching, the babies climb trees..."
upon: at that moment
- Upon hearing the good news of his promotion, Timothy called his parents to let them know.
- Upon seeing the mess in the living room, Cynthia knew her kids were home.
Language Lab
aptly adv.
likely to do something : having a tendency to do something
vulnerable adj. 脆弱的, 容易受傷害的 — often + to
easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
- This kind of material is vulnerable to heat.
這種材質對高溫很脆弱
vulnerability n. 很容易受傷害
- The engineers are trying to reduce the system's vulnerability to viruses.
工程師們正嘗試降低系統被攻擊的可能性
formidable adj. 強大的,
very powerful or strong : deserving serious attention and respect
- a formidable enemy/opponent/weapon
very difficult to deal with
- The mountains were a formidable barrier.
- This quarterback is a formidable opponent.
- Setting up a branch office is a formidable challenge.
設立分公司是個艱鉅的任務
succumb v.屈服於, 死於— often + to
/səˈkʌm/
to stop trying to resist something; to die
- After years of treatment, Vivian succumbed to cancer last year.
- We refuse to succumb to the enemy's threats.
venomous adj. 有毒的, 分泌毒液的
/ˈvɛnəməs/
capable of putting poison or venom into another animal's body usually by biting or stinging it
- This venomous spider can kill a small animal in seconds.
這種有毒的蜘蛛可以在秒殺一隻小型的動物
惡毒的, 狠毒的
expressing very strong hatred or anger
- These venomous personal attacks on the web wounded her so much.
這些網路上的人身攻擊讓他深受傷害
cannibal n.
/ˈkænəbəl/
a person who eats the flesh of human beings or an animal that eats its own kind
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130422_73070.wmv
Friday, April 19, 2013
[Advanced] Seeing Without Sight (1) (2)
A recent study shows that the mind’s eye can learn to see, even in those who were born blind
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
People blind from birth can be taught to "see" images that are conveyed as sounds, says a new study that calls into question a longstanding belief about the limits of the human brain.
Devices that scan visual images and reinterpret regularities as sounds were used to retrain the brains of congenitally blind people in a study published this week in the journal Neuron. The authors -- at the Safra Center for Brain Science at Hebrew University in Israel -- put people who had been blind since birth through 70 hours of training with a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device.
Initially, the subjects were able to distinguish among faces, houses, everyday objects, body shapes and textures. Eventually, they were able to read letters and words, identify facial expressions and locate people's positions. In one video, a blind person is shown a picture of a woman with a ponytail and identified the hairstyle.
Seeing through touch
Blind people have long used the capability to use another sensory perception to compensate for blindness: Braille and blind walking canes allow people without sight to read and navigate. But when the authors of the current study put subjects in a brain scanner, they gained insight into the process by which training with a sensory substitution device allowed the mind's eye to "see."
The human brain is a remarkably efficient and adaptable organ: when an appendage such as a hand is amputated, or a sensory perception such as sight is lost, the specialized regions of the brain in which input from the hand or the eyes is processed are reassigned to other duties.
The amazing brain
But scientists have long believed that the brain's adaptability is limited by early conditions: when a person is born blind, the capacity of the brain's visual cortex to process sight never develops, scientists have believed. With that lost opportunity, a window is closed, and even if eyesight were to be restored, the visual cortex, they believed, would forever remain "blind" to images.
Not so, the current study finds. When blind subjects listened to the "soundscapes" that conveyed information about a visual image, they showed activation in their visual cortex. In fact, when sounds conveyed the shape of letters, subjects who had never "seen" a letter showed activation in a patch of the left ventral visual cortex that uniquely comes alive when people with normal vision read letters and words.
With the right training approaches and technologies, the brains of people who have been blind for a long time -- even since birth -- might be "reawakened" to the task of processing visual information, he said. For some, he added, such training might even restore some lost vision.
Sight restored
In fact, a 2008 study first offered tantalizing evidence that scientists were wrong in their long-held belief that a congenitally blind person could never have normal vision even if eyesight were restored. A young Indian woman identified only as SRD was born blind of dense congenital cataracts, but her vision was restored when she was 12 at the Iladevi Eye Clinic in Ahmedabad, India. Twenty years after she regained her eyesight, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered this rare instance of a congenitally blind person whose vision was restored, and tested her extensively to see how she saw.
SRD's sight was virtually normal, though the MIT team found that she did not use certain cognitive tricks that most sighted people use to make sense of conflicting visual cues.
Vocabulary Focus
call into question (phr v) to cause doubts about something
long-standing adj. having existed for a long time
auditory adj. of or involving hearing
sensory adj. of or related to the physical senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing
appendage n. a smaller or less important part hat is attached to something
activation n. a moment when something starts working
extensively adv. widely, broadly, with great detail
congenital adj. 天生的, 先天的
describes a disease or condition that exists at or from birth
Braille n. 盲人點字法
a system of printing for blind people in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern that can be ready by touching it with the fingers
visual cortex n. 視覺皮質
the part of the brain that helps deal with what the eyes see
cataract n. 白內障
an area of the eye that changes to become unclear, causing a person not to see well, or this condition of the eye
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
People blind from birth can be taught to "see" images that are conveyed as sounds, says a new study that calls into question a longstanding belief about the limits of the human brain.
Devices that scan visual images and reinterpret regularities as sounds were used to retrain the brains of congenitally blind people in a study published this week in the journal Neuron. The authors -- at the Safra Center for Brain Science at Hebrew University in Israel -- put people who had been blind since birth through 70 hours of training with a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device.
Initially, the subjects were able to distinguish among faces, houses, everyday objects, body shapes and textures. Eventually, they were able to read letters and words, identify facial expressions and locate people's positions. In one video, a blind person is shown a picture of a woman with a ponytail and identified the hairstyle.
Seeing through touch
Blind people have long used the capability to use another sensory perception to compensate for blindness: Braille and blind walking canes allow people without sight to read and navigate. But when the authors of the current study put subjects in a brain scanner, they gained insight into the process by which training with a sensory substitution device allowed the mind's eye to "see."
The human brain is a remarkably efficient and adaptable organ: when an appendage such as a hand is amputated, or a sensory perception such as sight is lost, the specialized regions of the brain in which input from the hand or the eyes is processed are reassigned to other duties.
The amazing brain
But scientists have long believed that the brain's adaptability is limited by early conditions: when a person is born blind, the capacity of the brain's visual cortex to process sight never develops, scientists have believed. With that lost opportunity, a window is closed, and even if eyesight were to be restored, the visual cortex, they believed, would forever remain "blind" to images.
Not so, the current study finds. When blind subjects listened to the "soundscapes" that conveyed information about a visual image, they showed activation in their visual cortex. In fact, when sounds conveyed the shape of letters, subjects who had never "seen" a letter showed activation in a patch of the left ventral visual cortex that uniquely comes alive when people with normal vision read letters and words.
With the right training approaches and technologies, the brains of people who have been blind for a long time -- even since birth -- might be "reawakened" to the task of processing visual information, he said. For some, he added, such training might even restore some lost vision.
Sight restored
In fact, a 2008 study first offered tantalizing evidence that scientists were wrong in their long-held belief that a congenitally blind person could never have normal vision even if eyesight were restored. A young Indian woman identified only as SRD was born blind of dense congenital cataracts, but her vision was restored when she was 12 at the Iladevi Eye Clinic in Ahmedabad, India. Twenty years after she regained her eyesight, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered this rare instance of a congenitally blind person whose vision was restored, and tested her extensively to see how she saw.
SRD's sight was virtually normal, though the MIT team found that she did not use certain cognitive tricks that most sighted people use to make sense of conflicting visual cues.
Vocabulary Focus
call into question (phr v) to cause doubts about something
long-standing adj. having existed for a long time
auditory adj. of or involving hearing
sensory adj. of or related to the physical senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing
appendage n. a smaller or less important part hat is attached to something
activation n. a moment when something starts working
extensively adv. widely, broadly, with great detail
congenital adj. 天生的, 先天的
describes a disease or condition that exists at or from birth
Braille n. 盲人點字法
a system of printing for blind people in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern that can be ready by touching it with the fingers
visual cortex n. 視覺皮質
the part of the brain that helps deal with what the eyes see
cataract n. 白內障
an area of the eye that changes to become unclear, causing a person not to see well, or this condition of the eye
Should I Put This on my Resume? (3)
5. Objective
"Never put an 'objective,'" Hurwitz says. "The real objective is to get the job. If it is too generic, it means nothing. If it is not a perfect match for the job, the employer will ask herself, 'Why is he applying if he wants something else?' It's a waste of space and has no advantage."
6. A photo
If you're pursuing a modeling career, it's understandable that you would want to share a photo of yourself with the prospective employer. For most other jobs, leave the photo off. If information isn't relevant to a job, you wouldn't include it, so why would you share a photo when your appearance has nothing to do with the position?
7. Quick response code
QR codes are growing in popularity as a tool to connect employers with a candidate's portfolio or Linkedln profile. If you're submitting it online, skip the QR code, but if you're handing out hard copies - at a career fair, for example - including one might help you stand out. And don't just include a QR code for show - it should link to something interesting and applicable. Connecting the employer to an online replica of your resume or a poorly written and sparsely updated site won't score any points.
Info Cloud
diacritic n.區別發音符號、變音符號(有些是外來語，現在許多符號已省略了。)
1.(上加符號)來標示，如resume n.履歷表 fiance n.未婚夫
2. (用兩個點)來標示，如naive adj.天真的、幼稚的
3.(字尾下方)來標示，如facade n.(建築物的)正面、前面、外觀
Language Lab
objective n.目標、目的 adj.客觀的
- Our next quarter's sales objective is 2 million dollars.
我們下一季的銷售目標是兩百萬美金
- As a news reporter, you should stay as objective as possible.
身為一位新聞記者，你要盡量保持中立。
generic adj.普通的、一般的
- This generic drug works as well as that well-known brand.
這個一般的藥，和知名藥廠的藥是一樣有效的。
- The couple lives in a generic California house with white walls and a swimming pool.
這對夫妻住在普通的加州房子裡，有白色的牆和游泳池。
applicable adj.合適的、可以應用的
apply v.應用
- This management style is not applicable in Asian countries.
這種管理方式，在亞洲國家是行不通的。
- This free medical insurance is only applicable to low-income families.
這種免費的醫療保險，只適用於低收入家庭。
sparsely adv.稀疏地、稀少地；不足地、貧乏地
- The sparsely attended meetings made the owner of the company very angry.
大家很少參加公司的會議，讓老闆非常生氣。
- The military base is a located in a sparsely populated area.
這個軍事基地座落在人煙稀少的區域
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130420_800ca.wmv
"Never put an 'objective,'" Hurwitz says. "The real objective is to get the job. If it is too generic, it means nothing. If it is not a perfect match for the job, the employer will ask herself, 'Why is he applying if he wants something else?' It's a waste of space and has no advantage."
6. A photo
If you're pursuing a modeling career, it's understandable that you would want to share a photo of yourself with the prospective employer. For most other jobs, leave the photo off. If information isn't relevant to a job, you wouldn't include it, so why would you share a photo when your appearance has nothing to do with the position?
7. Quick response code
QR codes are growing in popularity as a tool to connect employers with a candidate's portfolio or Linkedln profile. If you're submitting it online, skip the QR code, but if you're handing out hard copies - at a career fair, for example - including one might help you stand out. And don't just include a QR code for show - it should link to something interesting and applicable. Connecting the employer to an online replica of your resume or a poorly written and sparsely updated site won't score any points.
Info Cloud
diacritic n.區別發音符號、變音符號(有些是外來語，現在許多符號已省略了。)
1.(上加符號)來標示，如resume n.履歷表 fiance n.未婚夫
2. (用兩個點)來標示，如naive adj.天真的、幼稚的
3.(字尾下方)來標示，如facade n.(建築物的)正面、前面、外觀
Language Lab
objective n.目標、目的 adj.客觀的
- Our next quarter's sales objective is 2 million dollars.
我們下一季的銷售目標是兩百萬美金
- As a news reporter, you should stay as objective as possible.
身為一位新聞記者，你要盡量保持中立。
generic adj.普通的、一般的
- This generic drug works as well as that well-known brand.
這個一般的藥，和知名藥廠的藥是一樣有效的。
- The couple lives in a generic California house with white walls and a swimming pool.
這對夫妻住在普通的加州房子裡，有白色的牆和游泳池。
applicable adj.合適的、可以應用的
apply v.應用
- This management style is not applicable in Asian countries.
這種管理方式，在亞洲國家是行不通的。
- This free medical insurance is only applicable to low-income families.
這種免費的醫療保險，只適用於低收入家庭。
sparsely adv.稀疏地、稀少地；不足地、貧乏地
- The sparsely attended meetings made the owner of the company very angry.
大家很少參加公司的會議，讓老闆非常生氣。
- The military base is a located in a sparsely populated area.
這個軍事基地座落在人煙稀少的區域
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130420_800ca.wmv
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Should I Put This on my Resume? (2)
3. A disability:
"There is a common and not unfounded fear that revealing a disability may lead to not being selected for a position. This makes the disclosure choice a difficult one," says Barbara Otto, executive director of Think Beyond the Label, a national collaborative aimed at increasing employment among people with disabilities. " A resume is a springboard for you to give details about your skills, experience and the unique perspectives you bring to the table. You should not explicitly state your disability, but you can weave in your professional experience and hobbies that may be disability-related.
... Then in the interview you can use these achievements to break the ice about your disability if you choose to."
4. Grade point average:
It's great if you graduated from college with a 4.0, but if you did so 10 years ago, it's probably time to remove your GPA from your resume.
"A person's GPA would normally only be listed on the resume if [he] recently graduated from college," Margolin says. "If the GPA is below a 3.0, it is usually best to leave it off. In certain circumstances, a GPA would remain on longer... some job listings require a certain GPA minimum."
Grammar Gym
"There is a common and not unfounded fear.."
find-found-found
I finally found my keys.
unfounded: not based on facts
- unfounded suspicions
- unfounded accusations
Info Cloud
discrimination n.不公平待遇、歧視，是一種行為，如對身心障礙者的歧視
prejudice n.心中的偏見、歧視，指心中的偏見，是一種態度
Language Lab
disclosure n.公開、揭發(或敗露)的事情 [closure停止, 結束]
- Unauthorized disclosure of company secrets caused him to lose his job.
未經許可公開公司的機密, 使他丟了公司的飯碗
- The news disclosure of sweat shops horrified the public.
新聞披露血汗工廠的消息，震驚了大眾
explicitly adv.明確地、明白地
- The film deals explicitly with the racial discrimination that still exists in schools.
這部電影直接切入校園中目前仍然存在的種族歧視問題
- I never explicitly refused Alec's party invitation, but I thought he knew I wouldn't go.
我從來沒有明確地拒絕過Alec的邀約，但是，我以為他知道我不會去
break the ice 打開僵局、打破沉默
- The speaker's witty demonstration not only broke the ice, it also aroused the audience's interest.
這位演講者措辭巧妙的示範，不僅打破冷場，也激發了聽眾的興趣
ice-breaker n.
- We played a game as an ice-breaker.
我們玩了一個遊戲做為破冰
leave [something] off 排除某事
If your GPA is below 2, it is usually best to leave it off.
如果你的成績是低於2，最好是排除它
Chelsea意外地在嘉賓名單中被排除
- Chelsea's name was accidently left off the guest list.
Chelsea意外地在嘉賓名單中被排除
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130419_97f51.wmv
"There is a common and not unfounded fear that revealing a disability may lead to not being selected for a position. This makes the disclosure choice a difficult one," says Barbara Otto, executive director of Think Beyond the Label, a national collaborative aimed at increasing employment among people with disabilities. " A resume is a springboard for you to give details about your skills, experience and the unique perspectives you bring to the table. You should not explicitly state your disability, but you can weave in your professional experience and hobbies that may be disability-related.
... Then in the interview you can use these achievements to break the ice about your disability if you choose to."
4. Grade point average:
It's great if you graduated from college with a 4.0, but if you did so 10 years ago, it's probably time to remove your GPA from your resume.
"A person's GPA would normally only be listed on the resume if [he] recently graduated from college," Margolin says. "If the GPA is below a 3.0, it is usually best to leave it off. In certain circumstances, a GPA would remain on longer... some job listings require a certain GPA minimum."
Grammar Gym
"There is a common and not unfounded fear.."
find-found-found
I finally found my keys.
unfounded: not based on facts
- unfounded suspicions
- unfounded accusations
Info Cloud
discrimination n.不公平待遇、歧視，是一種行為，如對身心障礙者的歧視
prejudice n.心中的偏見、歧視，指心中的偏見，是一種態度
Language Lab
disclosure n.公開、揭發(或敗露)的事情 [closure停止, 結束]
- Unauthorized disclosure of company secrets caused him to lose his job.
未經許可公開公司的機密, 使他丟了公司的飯碗
- The news disclosure of sweat shops horrified the public.
新聞披露血汗工廠的消息，震驚了大眾
explicitly adv.明確地、明白地
- The film deals explicitly with the racial discrimination that still exists in schools.
這部電影直接切入校園中目前仍然存在的種族歧視問題
- I never explicitly refused Alec's party invitation, but I thought he knew I wouldn't go.
我從來沒有明確地拒絕過Alec的邀約，但是，我以為他知道我不會去
break the ice 打開僵局、打破沉默
- The speaker's witty demonstration not only broke the ice, it also aroused the audience's interest.
這位演講者措辭巧妙的示範，不僅打破冷場，也激發了聽眾的興趣
ice-breaker n.
- We played a game as an ice-breaker.
我們玩了一個遊戲做為破冰
leave [something] off 排除某事
If your GPA is below 2, it is usually best to leave it off.
如果你的成績是低於2，最好是排除它
Chelsea意外地在嘉賓名單中被排除
- Chelsea's name was accidently left off the guest list.
Chelsea意外地在嘉賓名單中被排除
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130419_97f51.wmv
[Advanced] Yahoo! Gets a New CEO (2)
As an early Google employee, Mayer was also something of a celebrity in Silicon Valley.
Still, the move to Yahoo is an opportunity for Mayer to claim a bigger stage.
Questions remain whether Mayer can make a difference at Yahoo. Some openly wonder if Mayer's appointment will make a dent. And whether Yahoo might besmirch her stellar reputation if things don't work out.
"She's not at Google anymore, and if she's going to try and out-Google Google, that would be a terrible mistake," analyst Yarmis says. "Clearly, she saw that her path to the top at Google wasn't going well, and revenge can be a powerful, and dangerous, motive."
Mayer's appointment brings a person with cachet and connections to Yahoo, analysts say. But Yahoo has defined itself as a media company working to attract advertising dollars, an agenda echoed by former interim CEO Levinsohn. Mayer's Google tenure and engineering background could signal an about-face for Yahoo.
"She's an engineering type, which in some ways is good news. Ross Levinsohn had said they would focus as a media company, and that was not necessarily good news," says IDC analyst Karsten Weide.
Yahoo's advertising sales business needs to change to shore up its shortcomings, he says.
The situation isn't entirely dire. The portal attracts about 700 million visitors a month, which helped it generate nearly $1 billion in ad sales last quarter.
But that business is under siege from Google, Facebook and an armada of start-ups vying for eyeballs and revenue. Yahoo's slice of the nearly $40 billion U.S. online ad market — 16% in 2009 — was 9.5% in 2011 and could slide to 7.4% this year, according to eMarketer.
Whether the new CEO and a new board are the fix remains an open question.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130418ada19278ac4de8b8d5527981758252210f1.wma
Still, the move to Yahoo is an opportunity for Mayer to claim a bigger stage.
Questions remain whether Mayer can make a difference at Yahoo. Some openly wonder if Mayer's appointment will make a dent. And whether Yahoo might besmirch her stellar reputation if things don't work out.
"She's not at Google anymore, and if she's going to try and out-Google Google, that would be a terrible mistake," analyst Yarmis says. "Clearly, she saw that her path to the top at Google wasn't going well, and revenge can be a powerful, and dangerous, motive."
Mayer's appointment brings a person with cachet and connections to Yahoo, analysts say. But Yahoo has defined itself as a media company working to attract advertising dollars, an agenda echoed by former interim CEO Levinsohn. Mayer's Google tenure and engineering background could signal an about-face for Yahoo.
"She's an engineering type, which in some ways is good news. Ross Levinsohn had said they would focus as a media company, and that was not necessarily good news," says IDC analyst Karsten Weide.
Yahoo's advertising sales business needs to change to shore up its shortcomings, he says.
The situation isn't entirely dire. The portal attracts about 700 million visitors a month, which helped it generate nearly $1 billion in ad sales last quarter.
But that business is under siege from Google, Facebook and an armada of start-ups vying for eyeballs and revenue. Yahoo's slice of the nearly $40 billion U.S. online ad market — 16% in 2009 — was 9.5% in 2011 and could slide to 7.4% this year, according to eMarketer.
Whether the new CEO and a new board are the fix remains an open question.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130418ada19278ac4de8b8d5527981758252210f1.wma
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Should I Put This on my Resume? (1)
Tips for what is important when you apply for a job
Are you a 5-foot-7 woman who has three dogs and loves skydiving? Unless you're applying for a job as a dog walker or skydiving instructor, these details do not belong on your resume.
Resumes should only include information that is relevant to the position, was requested by the employer or makes it easy for them to contact you. Anything superfluous - hobbies and personal attributes for example - should not be shared.
While every situation is unique, and it's important to take the job and employer requirements into account, there are some general rules for what does and doesn't have a place on your resume.
1. Home address:
Career coach Lavie Margolin recommends including your address. "Not listing your address on your resume will make things more challenging for you," Margolin says. "It will be an immediate question mark for employers as to why there is no address listed." Just make sure that you've done your research on the company to ensure its legitimacy before sharing any contact information.
2. Reference information:
"Never include reference information, especially if you don't know that you want the job," says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. Always speak to your references first before sharing their details with prospective companies.
Info Cloud
cover letter 封面信, 伴隨著履歷表的信件
如果你是用e-mail寄履歷表,
cover letter就可以直接寫在裡面,
內容可以寫你是從哪裡得知這份工作,
為什麼對這份工作有興趣,
可以感謝對方閱讀你的履歷表
Language Lab
superfluous adj. 多餘的, 必要的 [super 過份]
/sʊˈpɚfluwəs/
beyond what is needed : not necessary
- Victor's self-introduction is superfluous. Everyone here knows him.
Victor的自我介紹是多此一舉, 這裡的每一個人都認識他
- Ian deleted all the superfluous files on his computer.
Ian 把電腦裡不必要的檔案都刪除了
attribute n.屬性, 特質
a usually good quality or feature that someone or something has
- Samuel has every attribute of a great pitcher.
Samuel 據有優良投手的每一個特質
- Assertiveness is an essential attribute for a good sales representative.
積極近取是一個好的業務代表一個必要的特質
take ... into account
legitimacy n. [noncount] 合法性, 正統性
/lɪˈʤɪtəməsi/
- The election scandal made people start to question the legitimacy of the new president.
選舉的醜聞開始question新任總統的合法性
reference 介紹人, 介紹信 [refer v. 參考]
- Ellen listed me as her reference.
Ellen把我列為他的推薦人
- Hank refused to provide a reference for this former employee.
Hank 拒絕替這位舊員工寫推薦信
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130418_45404.wmv
Are you a 5-foot-7 woman who has three dogs and loves skydiving? Unless you're applying for a job as a dog walker or skydiving instructor, these details do not belong on your resume.
Resumes should only include information that is relevant to the position, was requested by the employer or makes it easy for them to contact you. Anything superfluous - hobbies and personal attributes for example - should not be shared.
While every situation is unique, and it's important to take the job and employer requirements into account, there are some general rules for what does and doesn't have a place on your resume.
1. Home address:
Career coach Lavie Margolin recommends including your address. "Not listing your address on your resume will make things more challenging for you," Margolin says. "It will be an immediate question mark for employers as to why there is no address listed." Just make sure that you've done your research on the company to ensure its legitimacy before sharing any contact information.
2. Reference information:
"Never include reference information, especially if you don't know that you want the job," says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing. Always speak to your references first before sharing their details with prospective companies.
Info Cloud
cover letter 封面信, 伴隨著履歷表的信件
如果你是用e-mail寄履歷表,
cover letter就可以直接寫在裡面,
內容可以寫你是從哪裡得知這份工作,
為什麼對這份工作有興趣,
可以感謝對方閱讀你的履歷表
Language Lab
superfluous adj. 多餘的, 必要的 [super 過份]
/sʊˈpɚfluwəs/
beyond what is needed : not necessary
- Victor's self-introduction is superfluous. Everyone here knows him.
Victor的自我介紹是多此一舉, 這裡的每一個人都認識他
- Ian deleted all the superfluous files on his computer.
Ian 把電腦裡不必要的檔案都刪除了
attribute n.屬性, 特質
a usually good quality or feature that someone or something has
- Samuel has every attribute of a great pitcher.
Samuel 據有優良投手的每一個特質
- Assertiveness is an essential attribute for a good sales representative.
積極近取是一個好的業務代表一個必要的特質
take ... into account
legitimacy n. [noncount] 合法性, 正統性
/lɪˈʤɪtəməsi/
- The election scandal made people start to question the legitimacy of the new president.
選舉的醜聞開始question新任總統的合法性
reference 介紹人, 介紹信 [refer v. 參考]
- Ellen listed me as her reference.
Ellen把我列為他的推薦人
- Hank refused to provide a reference for this former employee.
Hank 拒絕替這位舊員工寫推薦信
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130418_45404.wmv
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
[Advanced] Yahoo! Gets a New CEO (1)
Yahoo nabs Google’s Marissa Mayer with hopes of returning to the top of the tech heap
Well-respected Google exec Marissa Mayer jumps ship
Longtime Google executive Marissa Mayer— one of Silicon Valley's best-known personalities — now as Yahoo CEO, becoming one of the most prominent female leaders in business.
The struggling Internet giant announced it is turning to Mayer, 37 — its fifth CEO in five years — to spearhead a massive turnaround effort that has gained little traction the past few years.
Mayer succeeds interim CEO Ross Levinsohn.
At Google, Mayer earned kudos for her management of several key technologies and a reputation as a demanding perfectionist. She molded the look and feel of some of the company's best known, and used, products — services such as Google's search, Gmail and Google News.
The appointment of Mayer, could perk up spirits among Yahoo employees and investors. Jonathan Yarmis called it a PR master stroke for Yahoo, which has struggled mightily to attract, and keep, top-flight talent in its competitive battle with Google and Facebook.
"I'm surprised and impressed," says Yarmis, an analyst at HfS Research. "Yahoo has been able to attract someone of the highest caliber here, someone who understands the business. This is really the first thing out of Yahoo in a decade that you can't snicker at. She's the kind of person you didn't think Yahoo could get."
"I am honored and delighted to lead Yahoo, one of the Internet's premier destinations for more than 700 million users," Mayer said in a statement.
During her 13 years at Google, Mayer was responsible for shaping Google's most popular products — ranging from its search home page to Gmail and Google Images. Recently, she oversaw the company's location and local services, including Google Maps, encompassing more than 1,000 product managers.
Mayer also sat on Google's operating committee that advised Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Google CEO Page, in a statement, called Mayer "a tireless champion of our users."
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-07-16/marissa-mayer-yahoo-ceo/56256682/1
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130417adac0086fcdbc81bc322af2ad798d8998e9.wma
Well-respected Google exec Marissa Mayer jumps ship
Longtime Google executive Marissa Mayer— one of Silicon Valley's best-known personalities — now as Yahoo CEO, becoming one of the most prominent female leaders in business.
The struggling Internet giant announced it is turning to Mayer, 37 — its fifth CEO in five years — to spearhead a massive turnaround effort that has gained little traction the past few years.
Mayer succeeds interim CEO Ross Levinsohn.
At Google, Mayer earned kudos for her management of several key technologies and a reputation as a demanding perfectionist. She molded the look and feel of some of the company's best known, and used, products — services such as Google's search, Gmail and Google News.
The appointment of Mayer, could perk up spirits among Yahoo employees and investors. Jonathan Yarmis called it a PR master stroke for Yahoo, which has struggled mightily to attract, and keep, top-flight talent in its competitive battle with Google and Facebook.
"I'm surprised and impressed," says Yarmis, an analyst at HfS Research. "Yahoo has been able to attract someone of the highest caliber here, someone who understands the business. This is really the first thing out of Yahoo in a decade that you can't snicker at. She's the kind of person you didn't think Yahoo could get."
"I am honored and delighted to lead Yahoo, one of the Internet's premier destinations for more than 700 million users," Mayer said in a statement.
During her 13 years at Google, Mayer was responsible for shaping Google's most popular products — ranging from its search home page to Gmail and Google Images. Recently, she oversaw the company's location and local services, including Google Maps, encompassing more than 1,000 product managers.
Mayer also sat on Google's operating committee that advised Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Google CEO Page, in a statement, called Mayer "a tireless champion of our users."
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-07-16/marissa-mayer-yahoo-ceo/56256682/1
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130417adac0086fcdbc81bc322af2ad798d8998e9.wma
A Taste for Travel (2)
Drink clean water. In many places, tap water isn't safe to drink. In these places, avoid ordering drinks made with water or served with ice. Drink bottled water or soda instead.
Skip the fresh fruit. It might look and taste delicious. But if it's been washed in dirty water, it may make you sick. You can't tell by looking at it, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Choose meat that has been cooked recently and well. Meat and seafood that have been left out for a long time are dangerous to eat. If it doesn't look or smell OK, move on.
Watch the locals. They will avoid a food cart that has made them sick before.
Be prepared. Take medicines that can ease your symptoms. These won't cure whatever bug you've picked up. But they will help the pain when there's no place to rest and recover.
With these tips in mind, you're ready to dig in! Street food is part of the travel adventure; don't be afraid to try something different. You never know - you might discover a new favorite dish!
Info Cloud
better...than...
提供二個選擇, 二個都不理想, 但其中一個是比較好的
像本文建議我們在外地不要食用新鮮水果,
因為 It's better to be safe than sorry. 小心總比後悔好
better late than never 晚一點總比不做好
Lincoln: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
林肯: 最好保持成沉默, 讓他人己以為你不懂, 也不要張開嘴讓人看清楚你是傻瓜
Language Lab
tap water 自來水 [tap水龍頭]
water that comes through pipes from the public water system
- The tap water in Colorado tastes as good as mineral water.
科羅拉多的自來水喝起來跟礦泉水一樣好喝
drinking water 飲用水
distilled water 蒸餾水
skip 跳過, 略過
- Sean skipped dessert because he's watching his weight.
Sean 省略到甜點是因為他在控制體重
- Mike skipped school today.
bug n. 病菌
a usually mild illness (such as a cold) that can be passed from one person to another
pick up a bug 染上了某種疾病
- Larry picked up a flu bug and got really sick.
Larry 染上了流感病毒而且病的很嚴重
bug 電腦裡面的故障或錯誤
a problem that prevents a computer program or system from working properly
- The engineer caught a bug in their newly developed software.
這位工程師在他們最新發展的軟體中找到了故障
dig in [phrasal verb] 大吃, 盡情的吃 [dig-dug-digging]
to begin eating
- Mom prepared a feast, and everyone dug in.
媽媽準備了大餐, 每個人都盡情的吃
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130417_16009.wmv
Skip the fresh fruit. It might look and taste delicious. But if it's been washed in dirty water, it may make you sick. You can't tell by looking at it, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Choose meat that has been cooked recently and well. Meat and seafood that have been left out for a long time are dangerous to eat. If it doesn't look or smell OK, move on.
Watch the locals. They will avoid a food cart that has made them sick before.
Be prepared. Take medicines that can ease your symptoms. These won't cure whatever bug you've picked up. But they will help the pain when there's no place to rest and recover.
With these tips in mind, you're ready to dig in! Street food is part of the travel adventure; don't be afraid to try something different. You never know - you might discover a new favorite dish!
Info Cloud
better...than...
提供二個選擇, 二個都不理想, 但其中一個是比較好的
像本文建議我們在外地不要食用新鮮水果,
因為 It's better to be safe than sorry. 小心總比後悔好
better late than never 晚一點總比不做好
Lincoln: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
林肯: 最好保持成沉默, 讓他人己以為你不懂, 也不要張開嘴讓人看清楚你是傻瓜
Language Lab
tap water 自來水 [tap水龍頭]
water that comes through pipes from the public water system
- The tap water in Colorado tastes as good as mineral water.
科羅拉多的自來水喝起來跟礦泉水一樣好喝
drinking water 飲用水
distilled water 蒸餾水
| tap water |
skip 跳過, 略過
- Sean skipped dessert because he's watching his weight.
Sean 省略到甜點是因為他在控制體重
- Mike skipped school today.
bug n. 病菌
a usually mild illness (such as a cold) that can be passed from one person to another
pick up a bug 染上了某種疾病
- Larry picked up a flu bug and got really sick.
Larry 染上了流感病毒而且病的很嚴重
bug 電腦裡面的故障或錯誤
a problem that prevents a computer program or system from working properly
- The engineer caught a bug in their newly developed software.
這位工程師在他們最新發展的軟體中找到了故障
dig in [phrasal verb] 大吃, 盡情的吃 [dig-dug-digging]
to begin eating
- Mom prepared a feast, and everyone dug in.
媽媽準備了大餐, 每個人都盡情的吃
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130417_16009.wmv
[Advanced] How Women Are Changing the Tech World (2)
Five years ago, starting and funding a female-led tech company would have been a formidable task, says Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University. But, today, women are helping each other through groups such as Women Who Code, Astia and Girls in Tech, and some venture capitalists are warming up to backing companies led by women.
"We (women) try to band together and look out for each other," says Brit Morin, 26, founder of Brit. In April, she landed $1.25 million in seed funding for Weduary, a Web app for building wedding sites.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130416ada034648a8cb2ffbfb803c91867c0a732b.wma
"We (women) try to band together and look out for each other," says Brit Morin, 26, founder of Brit. In April, she landed $1.25 million in seed funding for Weduary, a Web app for building wedding sites.
"It's great to be a woman in tech. It's
definitely a buzzy time," says Katia Beauchamp, 29, CEO of Birchbox, a
monthly subscription service for grooming and beauty products. "We're
blazing a path, but we're also benefiting from other pioneers."
Foremost among those receiving credit is Sheryl Sandberg,
Facebook's chief operating officer, who has successfully juggled
running a multibillion-dollar company and raising a family while
mentoring female execs.
Sarah Leary, who co-founded Nextdoor, a private social network for
neighborhoods, also credits the dramatic jump in angel investors who
have taken their riches from Google, PayPal, eBay and Yahoo, and
invested them in start-ups.
Only
1% of venture-capital money was invested in companies run by female
CEOs in 2010, the most recent year available, according to Dow Jones
VentureOne.
A scant 3% of public companies are headed by women, says research company GMI.
"There
always has been, and continues to be, a shortage of female-led
companies," says Dana Stalder, general partner at VC firm Matrix
Partners, which has investments in female-led start-ups. About 10% of
private companies in Matrix's portfolio were founded by female
entrepreneurs.
Female leaders are convinced that such start-ups will lead to spin-offs or investments in other companies led by women.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130416ada034648a8cb2ffbfb803c91867c0a732b.wma
Monday, April 15, 2013
A Taste for Travel (1)
You can watch your health and still eat like a local!
I love street food. Wherever I go, I'm always looking for chances to eat like a local. In many places, some of the best ethnic food is served from a cart! From fish and chips in Edinburgh to pad thai in Bangkok, I've tried some delicious stuff! But there's a dark side to all this good food - food poisoning. I once had a bad case of it in Nepal.
I was in bed for two days and unable to eat much for weeks after. I was in a rural area, so I had no access to clean water or food. I couldn't help getting sick. Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning. It's a risk we all take when we eat strange foods. But there are ways to enjoy good local food and avoid an upset stomach. A few precautions might save you a lot pain. The following tips will help keep you safe and healthy.
Info Cloud
英文中許多人名或地名的發音，並不能照拼法來讀。
有以下例子:
Edinburgh :city in Scotland 愛丁堡
/ˈɛdnˌbɚrə/
Postwick
Magdalene 劍橋大學的一個學院
/ˈmægdələn/
Auchinleck
Mackay 馬偕醫院
Grammar Gym
"Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning."
story or two: some stories
one or tow: a small but indefinite amount of something
- Although Martha is not a nurse, she does know a thing or two about taking care of sick people.
- Eric likes to read a book or two when he has free time.
Language Lab
ethnic adj. 民族的, 人種的
of or relating to races or large groups of people who have the same customs, religion, origin, etc.
- All the ethnic outfits on display were handmade.
所有展示的民族服裝都是手工製的
- The government is trying to ease the conflicts among the country's ethnic groups.
政府試著要安撫國家間各各種族的衝突
associated with or belonging to a particular race or group of people who have a culture that is different from the main culture of a country
- Jason loves to listen to ethnic music.
Jason 喜歡聽民族音樂
food poisoning n.食物中毒
sickness caused by bacteria or chemicals in food
- The patient with food poisoning was given an IV a pain-reliever.
這個食物中毒的病患已經吊點滴和使用藥物了
- There are over a hundred cases of food poisoning in this junior high school.
這個國中有超過100個食物中毒的案例
rural adj.
/ˈrɚrəl/
of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city
horror n. 恐怖
a very strong feeling of fear, dread, and shock
- I felt numb with horror when I saw the robber beating the old lady.
當我看到那個搶匪動手打那個老太太, 我覺得很恐怖
horrify 使感到恐怖
to cause (someone) to feel horror or shock : to greatly upset and shock (someone)
- Theo was horrified by the terrible scene caused by the fire.
Theo 被火場的恐怖景象給嚇壞了
upset adj.不舒服,
If you have an upset stomach, you have an unpleasant feeling in your stomach because of illness or because of something you have eaten.
Irene has an upset stomach.
angry or unhappy 生氣的, 不高興的
v. 使生氣
to make (someone) unhappy, worried, etc.
What she said really upset me.
他說的話真的讓我很火大
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130416_22698.wmv
I love street food. Wherever I go, I'm always looking for chances to eat like a local. In many places, some of the best ethnic food is served from a cart! From fish and chips in Edinburgh to pad thai in Bangkok, I've tried some delicious stuff! But there's a dark side to all this good food - food poisoning. I once had a bad case of it in Nepal.
I was in bed for two days and unable to eat much for weeks after. I was in a rural area, so I had no access to clean water or food. I couldn't help getting sick. Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning. It's a risk we all take when we eat strange foods. But there are ways to enjoy good local food and avoid an upset stomach. A few precautions might save you a lot pain. The following tips will help keep you safe and healthy.
Info Cloud
英文中許多人名或地名的發音，並不能照拼法來讀。
有以下例子:
Edinburgh :city in Scotland 愛丁堡
/ˈɛdnˌbɚrə/
Postwick
Magdalene 劍橋大學的一個學院
/ˈmægdələn/
Auchinleck
Mackay 馬偕醫院
Grammar Gym
"Most travelers have a horror story or two about food poisoning."
story or two: some stories
one or tow: a small but indefinite amount of something
- Although Martha is not a nurse, she does know a thing or two about taking care of sick people.
- Eric likes to read a book or two when he has free time.
Language Lab
ethnic adj. 民族的, 人種的
of or relating to races or large groups of people who have the same customs, religion, origin, etc.
- All the ethnic outfits on display were handmade.
所有展示的民族服裝都是手工製的
- The government is trying to ease the conflicts among the country's ethnic groups.
政府試著要安撫國家間各各種族的衝突
associated with or belonging to a particular race or group of people who have a culture that is different from the main culture of a country
- Jason loves to listen to ethnic music.
Jason 喜歡聽民族音樂
food poisoning n.食物中毒
sickness caused by bacteria or chemicals in food
- The patient with food poisoning was given an IV a pain-reliever.
這個食物中毒的病患已經吊點滴和使用藥物了
- There are over a hundred cases of food poisoning in this junior high school.
這個國中有超過100個食物中毒的案例
rural adj.
/ˈrɚrəl/
of or relating to the country and the people who live there instead of the city
horror n. 恐怖
a very strong feeling of fear, dread, and shock
- I felt numb with horror when I saw the robber beating the old lady.
當我看到那個搶匪動手打那個老太太, 我覺得很恐怖
horrify 使感到恐怖
to cause (someone) to feel horror or shock : to greatly upset and shock (someone)
- Theo was horrified by the terrible scene caused by the fire.
Theo 被火場的恐怖景象給嚇壞了
upset adj.不舒服,
If you have an upset stomach, you have an unpleasant feeling in your stomach because of illness or because of something you have eaten.
Irene has an upset stomach.
angry or unhappy 生氣的, 不高興的
v. 使生氣
to make (someone) unhappy, worried, etc.
What she said really upset me.
他說的話真的讓我很火大
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130416_22698.wmv
[Advanced] How Women Are Changing the Tech World (1)
It’s a long journey, but women are finding success! By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
Reshaping a time-worn narrative isn't easy. Social revolutions rarely are, especially when you're a woman trying to break into the boys' club that is Silicon Valley.
But an emerging class of early-stage tech start-up executives is helping dispel the notion that there isn't a leading role for them in the male-dominated valley.
The emergence of young female tech founders and executives reflects sweeping change in the worlds of start-up companies and angel funding, where wealthy investors give money in return for a stake in a company. It underscores the enormous purchasing prowess of women online that is transforming the Web economy. As more consumers reach for their smartphones and tablets to shop and communicate, there is a pressing need for commerce sites that cater to women, who control 70% of online purchases worldwide, according to Lisa Stone, CEO of BlogHer, a digital media company.
1540
"Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest-growing and most valuable consumer Internet and e-commerce companies," says venture capitalist Aileen Lee. She has invested in Brit, a lifestyle branding company, and Plum District, an e-commerce site for moms, among many ventures led by women.
Make no mistake: The executive suite for business in general and the technology industry specifically remains a male stronghold. Just 3% of all tech start-ups are led by women, according to a Kauffman Foundation report. Only a handful of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women. Indeed, the glass ceiling remains a reality for many women, and charges of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination persist.
Of late, it's been a thrill ride for female entrepreneurs in tech. Advances in technology, lower infrastructure costs and ample angel investing have made it easier to launch an early-stage company, says Leah Busque, CEO of TaskRabbit, an eBay of sorts for odd jobs.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130415ada9b6014bb0f277d8f8e850f88b37c3bc7.wma
Reshaping a time-worn narrative isn't easy. Social revolutions rarely are, especially when you're a woman trying to break into the boys' club that is Silicon Valley.
But an emerging class of early-stage tech start-up executives is helping dispel the notion that there isn't a leading role for them in the male-dominated valley.
The emergence of young female tech founders and executives reflects sweeping change in the worlds of start-up companies and angel funding, where wealthy investors give money in return for a stake in a company. It underscores the enormous purchasing prowess of women online that is transforming the Web economy. As more consumers reach for their smartphones and tablets to shop and communicate, there is a pressing need for commerce sites that cater to women, who control 70% of online purchases worldwide, according to Lisa Stone, CEO of BlogHer, a digital media company.
1540
"Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest-growing and most valuable consumer Internet and e-commerce companies," says venture capitalist Aileen Lee. She has invested in Brit, a lifestyle branding company, and Plum District, an e-commerce site for moms, among many ventures led by women.
Make no mistake: The executive suite for business in general and the technology industry specifically remains a male stronghold. Just 3% of all tech start-ups are led by women, according to a Kauffman Foundation report. Only a handful of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women. Indeed, the glass ceiling remains a reality for many women, and charges of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination persist.
Of late, it's been a thrill ride for female entrepreneurs in tech. Advances in technology, lower infrastructure costs and ample angel investing have made it easier to launch an early-stage company, says Leah Busque, CEO of TaskRabbit, an eBay of sorts for odd jobs.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130415ada9b6014bb0f277d8f8e850f88b37c3bc7.wma
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Mathalicious!
Getting students interested in math by asking better questions
Former middle school math teacher Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students. But he couldn't get upset because he agreed with them - the lessons really were boring! That's why he became a math coach, a job that allowed him to help other teachers design better lessons. Then, in 2009, he founded the math-teaching website Mathalicious, so he could devote himself completely to designing lessons.
Unlike lessons in traditional math textbooks, Mathalicious lessons ask open-ended math questions with real-life applications.
For example: Do people with small feet pay more for shoes? How long must a person exercise to burn off a Big Mac? Each lesson includes handouts, a teacher's guide and a short multimedia presentation. Also, each lesson requires students to use specific math skills included the Common Core State Standards.
While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. But for many math teachers, the cost is worth it. Mathalicious gives them the tools they need to turn bored students into inspired ones!
Info Cloud
bored adj.無趣的、煩人的、無聊的，
主詞要用"人"， 因為"人"才會感到無聊!
- I'm bored.
- She feels bored.
她覺得很無聊
- Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students.
Karim Kai Ani常常面對一整班感到無聊的學生
boring adj.令人生厭的、乏味的，主詞是"事物"。
- That's a boring book.
- The lessons really were boring!
課程真的夠無聊!
excited adj.興奮的，主詞要用"人"。
- I am so excited.
我感到很興奮
exciting adj.興奮的，主詞是"事物"。
- What an exciting movie!
Grammar Gym
while
1. at the same time
- Jim waited in the car while Teresa went to buy coffee.
2. although
- While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment.
- Although the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment.
- While cats are generally known to not like water, tigers do enjoy swimming.
- While tourists are not allowed to walk into the palace, the palace gardens are open to the public.
Language Lab
open-ended 開放式的、沒有預設目標或結論的
- The meeting has an open-ended agenda.
這個會議沒有特定的討論議題
- This open-ended task requires independent thinking and the ability to solve problems.
這個可以自由發揮的任務，需要獨立思考和解決問題的能力。
application n.應用、運用；申請
- There are a lot of practical applications for what the students learned in their physics class.
物理課中，學生所學的有很多實際的應用。
- All scholarship applications need to be submitted by this Friday.
所有的獎助學金的申請書必須在週五前繳交
burn off = burn up 燃燒、焚毀
- Jogging regularly can burn off excessive calories.
規律的慢跑可以燃燒過多的卡路里
- Pamela went swimming after dinner to burn off the steak and potatoes she had eaten.
晚餐後，Pamela跑去游泳，消耗掉她吃的牛排和馬鈴薯。
inspire v.鼓舞、激勵、激發靈感
- My drama teacher inspired me to become an actor.
我的戲劇老師激勵我成為一位演員
inspired adj.啟發靈感的、得到啟示的
- This is a Japanese-inspired hotel.
這是一間具有日本風味的旅館
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130415_e510d.wmv
Former middle school math teacher Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students. But he couldn't get upset because he agreed with them - the lessons really were boring! That's why he became a math coach, a job that allowed him to help other teachers design better lessons. Then, in 2009, he founded the math-teaching website Mathalicious, so he could devote himself completely to designing lessons.
Unlike lessons in traditional math textbooks, Mathalicious lessons ask open-ended math questions with real-life applications.
For example: Do people with small feet pay more for shoes? How long must a person exercise to burn off a Big Mac? Each lesson includes handouts, a teacher's guide and a short multimedia presentation. Also, each lesson requires students to use specific math skills included the Common Core State Standards.
While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment. But for many math teachers, the cost is worth it. Mathalicious gives them the tools they need to turn bored students into inspired ones!
Info Cloud
bored adj.無趣的、煩人的、無聊的，
主詞要用"人"， 因為"人"才會感到無聊!
- I'm bored.
- She feels bored.
她覺得很無聊
- Karim Kai Ani often faced a classroom full of bored students.
Karim Kai Ani常常面對一整班感到無聊的學生
boring adj.令人生厭的、乏味的，主詞是"事物"。
- That's a boring book.
- The lessons really were boring!
課程真的夠無聊!
excited adj.興奮的，主詞要用"人"。
- I am so excited.
我感到很興奮
exciting adj.興奮的，主詞是"事物"。
- What an exciting movie!
Grammar Gym
while
1. at the same time
- Jim waited in the car while Teresa went to buy coffee.
2. although
- While the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment.
- Although the site does offer a handful of free samples, the lessons are based on payment.
- While cats are generally known to not like water, tigers do enjoy swimming.
- While tourists are not allowed to walk into the palace, the palace gardens are open to the public.
Language Lab
open-ended 開放式的、沒有預設目標或結論的
- The meeting has an open-ended agenda.
這個會議沒有特定的討論議題
- This open-ended task requires independent thinking and the ability to solve problems.
這個可以自由發揮的任務，需要獨立思考和解決問題的能力。
application n.應用、運用；申請
- There are a lot of practical applications for what the students learned in their physics class.
物理課中，學生所學的有很多實際的應用。
- All scholarship applications need to be submitted by this Friday.
所有的獎助學金的申請書必須在週五前繳交
burn off = burn up 燃燒、焚毀
- Jogging regularly can burn off excessive calories.
規律的慢跑可以燃燒過多的卡路里
- Pamela went swimming after dinner to burn off the steak and potatoes she had eaten.
晚餐後，Pamela跑去游泳，消耗掉她吃的牛排和馬鈴薯。
inspire v.鼓舞、激勵、激發靈感
- My drama teacher inspired me to become an actor.
我的戲劇老師激勵我成為一位演員
inspired adj.啟發靈感的、得到啟示的
- This is a Japanese-inspired hotel.
這是一間具有日本風味的旅館
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130415_e510d.wmv
Friday, April 12, 2013
[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (3)
6:35
New trends in video gaming
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime isn't worried. Yes, sales of the Wii have tapered off. Yes, analysts doubt that its successor, the game machine/tablet Wii U, will sell as well as the original. Yes, Facebook, mobile, and Xbox Kinect have poached Nintendo's audience of fitness-minded moms and kids.
But Fils-Aime has faith. "To buy into a console, consumers need a very clear, understandable, and persuasive reason," he explains. "We believe that's games."
If he's wrong, Nintendo could be in trouble. If he's right, well, Nintendo may still be in trouble. Building a game console that only plays games is becoming a risky proposition. Wii U will include a controller with a touch-enabled screen, camera, and NFC.
The Wii U's release won't just determine the fate of one of the most successful gaming companies ever. It will also shed light on whether traditional consoles have a future in an era of multifunction devices.
From a cultural standpoint, games have never been bigger. Nielsen found that half of all American households have a console, and the amount of time spent playing games has increased 7% since last year.
Blockbusters like Call of Duty still have billion-dollar releases. But games of that scale require years and cost millions to produce. Alex Seropian, a cofounder of Bungie, the studio that created the Xbox mega-franchise Halo, sold his company to Microsoft in 2000.
"The $60 console game is going to disappear," he says. Poised to replace it is an ecosystem teeming with games of all sizes and prices.
The future of gaming hardware may well come to look like the mobile phone industry: one or two market leaders and a host of smaller competitors.
That's what makes the Wii U a good barometer of the future of the console. We're about to learn just how much pull Mario still has.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130413ada6d314fb873dbc15c7a07d6c8ba896912.wma
New trends in video gaming
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime isn't worried. Yes, sales of the Wii have tapered off. Yes, analysts doubt that its successor, the game machine/tablet Wii U, will sell as well as the original. Yes, Facebook, mobile, and Xbox Kinect have poached Nintendo's audience of fitness-minded moms and kids.
But Fils-Aime has faith. "To buy into a console, consumers need a very clear, understandable, and persuasive reason," he explains. "We believe that's games."
If he's wrong, Nintendo could be in trouble. If he's right, well, Nintendo may still be in trouble. Building a game console that only plays games is becoming a risky proposition. Wii U will include a controller with a touch-enabled screen, camera, and NFC.
The Wii U's release won't just determine the fate of one of the most successful gaming companies ever. It will also shed light on whether traditional consoles have a future in an era of multifunction devices.
From a cultural standpoint, games have never been bigger. Nielsen found that half of all American households have a console, and the amount of time spent playing games has increased 7% since last year.
Blockbusters like Call of Duty still have billion-dollar releases. But games of that scale require years and cost millions to produce. Alex Seropian, a cofounder of Bungie, the studio that created the Xbox mega-franchise Halo, sold his company to Microsoft in 2000.
"The $60 console game is going to disappear," he says. Poised to replace it is an ecosystem teeming with games of all sizes and prices.
The future of gaming hardware may well come to look like the mobile phone industry: one or two market leaders and a host of smaller competitors.
That's what makes the Wii U a good barometer of the future of the console. We're about to learn just how much pull Mario still has.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130413ada6d314fb873dbc15c7a07d6c8ba896912.wma
How Do You Choose a Career? (2)
Helen: You should think about this more seriously. What if you go to
medical school and discover that you don't like studying medicine?
Robert: I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway. My parents have really high expectations for me, so I don't want to let them down.
Helen: Would you really want to work at a job you don't enjoy? A career test can help you determine what you like and are good at.
Robert: Hmm....Well maybe that is a good idea. Then maybe I could make a list of potential career options and talk to my parents about them.
Helen: You should also consider what kind of work environment you like and how much money you want to make. You also need to think about how easy it would be to take time off and how much education you need.
Robert: That's a lot to think about. Well, I'm pretty good at math, and I really love to sketch pictures of buildings. That sounds more interesting to me than being human bodies. I just don't want to upset my parents.
Helen: I know, but it sounds like you're interested in architecture. My dad knows some architects. He could introduce you to some so you could find out more about that field. Then you could make an informed decision.
Robert: I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to them.
Helen: Well, think about it, and let me know.
Grammar Gym
to deal with it: handling a situation
"I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway."
- People have to deal with morning traffic.
- Passenger has to deal with long lines.
Info Cloud
helicopter parents 直升機父母
a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child
指過度保護子女的父母，像直升機 hover (盤旋)，盯著子女。
Language Lab
let someone down 讓某人失望
having a bad opinion of someone or something
- Annie felt that she had let everyone down because she got divorced.
Annie因為離婚了，覺得自己辜負了每個人的期待。
- David worked hard to make sure that he wouldn't let his boss down.
David認真工作，為了確定不會讓老闆失望。
potential adj.可能的、潛在的
capable of becoming real
- Rita sees everyone around her as a potential client.
Rita視她的身邊的每一個人都是她的潛力顧客
n.潛力
an ability that someone has that can be developed to help that person become successful
- Ricky has the potential to become a great actor.
Ricky有成為優秀演員之潛力
sketch v.速寫、素描
to make a quick, rough drawing of (something)
- The painter is sketching a beautiful cathedral.
這位畫家正在速寫這座美麗的教堂
n.
a quick, rough drawing that shows the main features of an object or scene
- A sketch of a ballerina by this artist is now on display.
這位畫家所畫的芭蕾舞者的素描，正在展示中。
informed adj.有見識的；了解情況的、消息靈通的
having information; based on information
inform v.通知
- This lecture will help you make an informed choice about investments.
這場演講將會幫助你在投資上做明確的選擇
- Only a few informed people know the company's financial situation.
只有少數了解狀況的人知道公司的財務狀況
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130413_debee.wmv
Robert: I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway. My parents have really high expectations for me, so I don't want to let them down.
Helen: Would you really want to work at a job you don't enjoy? A career test can help you determine what you like and are good at.
Robert: Hmm....Well maybe that is a good idea. Then maybe I could make a list of potential career options and talk to my parents about them.
Helen: You should also consider what kind of work environment you like and how much money you want to make. You also need to think about how easy it would be to take time off and how much education you need.
Robert: That's a lot to think about. Well, I'm pretty good at math, and I really love to sketch pictures of buildings. That sounds more interesting to me than being human bodies. I just don't want to upset my parents.
Helen: I know, but it sounds like you're interested in architecture. My dad knows some architects. He could introduce you to some so you could find out more about that field. Then you could make an informed decision.
Robert: I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk to them.
Helen: Well, think about it, and let me know.
Grammar Gym
to deal with it: handling a situation
"I'll just deal with it and be a doctor anyway."
- People have to deal with morning traffic.
- Passenger has to deal with long lines.
Info Cloud
helicopter parents 直升機父母
a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child
指過度保護子女的父母，像直升機 hover (盤旋)，盯著子女。
Language Lab
let someone down 讓某人失望
having a bad opinion of someone or something
- Annie felt that she had let everyone down because she got divorced.
Annie因為離婚了，覺得自己辜負了每個人的期待。
- David worked hard to make sure that he wouldn't let his boss down.
David認真工作，為了確定不會讓老闆失望。
potential adj.可能的、潛在的
capable of becoming real
- Rita sees everyone around her as a potential client.
Rita視她的身邊的每一個人都是她的潛力顧客
n.潛力
an ability that someone has that can be developed to help that person become successful
- Ricky has the potential to become a great actor.
Ricky有成為優秀演員之潛力
sketch v.速寫、素描
to make a quick, rough drawing of (something)
- The painter is sketching a beautiful cathedral.
這位畫家正在速寫這座美麗的教堂
n.
a quick, rough drawing that shows the main features of an object or scene
- A sketch of a ballerina by this artist is now on display.
這位畫家所畫的芭蕾舞者的素描，正在展示中。
informed adj.有見識的；了解情況的、消息靈通的
having information; based on information
inform v.通知
- This lecture will help you make an informed choice about investments.
這場演講將會幫助你在投資上做明確的選擇
- Only a few informed people know the company's financial situation.
只有少數了解狀況的人知道公司的財務狀況
mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130413_debee.wmv
Thursday, April 11, 2013
[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (2)
7:00
Studies expand on soda's role in growing obesityNew studies make a direct link between sugary drinks and added weight, showing that removing such beverages slows weight gain in heavy teens and reduces the odds of obesity in other children.September 21, 2012|By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130412ada007c272d1b35a5b9bb9e47b350dfad04.wma
Studies expand on soda's role in growing obesityNew studies make a direct link between sugary drinks and added weight, showing that removing such beverages slows weight gain in heavy teens and reduces the odds of obesity in other children.September 21, 2012|By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
As
public health leaders step up their efforts to temper Americans' thirst
for sugar-sweetened beverages, a new set of published studies has found
that removing sugary drinks from kids' diets slows weight gain in heavy
teens and reduces the odds that normal-weight children will become
obese.
Though sodas, sports drinks, blended coffees and other high-calorie beverages have long been assumed to play a leading role in the nation's obesity crisis, these studies are the first to show that consumption of sugary drinks is a direct cause of weight gain, experts said.
Though sodas, sports drinks, blended coffees and other high-calorie beverages have long been assumed to play a leading role in the nation's obesity crisis, these studies are the first to show that consumption of sugary drinks is a direct cause of weight gain, experts said.
For adults, the new research offers the disturbing suggestion that
regular consumption of the high-calorie beverages may turn on genetic
switches that incline our bodies to becoming fat.
Collectively, the studies leave little doubt that a steady surge in the consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks has contributed to the near-tripling of the nation's obesity rate over the last four decades.
"Calories from sugar-sweetened beverages do matter," Yale University endocrinologist Sonia Caprio wrote in an editorial that accompanied the studies, published online Friday by the New England Journal of Medicine. "The time has come to take action."
Admonishing purveyors of crowd-pleasing super-sized drinks, Caprio also urged policymakers to focus first on measures that "limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, especially those served at low cost and in excessive portions, to attempt to reverse the increase in childhood obesity."
More than 12.5 million American kids and 78 million adults are obese. The 40 years of increasing national girth have paralleled an estimated doubling of calories consumed in drinks sweetened with sugar and its close chemical relative, high-fructose corn syrup.
As public health officials have pondered ways to reduce obesity and the chronic diseases that come with it, they have sharpened their focus on the estimated 222 calories the average American drinks every day in the form of sugary drinks and the like.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages — and ultimately all sugary beverages including juices — are the low-hanging fruit" of the anti-obesity campaign, said University of North Carolina epidemiologist Barry M. Popkin, an obesity expert who tracks American consumption patterns. While sugary drinks are high in calories, they are low in nutrients, he said. What's more, studies show that people who drink such beverages rarely compensate for their extra calories by reducing intake at meals.
Not surprisingly, the new studies unleashed a storm of objection from the Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., the icons of a $110-billion-a-year industry whose products have penetrated the remotest corners of the earth.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages are not driving obesity," the American Beverage Assn., which represents the soda makers, said in a statement released Friday. "By every measure, sugar-sweetened beverages play a small and declining role in the American diet." Citing an analysis of government data by the National Cancer Institute, the ABA said sugar-sweetened drinks accounted for just 7% of the average American's diet. "Focusing on a small source of calories rather than on the total diet is a misplaced allocation of resources," the ABA statement cautioned.
Two of the reports published Friday break new ground in the long-running debate by employing the "gold standard" of biomedical research design: The researchers compared two groups of children who were similar in most respects except that some were randomly selected to drink a sugary beverage each day and some were given an artificially sweetened drink with no calories.
Collectively, the studies leave little doubt that a steady surge in the consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks has contributed to the near-tripling of the nation's obesity rate over the last four decades.
"Calories from sugar-sweetened beverages do matter," Yale University endocrinologist Sonia Caprio wrote in an editorial that accompanied the studies, published online Friday by the New England Journal of Medicine. "The time has come to take action."
Admonishing purveyors of crowd-pleasing super-sized drinks, Caprio also urged policymakers to focus first on measures that "limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, especially those served at low cost and in excessive portions, to attempt to reverse the increase in childhood obesity."
More than 12.5 million American kids and 78 million adults are obese. The 40 years of increasing national girth have paralleled an estimated doubling of calories consumed in drinks sweetened with sugar and its close chemical relative, high-fructose corn syrup.
As public health officials have pondered ways to reduce obesity and the chronic diseases that come with it, they have sharpened their focus on the estimated 222 calories the average American drinks every day in the form of sugary drinks and the like.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages — and ultimately all sugary beverages including juices — are the low-hanging fruit" of the anti-obesity campaign, said University of North Carolina epidemiologist Barry M. Popkin, an obesity expert who tracks American consumption patterns. While sugary drinks are high in calories, they are low in nutrients, he said. What's more, studies show that people who drink such beverages rarely compensate for their extra calories by reducing intake at meals.
Not surprisingly, the new studies unleashed a storm of objection from the Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., the icons of a $110-billion-a-year industry whose products have penetrated the remotest corners of the earth.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages are not driving obesity," the American Beverage Assn., which represents the soda makers, said in a statement released Friday. "By every measure, sugar-sweetened beverages play a small and declining role in the American diet." Citing an analysis of government data by the National Cancer Institute, the ABA said sugar-sweetened drinks accounted for just 7% of the average American's diet. "Focusing on a small source of calories rather than on the total diet is a misplaced allocation of resources," the ABA statement cautioned.
Two of the reports published Friday break new ground in the long-running debate by employing the "gold standard" of biomedical research design: The researchers compared two groups of children who were similar in most respects except that some were randomly selected to drink a sugary beverage each day and some were given an artificially sweetened drink with no calories.
As a result, the findings provide a clear-eyed look at how weight gain is directly influenced by consumption of sugary drinks.
In one of the studies, involving 641 normal-weight children between the ages of 5 and 12, those who drank 8 ounces of a sugar-sweetened beverages each day for 18 months gained more than 2 pounds of additional weight and accumulated more fat than their peers who drank artificially sweetened drinks daily.
In the other study, involving 224 ninth- and 10th-graders who were already overweight or obese, those who were supplied with diet drinks and water for one year were more than 4 pounds lighter on average — and roughly half a point lower on the body mass index scale — than their peers who continued to drink sugary beverages. But when those teens were allowed to revert to their old habits, the differences between the two groups disappeared within a year.
"This research pushes us beyond the potential and suggestive effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on obesity and weight gain and into the realm of very solid science," said Popkin, who was not involved in the latest studies.
In one of the studies, involving 641 normal-weight children between the ages of 5 and 12, those who drank 8 ounces of a sugar-sweetened beverages each day for 18 months gained more than 2 pounds of additional weight and accumulated more fat than their peers who drank artificially sweetened drinks daily.
In the other study, involving 224 ninth- and 10th-graders who were already overweight or obese, those who were supplied with diet drinks and water for one year were more than 4 pounds lighter on average — and roughly half a point lower on the body mass index scale — than their peers who continued to drink sugary beverages. But when those teens were allowed to revert to their old habits, the differences between the two groups disappeared within a year.
"This research pushes us beyond the potential and suggestive effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on obesity and weight gain and into the realm of very solid science," said Popkin, who was not involved in the latest studies.
mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130412ada007c272d1b35a5b9bb9e47b350dfad04.wma
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