Saturday, August 31, 2013

Bluetooth® Fashion (2)

Spray Bluetooth Speaker

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

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

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

Info Cloud
How to Pronounce Debut
debut
/ˈdeɪˌbju:/ [t 不發音]
the first time an actor, musician, athlete, etc., does something in public or for the public
debutant n.
/ˈdɛbjʊˌtɑ:nt/
a young upper-class woman who has begun going to special parties where she will meet and be seen by other people from the upper class

OK, friends, let's take a look at this word "debut", spelled: d-e-b-u-t.

Now, upon first seeing it, you may think it's pronounced de-but, but no, it's pronounced ˈdeɪˌbju.

That's right! Debut. The "t" is silent. That's because this word was originally a French word, meaning "to begin".

Now, you might be wondering what about debut's past tense? Should I say something "debued" or "debuted"?

Again, the "t" is silent, so you should read it as the "t" is not there.

The product debuted five years ago.

And, by the same reasoning, the progressive form should be pronounced debuting, and the plural form is debuts. You pronounce all of them without the "t" sound.

However, there is a related word that is pronounced with the "t" sound: debutant.

That's right! A yound woman who is making a formal debut into society is a debutant, not de-bu-ant.

Grammar Gym
Pros? Its clever design will impress urban artists and geeks alike. Cons? Users will look like they are talking and listening to a can of spray paint.

pros and cons- (idiom) the reasons why something should and shouldn't be done.
pros -refer to good side, good reason, cons is opposite of good reason.

- What are the pros to this new gadget? It is waterproof and lightweight. Cons? It needs to be recharged every four hours.
- I don't know whether to buy these shoes or not, Pros? They're pretty and they fit comfortably. Cons? They are very expensive.

Language Lab
battery n.
a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity
- The remote control only needs only one 9V battery.
- Using rechargeable batteries saves money and is also eco-friendly.

geek n.
a person who is socially awkward and unpopular : a usually intelligent person who does not fit in with other people
- My brother, the geek, studies all sorts of apps.
- This entrepreneur used to be a computer geek.
- The geeks at our school have their own club, and they always talk about computers and games.

vibrate v.
to move back and forth or from side to side with very short, quick movements [no obj]
- My phone vibrates when it gets an app message.
- The sound of the drums vibrated the whole studio.
vibration n.
a continuous slight shaking movement : a series of small, fast movements back and forth or from side to side [count]
- This device can detect the slightest vibration.

accessory n.
something added to something else to make it more useful, attractive, or effective
- Scarves are an accessory that go with any kinds of clothes.
- Sunglasses are important accessories, especially for celebrities.
accessorize v.
/ɪkˈsɛsəˌraɪz/
to add accessories to (something, such as clothing) [+ obj]
- She used a belt to accessorized her plain grey suit.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130831_80520.wmv

Friday, August 30, 2013

Bluetooth® Fashion (1)

Technology is getting a new look

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

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

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


Info Cloud
Protection of Trademarks 

A trademark is something that distinguishes a product or service of one particular business from that of another.

More than just a logo, a trademark can be a word, a design, a smell, or even a sound, like the sound your coumputer makes when you turn it on.

The trademark letters "TM" on a product's package mean the trademark's owner is alerting the public of his or her claim on that trademark and his or her intent to defend the trademark against infringement.

The capital "R" with a circle around it, as we see scattered throughout this month's fashion feature, means the trademark, in this case, the word "Bluetooth" has been officially registerd with the national patent office.

Registered trademarks have a higher level of legal protection than unregistered trademarks.

A trademark can theoretically last forever, if the owner maintains it by (1) continually using it, (2) properly using it, and (3) regularly filing the necessary renewal applications with the goverment.


OK. The words Escalator, Asprin, Zipper, and Trampoline, all began as trademarks. However, due to poor maintenance by their owners, the trademarks became generic. Now, any company can legally use these words to describe their products.

TM & ®
TM = Trade Mark
® = Register
infringement n.
/ɪnˈfrɪnʤmənt/

Language Lab
wireless adj.
not using wires to send and receive electronic signals : sending and receiving electronic signals by using radio waves
- The ship's wireless phone was out of order.
- The wireless products market is still rapidly expanding.
- The wireless message needs to be translated.

app n. (application)
a computer program that performs a particular task (such as word processing)
- People love to download new apps just for fun.
- "Flashlight" is one of the most commonly used apps.

headset n.
a device that holds an earphone and a microphone in place on a person's head
- Many drummers wear headsets to protect their eardrums.
- The fashionable look of the headsets made them very popular.

circular adj.
/ˈsɚkjəlɚ/
shaped like a circle or part of a circle
- The distinctive circular shape of the island makes it look like a watermelon.
- The circular bike lane goes around this beautiful lake.

trendy adj.
currently popular or fashionable



mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130830_42fc6.wmv

Quvenzhane Wallis (2)

Director Benh Zeitlin immediately saw the special quality in Nazie that others had seen. He chose her from among 4.000 others who had auditioned for the role of Hushpuppy. It was Nazie's first acting role and Zeitlin's first full-length film. In the film, Nazie plays a courageous little girl. She tries to save her dying father and her neighbors. Audiences fell in love with Beasts and especially with its young star. The film won awards at Utah's 2012 Sundance Film Festival and France's Cannes Film Festival. Zeithlin was pleasantly shocked, but the praise didn't stop there.

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


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

Info Cloud
The O-U-G-H Letter Sequence / OUGH 的多重發音
even though /ˈðoʊ/
thought /ˈθɑ:t/
through /ˈθru:/
rough /ˈrʌf/
cough /ˈkɑ:f/
bough /ˈbaʊ/

Language Lab
immediately adv.
without any delay
- When Wesley got this girlfriend's call, he rushed out of the door immediately.
immediate adj.
happening or done without delay
- Immediate action must be taken to stop the chaos.

courageous adj.
/kəˈreɪʤəs/
very brave : having or showing courage
- It was courageous of you to go inside the burning house to save the boy.
- Your decision to study abroad is courageous.
courage n.
the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous
- Derek didn't have the courage to ask Molly out.

pour in [phrasal verb]
to flow or flood into something
- She poured some hot water in the cups.
[for people or things] to continue to arrive in great numbers.
- Fan letters poured in after the and released their first album.

taste n.
experience [usually singular] a short experience of something that shows you what it is like
- The camping trip was the boy's first taste of freedom.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130829_d934f.wmv

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Quvenzhane Wallis (1)

Happy 10th birthday to this rising young star!

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

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

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

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

It turned out to be a trip that would change Nazie's life forever.

Info Cloud
Naming Trends in America
Quvenzhane Wallis
Shaquille O'Neal

Language Lab
ideal adj.
exactly right for a particular purpose, situation, or person : perfect
- This apartment is ideal for newlyweds. 新婚夫婦
- Frank is the ideal person to take the position.
ideally adv.
in an ideal way : perfectly
- The car is ideally suited for families.

audition v.
a short performance to show the talents of someone (such as an actor or a musician) who is being considered for a role in a play, a position in an orchestra, etc. — often + for
- Dancer from around the country came here to audition for the musical.
- The audition only took me three minutes.

imaginative adj.
/ɪˈmæʤənətɪv/
having or showing an ability to think of new and interesting ideas : having or showing imagination
imagine v.
to think of or create (something that is not real) in your mind
- The author's imaginative stories attracted many readers' attention.
imagination n.
/ɪˌmæʤəˈneɪʃən/
the ability to imagine things that are not real : the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced

beast n.
an animal;
especially : a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual
- The lion is the king of beasts.
- The aboriginals used fire to keep the beasts away from them.
- The foot player worked out so much that he was as strong as a beast.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130828_e2fda.wmv

Monday, August 26, 2013

Managing Difficult Workers (2)

You need to figure out how to make this a win-win situation.

How do I do that?

Well, problem employees often behave the way they do because their behavior has helped them get what they want in the past.

There's definitely a kernel of truth in that.

So making this a win-win situation will depend on making sure that bad behavior is no longer an effective way for Ralph to get what he wants.

But I already have rules. It's just that he won't abide by them.

Then you need to have clearly defined consequences for rule breaking. And use them.

OK, so I need a plan.

That's a start, but don't just sit around lamenting the situation and planning a response. Once the rules and consequences have been communicated, the main thing is to confront problems head-on.

And if problems continue?

Make sure that consequences match the magnitude of the problem.

And ultimately, I need to act in the best interest of my business.

Right! And a time may come when it's no longer worth tolerating the problem. Then you'll have to let him go.

Thanks for the advice.

Well, I hope things work out.

Info Cloud
let someone go
Then you'll have to let him go.
pink slip n.
a notice that is given to a worker by an employer saying that the worker's job is ending

Language Lab
kernel n.
/ˈkɚnl̟/
a very small amount of something
- I assume there's a kernel of truth in her argument.
the origin or basis of something
- The kernel of the company's problem is its insufficient funds.

abide v.
abide by [phrasal verb]
abide by (something) : to accept and be guided by (something) : obey
- Not many people here abide by the traffic rules.
abiding 現在分詞當做形容詞
[more abiding; most abiding] formal : continuing for a long time : not changing
a law-abiding citizen 奉公守法的公民
abide v.
to accept or bear (someone or something bad, unpleasant, etc.) — usually used in negative constructions
- I can't abide the man's rude behavior.

lament v.
/ləˈmɛnt/
to express sorrow, regret, or unhappiness about something [no obj]
- Lamenting a past glory won't help you have another breakthrough.
- Our neighbor Mr. Wang lamented the ungratefulness of the young generation.

magnitude n.
/ˈmægnəˌtu:d/
the size, extent, or importance of something
- Now we're facing a financial crisis of considerable magnitude.
a number that shows the power of an earthquake
- The 6.5 magnitude earthquake caused a lot of casualties.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130827_2ee72.wmv

Managing Difficult Workers (1)

Dealing with difficult workers can be … difficult

Hi, Uncle Bob. Can I ask your opinion on something?

Sure. My door is always open.

You know I hired a few employees last month, right?

Yes, I remember. How are they working out?

In two cases just fine - better than fine, actually.

Terry and Angela are great.

But...

Well, in Ralph's case... things aren't so good.

What's the problem?

He definitely has the requisite skills. In face, he's quite talented.

But, I'm have a problem with his attitude.

I see.

For starters, he calls at the last minute to say he can't come in. Then when he does come in, he's chronically late.

Did you talk to him about it?

Sure, but he always has some dubious excuse. And there are other problems, too.

Like what?

He won't follow instructions, so other people often have to redo his work.

That is a problem. So what are you going to do?

Well, I know I have grounds to terminate him, but I can't help but feel that might not be the best solution.

Go on.

It's just that I put so much effort into hiring him, and I really do need the help.

Grammar Gym
...but I can't help but feel that might not be the best solution.
can't help but [verb]
One's thoughts or feelings being a certain way and there is no way he or she can change it
- Clarence's homework is not in his book bag, and he can't help but wonder if it is at home.
- Even though Wanda insists she is took sick to work, her boss can't help but think she is lying to him.

Info Cloud
My door is always open.
open-door policy


Language Lab
requisite adj.
/ˈrɛkwəzət/
needed for a particular purpose
- She doesn't have the requisite qualifications for this position.
- Determination is a quality requisite to a professional athlete.
requisite n.
something that is needed for a particular purpose
- The ability to speak English is one requisite for the job.

chronically adv. [chron- indicating time]
/ˈkrɑ:nɪkli/
happening or existing frequently or most of the time
- The old lady is chronically ill and can't leave the house.
chronic adj.
/ˈkrɑ:nɪk/
continuing or occurring again and again for a long time
- George suffers from chronic back pain.

dubious adj.
/ˈdu:bijəs/
1 causing doubt, uncertainty, or suspicion : likely to be bad or wrong
- The suspect's dubious testimony made him sound even more suspicious.
這名嫌犯含胡不清的證詞,讓他聽起來讓他更加可疑
2 unsure or uncertain : feeling doubt about something — usually + about
- We're dubious about cooperating with this new company.
我們對於要和這家新公司合作, 覺得有些不放心

terminate v.
1 to take a job away from (someone) : fire
- The boss had no choice but to terminate William because he never showed up on time.
2 to cause (something) to end
- The team terminated the contract with this pitcher.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130826_b4a92.wmv

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Travel Troubles (1) (2)

There's always someone that you end up waiting for which slows down the whole tour. And in Europe you get dragged around to 16 different countries in one week and only get to visit tourist traps.

That's a slight exaggeration. There are some great tours out there. I choose ones that go to the places I want to go and do off-the beaten-path things.

But there's still the problem of following a strict itinerary.

I really appreciate that the tour company plans everything out. They help you make the most of your time.

True. But we want to explore on our own schedule.

Exploring at your own pace is nice, but what if you run into trouble?

We won't. I've traveled alone to many different places without any problems.

Traveling on my own seems dangerous to me. Besides, don't you get kind of lonely traveling and going sightseeing by yourself?

Not really. I've met a lot of very interesting people on my travels. Maybe you should join the trip that I'm planning with my friends. Then you can try traveling without a tour group.

Thanks for the invitation. But I'll have to think about it.


Grammar Gym
They help you make the most of your time.
to make the most of:
to get the most out of something
- You would need to budget carefully so you can make the most of your allowance.
- Make the most of your opportunity while you are overseas.

Info Cloud
contractions 簡縮, 省略的用法
I have- I've
do not- don't
that is- that's
will not- won't (早期拼法是用 wonnot;  沒加'wont 變成另一個單字:習慣)

Language Lab
exaggeration n.
to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is [+ obj]
ex- prefix: former, over
- To say this film is a disaster might be a slight exaggeration. It is just not very entertaining.
exaggerate v.
- I'm not exaggerating - the job interview was horrible.

itinerary n.
/aɪˈtɪnəˌreri/ 重音在ti
the places you go to or plan to go to on a journey
- Our itinerary was arranged by our travel agent.
- The next stop on our itinerary is Paris.

pace n.
the speed at which someone or something moves
- The fast pace of the city is too overwhelming for a new kid in town.
pace v.
to walk back and forth across the same space again and again especially because you are nervous [+ obj]
- Victor paced the waiting room while his wife was in labor.

sightseeing n. [noncount]
the activity of visiting the famous or interesting places of an area
- We joined a one day sightseeing tour in Tokyo.
- I wanted to go sightseeing, but my husband wanted to stay in the hotel.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130823baa84f5e87029489e5e3afb3ee26c4e057ab14ebeed5e44262637e27b0938abee03.wma

mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130824_9e98b.wmv

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130824baa02572c1e86a18904822d9eb35ee625ef35b583fd090f61724c46204002284dac.wma

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Drawings Come to Life With 3Doodler

Turning doodles into 3-D objects
In their spare time millions enjoy doodling, which, up till now, has usually involved drawing on paper. But now, folks can try doodling in the air, thanks to 3Doodler, the world's first 3-D printing pen! As one draws, hot plastic comes out of the pen, cools and becomes a solid strand.

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

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

Initial interest in 3Doodler has been extraordinary. In the first 30 hours of the 3Doodler Kickstarter campaign, WobbleWorks raised more than US$500,000 to make the product a reality! Now, with more than US$2 million in support, WobbleWorks plans on shipping the finished version of 3Doodler in late 2013. Get your drawing hand ready!

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

Info Cloud
would-be 形容詞, 指有淺力成為什麼的
a would-be author 有淺力成為作家的人
a would-be actor 主修戲劇的人
a would-be artists 想成為藝術家的人

would-be 也可指想成為什麼, 但未達成的
a would-be assassin 刺客沒有達成目的
wannabe= want to be 希望可以成為什麼的人 (比較有負面的意思)
You're such a wannabe.


Language Lab
doodle v.
to draw something without thinking about what you are doing
- Kate loves to doodle on her textbooks during class.
doodle n. plural doodles [count]
- No one could have known that the artist's doodle would one day be displayed in a museum.

strand n.
/ˈstrænd/
a thin piece of thread, wire, hair, etc.
- The police found a strand of hair at the crime scene and took it to the lab.
- The elegant lady wore a strand of pearls to go with her dress.

dream up [phrasal verb]
to think of or invent (something) in your mind
- The college kids were always dreaming up different practical jokes to play on their friends.
- You can continue dreaming up different excuses for your tardiness.

miniature adj.
/ˈmɪnijəˌtʃuɚ/
: very small : tiny
- The miniature golf course is a popular dating place.
- The doll comes with cute miniature furniture.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130822_9f0ed.wmv

[Advanced] Using the Cloud, Safely (2)

Those companies weren't alone. Of nearly 500 information-technology professionals Intel recently surveyed, 46 percent said their firms had suffered a security breach -- meaning their data was lost or accessed by unauthorized means. And most of the victims said they were experiencing more breaches than when they had kept the data on their own networks.

Claiming responsibility
Some information placed in the cloud can get into the wrong hands because of equipment mishaps or employee foul-ups. "But hackers are among the biggest concerns, and many businesses mistakenly assume their cloud providers will keep the crooks at bay, said JD Sherry of the security firm Trend Micro. While offering some protections, he said, the providers often leave security largely to their customers."That burden of responsibility typically falls upon the customer and that often can be a huge challenge for a lot of folks," he said.

Amazon provides a wide array of security measures for its cloud services, according to a company statement. But it said a customer of those services "assumes responsibility and management of the guest operating system (including updates and security patches), other associated application software, as well as the configuration of the (Amazon)-provided security group firewall."

Planning for the inevitable
[According to] Eve Maler, a Forrester Research principal analyst, said even a social media site break-in can cause havoc.

"The bad guys might see direct messages containing personal information meant for the company, or could send out messages that harm the company's brand or business," she said.

Breaches of corporate financial data and trade secrets could be far more serious, and cloud-based companies will have to become quicker at responding to cyber attacks, said Art Gilliland, general manger of enterprise security products at Hewlett-Packard. Even so, he predicted more companies will be victimized as they shift their data into the ether.

"It's going to happen," he said. "It's inevitable."


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130822adaa4673d8fd3406cff07df2fb57612258988e47656a6ba6a7093c290014779cd98.wma

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

How to Raise an Elephant (3)

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

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

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

Info Cloud
sympathy/ empathy
sympathy 同情心: 對人事物, 願意盡自己所能去幫助別人
empathy  同理心: 針對一個人, 體會他人感受
pathos 感情

Elephants might be emotionally sensitive animals, but are they capable of sympathy? How about empathy?

Sympathy and empathy - most English speakers would be hard pressed to make the distinction between these two words. Both share the same Greek root, pathos, meaning emotion. But there is an important difference in their emotional meaning.

Right! To help explain things, let's pretend your best friend loses her job. A sympathetic response would be acknowledging your friend's emotional suffering by comforting her with kind words and deeds.

The empathetic response, however, would be stepping in to your frined's shoes, so to speak, and imagining what it would be like to lose your job, even for just a brief moment.

Sympathy says, "I'm sorry for you. What can I do to help you through this difficult time?"

Empathy says, "I'm sorry with you. I totally understand what you're going through."

Sympathy says, "You poor dear. I see that you're hurting."

While empathy says, "I feel what you feel. I'm in this with you."

So, then, with this in mind, we can conclude that elephants are capable of sympathy and empathy with humans. They can comfort us and feel what we feel. That's amazing.

Language Lab
immunity n.
/ɪˈmju:nəti/
1 the power to keep yourself from being affected by a disease — usually + to [noncount]
- Stress and lack of sleep can lower your immunity to disease.
2 special protection from what is required for most people by law — usually + from
- The witness will get immunity from prosecution if he's willing to testify.

veterinarian n.
/ˌvɛtərəˈnerijən/
a person who is trained to give medical care and treatment to animals : an animal doctor —called also vet (Brit, formal) veterinary surgeon
- Several vets were sent to the affected poultry farm.
veteran n.
/ˈvɛtərən/
someone who fought in a war as a soldier, sailor, etc.
- Hank is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

pink up on something [phrasal verb]
a : to notice or become aware of (something)
b : to take (something, such as an idea) from another person or group and use it or continue to develop it yourself
- Chloe is a very reserved person. Only close friends can pick up on her feelings.
- Alex and Quincy are great partners on stage. They pick up on each other's jokes.

tense adj.
nervous and not able to relax
- The tense atmosphere in the meeting made everyone very nervous.
tension n.
1 a feeling of nervousness that makes you unable to relax
2 a state in which people, groups, countries, etc., disagree with and feel anger toward each other [count]
- The tension between the two countries affected their stock markets.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130821_dd323.wmv

[Advanced] Using the Cloud, Safely (1)

As cloud usage expands, so do security risks

Holding everything from highly personal medical and social media material to confidential financial and corporate documents, Internet-based cloud services are gathering an enormous trove of information -- already a quarter of the world's business data -- that is proving a powerful lure for hackers.

[In light of ] recent breaches at Web Marketer Epsilon, LinkedIn and Twitter -- along with surveys showing such attacks alarmingly common among businesses -- many experts say too little is being done to prevent cyber crooks from pilfering credit card numbers, trade secrets and other sensitive data on the cloud.

"It's scary," said Eric Chiu, co-founder and president of security company HyTrust. If a hacker gets access to that information, he said, "they've got the keys to your kingdom. They can make copies of everything you have and they can potentially destroy your data center."

How does work?
Although definitions of cloud computing vary, it usually involves a shared service that lets customers access their data using Internet-based software or servers. Cloud storage can cut a company's costs, and make it easy to retrieve information from nearly anywhere via the Internet.

The cloud is used to send email, print from mobile devices, exchange medical information, share on social networks and much more. Just among cloud document-storage services, such as Dropbox and Google (GOOG) Drive, the number of subscribers will double from 625 million this year to 1.3 billion in 2017, according to market researcher IHS.

A risky choice?
Corporations have been among the biggest adopters. Research firm Gartner has predicted that the worldwide revenue from public clouds will soar from $91.4 billion in 2011 to $206.6 billion in 2016.

Yet the trend poses risks. Symantec in January reported that 43 percent of the 3,236 businesses it queried had "lost data in the cloud," although it didn't ask how much was due to cyber attacks.



Vocabulary Focus
lure n.
/ˈluɚ/
to cause or persuade (a person or an animal) to go somewhere or to do something by offering some pleasure or gain

breach n.
/ˈbri:tʃ/
an act of breaking a rule, law, custom or practice

pilfer v.
/ˈpɪlfɚ/
to steal things of little value or in small amounts

queried v.
/'kwɪrɪ/
to ask questions, often expressing doubt about something or looking for information


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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

How to Raise an Elephant (2)

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

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

Moses needed company, especially at night, so Jenny would sleep next to him on a mattress on the floor.


Info Cloud
not only..., but also...

Twice, in today's lesson, we see the basic English sentence pattern "not only, but also".

Widely used in writing and speaking, this pattern is used to present two related pieces of information.

The first piece of information comes after "not only", while the second piece comes after "but also".

Right! And, here is the twist - both pieces of information are presented as somewhat surprising or unexpected, with the second piece being even more surprising than the first.

From our lesson, we learned about an orphanage for elephants. That's somewhat surprising. Not something you hear about too often.

Right! But the second piece of information, the orphanage taking in other large animals, like hippos and rhinos, is even more surprising.

When using the "not only, but also" structure, be sure that two pieces of information are parallel. In other words, if the first piece of information is prepositional phrase, the second piece should be as well.

Right! Finally, be aware that in this sentence structure, the "but" is sometimes omitted, and other times the "also" is omitted, like in today's text, but that doesn't change the sentence pattern's function.


Language Lab
orphanage n.
/ˋɔrfənɪdʒ/
a large house where children who are orphans live and are taken care of:
- Bobby was brought up in an orphanage.
- Claire was sent to an orphanage when she was just a baby.
orphan n.
a child whose parents are both dead:
- Nathan became an orphan at 10 when his parents died in an accident.

rhino n. plural rhinos [countable]
/ˋraɪno/
a rhinoceros
- The rhino suddenly charged toward the tourists' truck. 突然衝向
- Many rhinos are killed because their horns are valuable on the black market.

formula n.
a type of liquid food for babies that is similar to a woman's breast milk
- Mandy hasn't decided on which formula to give her baby.
a series of numbers or letters that represent a mathematical or scientific rule:
- The newly developed mathematic formula won the professor a Nobel Prize.

shelter n.
a place to live, considered as one of the basic needs of life:
- We used a big tree as our shelter during the rain.
- They are going to use the funds to provide food and shelter for homeless people.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130820_f0fdd.wmv

[Advanced] YouTube’s Marketing Magic (2)

YouTube offers marketers two ways to promote their brand. The first is to place commercials in front of videos through a program called TrueView. Viewers can skip the ads after five seconds, and marketers only pay if the full ad is aired. Completion rates range from 15 to 45 percent, according to a YouTube spokeswoman.

The other way brands can leverage YouTube is by developing their own content. That ranges from sponsorships, to brand channels with how-to videos, quirky user-generated content and excursions into the tricky space of short-form online entertainment. While more difficult to quantify returns on investment, the possibility of going viral makes it a gamble worth taking for a growing number of marketers.

Lecinski cautioned against chasing "lightning in a bottle" by creating viral content in favor of strategic planning, but marketers at the YouTube event are pursuing both.

In addition to running pre-roll advertising, Madison, Wis.-based American Family Insurance created its own YouTube channel several years ago with "Stand Up For Family," drawing some 4 million views to date. It sponsored a live comedy show in Atlanta three years ago, chopped it up into small, digestible bits, and packaged it as a video series. There's a stage and screen logo throughout and a call to action at the end, instructing viewers to go to American Family's website for their insurance needs.

American Family repositioned itself with new creative in 2011, but at a budget of $94 million, spent a fraction of what Geico, State Farm, Allstate and Progressive did on measured media, according to Kantar Media. Creative use of YouTube is an integral part of American Family's marketing strategy, according to Telisa Yancy, director of advertising.

"I think the trick from a marketing standpoint is to do what is organic and natural and authentic for you as a company, and for your consumer," Yancy said. "You may not be in the market for insurance today, but you might be interested in some good family-centric comedy material, and perhaps that can help to build my brand presence and perception to you as a consumer.

"Braun has also carved out a niche on YouTube with a channel featuring everything from polished commercials to demonstration videos on how to create edgy beard styles, drawing nearly 4.5 million views. But it was a well-executed parody video that put the channel on the map.

"We had someone make a viral video for us through a project," said Michael Leger, director of communications planning at Starcom MediaVest Group in Chicago, whose clients include Procter & Gamble's Braun shavers. "We never know if it's going to go viral. We just knew we really liked this video.

"In October, Braun partnered with Tongal, a crowdsourcing creative site, offering $20,500 in prize money for the best video. Los Angeles-based director Mike Goubeaux won the competition, and a $10,000 prize, with a humorous 1:20 video called "Braun — That's Tough." A lab testing parody, the video pulled in 2.1 million views before it was taken down at the end of December. While paid ads, including YouTube TrueView, accounted for the majority of the views, 40 percent came to the video through Internet word-of-mouth, according to Leger.

"We were very, very happy, as was the client," Leger said.



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Monday, August 19, 2013

How to Raise an Elephant (1)

The Jumbo Foundation aims to help large orphaned animals

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

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


Info Cloud
White elephants are very rare animals. In many cultures in southeast Asia, they're a sign of justice, power, wealth and peace.

Years ago, kings from this part of the world would sometimes give white elephants as gifts to government officials.

Not to officials they like, but officials they didn't like.

Right! The elephants were extremaly expensive to keep, any unlucky official who received one couldn't refuse it nor could he get rid of it later. That would be insulting to the King.

And, because the elephant was sacred, he couldn't put it to work to make money. So, the official was stuck unless he was super wealthy. That white elephant would quickly cause him financial ruin.

Today, we use white elephant as an idiom to describe a costly project, plan, or business venture that is without any use or value.

And since we are on the topic, let's mention the popular holiday party game called the white elephant gift exchange.

It's more for entertainment than anything else. This game is based around giving gifts whose maintenance and cost exceed their usefulness. Check the internet for rules on how to play. It can be a lot of fun.

Language Lab
infant n.
a baby or very young child:
- Parents need to learn how to interpret the signals their infants send.
infant adj.
intended for babies or very young children
- The expecting couple went shopping for infant clothes.

poach v.
to illegally catch or shoot animals, birds, or fish, especially on private land without permission:
- Many endangered animals have been poached because they can be sold for good prices.
poacher n.
someone who illegally catches or shoots animals, birds, or fish, especially on private land without permission
- The poachers were arrested and prosecuted.

time-consuming adj.
taking a long time to do:
- Sorting all the files in the computer is a time-consuming task.
- Rehearsing a play is time-consuming, and it requires a lot of patience.

lonesome adj.
very unhappy because you are alone or have no friends [= lonely]:
- Jake felt really lonesome when he first transferred to the new school.
lonesome adj.
a lonesome place is a long way from where people live and very few people go there [= lonely, remote]:
- We drove on a lonesome road.

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mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130819_c2f39.wmv

Sunday, August 18, 2013

[Advanced] YouTube’s Marketing Magic (1)

Marketing dollars are streaming toward this popular website

YouTube, the upstart repository of cover songs, makeup tips and cat videos, is starting to give television a run for its money.

Buoyed by breakout successes such as Psy's "Gangnam Style," a kitschy Korean music video that has racked up nearly 1.4 billion views globally, YouTube has turned streaming into mainstreaming, and major marketers are clamoring to leverage the medium to promote their brands. That means everything from rolling big-budget TV commercials before the latest video to creating their own content in a calculated bid to go viral.

"If you're after an 18-to-34 (demographic), this is how they're spending their time, and there are great opportunities ," said Jim Lecinski, Chicago-based manager of national advertising sales for Google Inc.

Founded in 2005 as an egalitarian platform to share videos, YouTube was acquired the following year by Google for $1.65 billion in stock. More than 4 billion hours of video are watched each month according to YouTube. Popular content includes an endless parade of unusual cinema verite captured by citizen videographers. But comedians, musicians and aspiring filmmakers have also found a launching pad to broader success, which in turn has helped elevate YouTube into the same conversation as TV for many marketers.

Digital is the fastest-growing advertising medium, trailing only television in annual spending. This year, digital revenue is projected to reach $42.5 billion in the U.S., a 14 percent increase over 2012, according to eMarketer. That represents one-fourth of total ad spending, which is growing at about a 3 percent annual rate. Paid search and banner ads still dominate, accounting for about 71 percent of digital spending in 2012. Video ads generated about 8 percent of digital revenue but are expected to grow to nearly 15 percent by 2016, according to eMarketer.

A recent Nielsen study shows that while TV viewing is flat, streaming continues to grow, particularly among 18- to 34-year-olds.

repository n.
/rɪˋpɑzə͵torɪ/
a place or container in which large quantities of something are stored [= store]


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Saturday, August 17, 2013

[Advanced] Yani Tseng (2) (2010-02-02)

"She is herself on and off the golf course," golf analyst Dottie Pepper said in June. "She's a really fun kid to hang out with, and her enthusiasm, her work ethic is what really does set her apart. You look at her, incredible athlete, wants to win, whether she's playing you on the pool table or like standing up there at the 16th hole at Corning and saying, 'OK. Give me the driver. I'm going for it.' She's a real breath of fresh air.

"Her emotions stand out so much, "Pepper added. "she genuinely is appreciative of where she is, and she's just a great kid."

When she can travel back to Taiwan- twice a year- all she wants to do is relax because she's so busy with junior clinics and teaching kids aobut her experience playing golf in America.

A role model
"She's... a role model," Kim said. "That's amazing that she can inspire a lot [of] kids back home."

Then agian, who could blame her for not wanting to leave her cozy home in sunny Florida?

A homeowner at 20, Tseng bought Sorenstam's Orlando, Florida, residence in April. There was a catch, though.

"I still feel like this is Annika's house," Tseng said. "Before she left, she said," 'You have to fill all the trophy cases."'


Notes and Vocabulary
breath of fresh air (idiom)
someone or something that is new and different and makes everything seem more exciting

junior clinics (n phr)
introductory golf instruction for groups of children and teenagers, covering beginning fundamentals of golf and conduct on the course

Tips for Souvenir Shopping (2)

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

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

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

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


Info Cloud
Hi friends. What exactly is a chore? If your mom wants you to go to the grocery store to pick up some milk, is that a chore?

I wouldn't call that a chore. Going to the grocery store is an errand, which is a short trip you take to accomplish something. Going to the post office, going to the bank, and buying groceries are all considered errands, not chores.

Okay. A good way to remember the difference is chores are tasks done inside the home, while errands are accomplished outside the home, hence the expression "household chores".

And, that's the narrow definition of chore. But, you know Steve, sometimes a task that is not a chore by that definition is still called a chore.

That's right, Ken. Sometimes a difficult or unpleasant task can be called a chore, even if it's not a kind of housework. For example, I could say, "Solving our company's computer virus problem was quite a chore". Or, "Filing my taxes was a real chore".

Very unpleasant indeed.


Language Lab
bracelet n.
a band or chain that you wear around your wrist or arm as a decoration
- Sam bought a diamond bracelet for his wife as her birthday gift.
necklace
a piece of jewelry that is worn around your neck
pendant
a jewel, stone etc that hangs from a thin chain that you wear around your neck
brooch
a piece of jewelry that is held on clothing by a pin and worn by a woman at or near her neck —called also broach

impersonal adj.
not showing any feelings of sympathy, friendliness etc
personal adj.
belonging or relating to one particular person, rather than to other people or to people in general
- The course can be tailored to your personal needs.
- The boss' comment is totally impersonal and objective.

patch n.
a small area of something that is different from the area around it
- Mom loves to use colorful patches to decorate her bags.
patch n.
a small piece of material that is sewn on something to cover a hole in it
- The boy wore a jacket with patches on the elbows.

entertaining adj.
amusing and interesting:
entertain v.
to amuse or interest people in a way that gives them pleasure
- The movie is educational and also very entertaining.
entertainment n.
things such as films, television, performances etc that are intended to amuse or interest people:
- The multi-talented star is a role model in the entertainment business.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130817_09cbe.wmv

Friday, August 16, 2013

[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (3)

LAX ghost town a home to memories and rare butterflies

The remains of what was once one of Los Angeles' most coveted neighborhoods can be seen behind a fence topped with barbed wire.

Developed in the 1920s and 1930s, Surfridge was an isolated playground of the wealthy.

Today, Surfridge is a modern ghost town inhabited by a rare butterfly. The El Segundo blue butterfly was near extinction in the early 1970s, the victim of an expanding Los Angeles International Airport.

Now, more than 125,000 butterflies take flight each summer. "It's a remarkable recovery," said Richard Arnold, an entomologist."

Soon there will be more. The California Coastal Commission recently approved a $3-million plan to restore portions of 48 acres at the northern end of the old subdivision. The project is part of a settlement of a lawsuit between LAX and surrounding cities over the airport's expansion plans.

"They wanted us to fix what they consider to be an eyesore," airport spokeswoman Nancy Suey Castles said.

As commercial aviation surged after World War II, there were more and more planes overhead, a burgeoning industry in a city that was growing at a breakneck pace.

But it was the Jet Age that killed Surfridge.

Today, except for the crumbling concrete, Surfridge exists solely in memory and faded snapshots. The views are still great and people park their vehicles on the road above Dockweiler State Beach to savor them, read a book or take a nap.

It's a strange place to seek relaxation.

But wait long enough and there is a lull in air traffic and respite from the racket. The ocean below can finally be heard. Thoughts turn to a time when this was all dunes and the blue butterfly didn't need any help.

And then, just as suddenly, a 747 shatters the silence.


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Tips for Souvenir Shopping (1)

Avoid collecting vacation junk with these helpful tips

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

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

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


Info Cloud
As we ponder souvenir shopping, we need to beware of tourist traps.

As the name suggests, the tourist trap is not a place you want to visit.  While it's a place that is designed to attract tourists and help them spend their money, the products and souvenirs sold at tourist traps are generally more expensive than those sold at other places.

That's why it's considered a trap for tourists.  You might end up spending more money on things then you need to.  You could probably find it cheaper somewhere else.

So, how do you avoid tourist traps? Here is a tip - talk to the locals and go where they go. This may involve some extra walking, but the idea is to get away from the touristy places.

Right. Touristy places are ones that are designed to attract tourists, especially in an inauthentic way.

Now, I usually avoid touristy places when I visit a city. Instead, I like to discover the real deal. You know, the places that only the locals go to.

Yup, I am with you there.

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

Language Lab
souvenir n.
an object that you buy or keep to remind yourself of a special occasion or a place you have visited [= memento]
- Many shops near the Eiffel Tower sell all kinds of souvenirs.
- Sandra kept a handmade bookmark as a souvenir of her summer vacation.

awe v.
/ˈɑ:/
if you are awed by someone or something, you feel great respect and liking for them, and are often slightly afraid of them
- Everyone present was awed by the courage of the firefighters.
- The little kids were awed by the lions in the zoo.
awe n.
a strong feeling of fear or respect and also wonder
- You can't help but stand in awe of this rock legend.

clutter v.
to cover or fill a space or room with too many things, so that it looks very untidy:
- Tommy's desk was cluttered with newspapers and soft drink cans.
clutter n.
a large number of things that are scattered somewhere in an untidy way [= junk]
- Nancy is organized, so her home is tidy and free of clutter.

compliment n.
an action that expresses admiration or approval
- About what you said before, I take it as a compliment.
- Mark loves to pay his wife many compliments, which made her very happy.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130816_47f5e.wmv

Thursday, August 15, 2013

[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (2)

Prescribing ADHD drugs for healthy kids? Just say no, group urges
By Melissa Healy

Prescribing psychotropic medications to normal, healthy kids who want to boost their academic performance is "not justifiable" because it contravenes a physician's responsibility to promote a child's "authentic" development and to protect him or her against coercion by parents or peers, a group of neurologists and bioethicists has asserted.

Those arguments are contained in a new finding published in the journal Neurology.

In recent years, the proportion of children diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed stimulant or other medication for the condition has risen steeply. So too has evidence of the medication's use by children and adolescents looking for an edge in test-taking.

Among 12th-graders, 3.4% acknowledged having used ADHD drugs in the last year for purposes other than those for which they are prescribed, according to a yearly federal survey of youth drug use. In the same 2008 survey, 2.9% of 10th-grade students and 1.6% of eighth-graders acknowledged having taken ADHD drugs for "nonmedical" purposes.

The neuro-ethicists wrote that widening use of ADHD medications and growing awareness and acceptance of the ADHD diagnosis have confronted physicians with increasing requests from parents and children to prescribe the medications. Some may come from parents of children who are developing normally but falling short of high expectations for grades and academic performance.

When asked for such medications by parents of children who do not need them, a physician should take the opportunity to explain that there is no evidence that such drugs benefit children who do not need them.

The neuro-ethicists stopped short of asserting that prescribing such medications to children for neuro-enhancement actually endangers their health. They noted that, though medications used for ADHD -- typically stimulants -- can raise blood pressure and heart rate, the consequences of such physiological changes in youngsters can be difficult to detect.


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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies (2)

Online currencies
The world's most popular alternative currency, the bitcoin is used in online transactions by over 100,000 people worldwide. Any online company can choose to accept them, so bitcoins can buy video games, books and even socks! Bticoins are generated through "mining," a process in which computers run complex programs to record bitcoin transactions and keep the network secure.

Mining is regulated to produce the coins at a predictable, limited rate. This avoids creating too many bitcoins, which would decrease their value.

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

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

Info Cloud
Here's a question for you friends, the word "internet" should it be capitalized or not?

Well, it's a place that people visit, and since place names are proper nouns, it should be capitalized right?

You would think, but now some writers are taking a different view on the word. They're saying the internet has become so common that it no longer warrants the capital 'I'.

Some prestiges publications, like the Economist and the Times of London, have already demoted the word "internet" from proper noun to common noun, now spelling it with a lower case 'i'.

So, how would we know when we should do the same?

When stylebooks tell us. Stylebooks are the accepted standard for proper English writing. They uphold conventional usage, yet they're flexible too, as is reflected in their annual updates and edits.

Part dictionary, part encyclopedia, and part textbook, stylebooks tell us things like the difference between a "robbery" and a "burglary", which words are politically incorrect, and when you should spell out numbers.

Check the bookstore or the internet for English styleguides like the "Chichago Manual of Style" or the "Associated Press Stylebook". If you're serious about English writing, they're essential.

Language Lab
transaction n.
trans- prefix: on or to the far side of something [= across]
a business deal or action, such as buying or selling something
- The stock transaction is now under investigation.
- The procedure of a loan transaction is carefully monitored.

predictable adj.
if something or someone is predictable, you know what will happen or what they will do - sometimes used to show disapproval
predict v.
to say that something will happen, before it happens
- The film was full of predictable plots, but it was still very popular.
unpredictable adj.
changing a lot so it is impossible to know what will happen
- unpredictable weather

distinctive adj.
dis- prefix opposite or absence of
having a special quality, character, or appearance that is different and easy to recognize
- Her distinctive taste made her the top stylist in the field.
- Many fans love the singer's distinctive voice.

arguably adv.
/ˈɑɚgjuwəbli/
it can be argued — used to say that a statement is very possibly true even if it is not certainly true
- Picasso is arguably one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
- Arguably, the vaccine should not be accessible to the public yet.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130815_0086b.wmv

[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (1)

A miracle cell that could help millions, a prescription drug that may do more harm than good, and butterflies get a helping hand in the unlikeliest place

Newly discover cell could heal damaged tissue and organs, researchers say

University of California San Francisco researchers have discovered a new type of cell that might one day be used to heal a variety of wounds and damaged organs.

The newly discovered cells act similarly to embryonic stem cells in that they can be placed in mice or in a Petri dish and "instructed" to produce many different cell types.

That raises hope that the cells might someday be used as a sort of personalized "patch kit," without the controversy that has surrounded stem cells taken from human embryos.

"When we saw that they could make cartilage, bone, gut, brain, pancreas cells -- even beating heart tissue -- we were excited and intrigued," said senior study author Thea Tlsty, a UCSF professor.

The study was published in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists had previously believed that so-called pluripotent cells, which can transform into most cell types, did not exist in the body beyond the embryonic stage of development.

The new cells may have some advantages over a 2007 scientific breakthrough that revolutionized the field of regenerative medicine -- the discovery that adult skin cells could be reprogrammed or reverse-engineered to act like embryonic stem cells and transform into a variety of cell types, said Tlsty (pronounced "Til-stee").

Researchers dubbed these reprogrammed cells induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS. Such cells are made without destroying embryos.

Tlsty noted that the newly discovered cells are more genetically stable than the iPS cells and are limited in how often they can reproduce, making them less likely to form cancers.

"They have great potential," Tlsty said. "

They are calling the newly identified cells endogenous pluripotent somatic cells, or ePS.

"Pretty much everything we've asked them to make, they've made," Tlsty said. "These cells have responded beautifully."


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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Dollars, Euros and Funny Hats: The Rise of Unusual Currencies (1)

Money has more forms than you think

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

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

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

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


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


Info Cloud
In it's relatively short of history, English has borrowed thousands of words from 300 different languages. They're what we call "loan words".

Now, which language loaned English the most words? One source has French and Latin in a tie for first place, with Germanic languages not too far behind in second place.

Combined, these three languages account for over three quarters of the words we use in every day English.

Meaning, a majority of the words you see in today's lesson are not original authentic English words.  They're loan words, like the word "dollar".

To trace this word's origins, let's go back five hundred years to a little Bohemian town called Joachimsthal, a place that still exists in today's Czech Republic.

Joachimsthal had some silver mines, and when it came time to think up a name for their freshly minted silver coins, the Joachimsthalers chose the word "dollar".

And in 1533, "dollar" was first used in English.  Today there are close to 50 countries and territories that use "dollar" as their official currency unit, including Ecuador, Liberia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, just to name a few.

So, let's thank the Bohemian people for loaning us the dollar.

Language Lab
exchange rate n.
the value of the money of one country compared to the money of another country
- The exchange rate today is 29 NTD to 1 USD.
- Because of the rising exchange rate, our exports dropped last quarter.

alternative adj.
deliberately different from what is usual, expected, or traditional
- Timothy decided to quit chemotherapy and go for alternative therapy.
alternative n.
something you can choose to do or use instead of something else
- We had no alternative but to stay in an expensive hotel. 別無選擇, 只能....

subscription n.
an amount of money you pay, usually once a year, to receive copies of a newspaper or magazine, or receive a service, or the act of paying money for this
- The yearly subscription rate for the magazine is only $59.
subscription to
- Bob decided to buy an annual subscription to a golf magazine.

unemployed adj.
without a job [= out of work]
- Henry has been unemployed for three years.
unemployment n.
- The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% last quarter.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130814_912f4.wmv




[Advanced] Fashion of the Future (3)

California company Martian Watches has already beat Apple in the smartwatch race with its voice-command Martian Watch, which it showed off at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month.

The Martian Watch connects to Siri or other smartphone voice-recognition services via Bluetooth. Users can listen and respond to text messages, be notified of incoming calls and access other information from their watches.

Hong Kong company Faze in Limited also showed off its smartwatches at CES. The $150 EZIO watch will alert you when your smartphone receives a call or text; it also protects against loss, warning you if you get too far from your phone. Faze in Limited is working on jewelry versions and also makes a wearable tech jacket that heats up in 15 seconds for use in cold weather.

If clothing companies join tech firms in developing wearables, it could be a boon to the retail industry, which is generally cyclical when it comes to trends as opposed to groundbreaking.

Already, brands such as Uniqlo have been dabbling in tech-enhanced clothing, such as the retailer's Heattech tops and leggings made from material that turns moisture evaporating from the body into heat.

Although wearables are still a ways from widespread, mass-market adoption, analysts say they could one day replace smartphones altogether. Some have hinted that wearables are the gateway to implantable technology, such as microchips and sensors lodged under the skin.

But with tech worn all over the body, and perhaps one day within the body, some wonder whether the clothes and accessories are truly simplifying life or just making it even more complicated.

"There's always the risk of over-complicating things," Intel's Booth said. "There are a lot of good ideas out there and things that people might want to do with this advanced technology, but if you try to do too many of them at one time, the complexity sinks in."


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Back to school (2)

Many students attend summer school for two sessions, each for three weeks. It usually runs five days a week for four hours a day, plus homework and exams. Most high schools provide intensive courses in summer. Students can take a course and move to the next level when the school year officially starts. The perfect place to say goodbye to summer vacation is the annual county fair. All kinds of carnival rides attract entire families. Traditional American food is served everywhere - hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy, barbeque... Be sure to go when you're hungry!

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

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

Info Cloud 
exhibit/exhibition

Let's talk about the difference between exhibition and exhibit.

Now, you must be thinking simple. Exhibition is a noun, and exhibit is a verb.

Very true, but the word "exhibit" can also be a noun. Exhibit can be defined as something that is displayed or shown to the public.

So, what's the difference? The answer is scale. An exhibit is a public showing of an object, usually a work of art or an object meant to educate, or a small collection of objects.

An exhibition, on the other hand, is a public showing of a large selection of such items, often united by a theme. For example, a dinosaur skeleton in the lobby of a museum is an exhibit. And a collection of dinosaur skeletons in a wing of the museum might be called an exhibition.

Other times, an exhibition is regarded as an event with limited duration and a separate admission fee.

Language Lab
intensive adj.
involving a lot of activity, effort, or careful attention in a short period of time
- The players underwent intensive training before the football season began.
intense adj.
having a very strong effect or felt very strongly
- The poem shows the author's intense feelings toward his first love.

officially adv.
publicly or formally
- The couple officially announced their wedding date.
official adj.
approved of or done by someone in authority, especially the government
- The press is still waiting for the police's official statement regarding this case.

competition  n.
- The fierce competition among the contestants on the game show attracted a large audience.
compete v.
- Boys love to compete with each other while playing.

quilt n.
/ˈkwɪlt/
a bed cover with stitched designs that is made of two layers of cloth filled with wool, cotton, or soft feathers
- Pamela's grandma made a quilt for her wedding gift.
- The design on the quilt is a beautiful butterfly.

fairground n.
an open space on which a fair takes place


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130813_06ff6.wmv

[Advanced] Fashion of the Future (2)

With the Nike+ FuelBand, a wristband containing an accelerometer, wearers can set daily activity goals and track calories burned on the band's LED display. Data from the FuelBand —  can be viewed on a mobile device via an iOS app.

But tech companies have goals that stretch beyond fitness.

The tech-fashion hybrid that has gotten the most attention so far is Google Glass, Web-connected eyeglasses that the company has been previewing to big buzz in recent months.

Wearers can record what they're seeing in real life and broadcast it over a Google+ Hangout, perform a quick Google search and send a hands-free voice message with the glasses. They can view data such as directions and weather on a tiny screen connected to the device, and tell the glasses to take a photo.

"It has been transformative for my lifestyle," Google co-founder Sergey Brin said of Project Glass last year. "That's our job at Google X, to push the edges of technology to where the future might be."

The Mountain View, Calif., company has also filed for a laser projection patent, leading to speculation that Glass wearers will be able to project a virtual touchpad onto their limbs and other surfaces.

Google has taken pre-orders for an early pilot version of the eyeglasses called Glass Explorer Edition from developers who paid $1,500. On Wednesday, the company announced that it would hold a contest for early adopters who want to try out a pair; winners will be offered the chance to buy a Glass Explorer.

Apple could be preparing to take on Google in the wearables space. Last year, the company filed a patent for a "peripheral treatment for head-mounted displays." The device — which people speculate could be a helmet, pair of glasses or a visor — immerses the user with two displays and techniques for filling the peripheral vision with the image being shown, according to reports.


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Monday, August 12, 2013

[Advanced] Yani Tseng (1) (2010-02-01)

This 21-year-old pro golfer was surprised by success
台灣高球小天后曾雅妮
二十一歲的職業高球手曾雅妮對突如其來的成功感到喜出望外

Colleagues call her the Se Ri Pak of Taiwan, Annika Sorenstam used to roam the game room and gym in her Orlando, Florida, home and no female golfer has ever eclipsed the $2 million earnings mark faster.

All Yani Tseng is doing is trying to keep up with her ascension to the No. 2 world ranking since turning pro in 2007.

"I feel like I [grew] up too fast," Tseng said with a smile. "Everything I didn't expect."

She has eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts, including a win at the LPGA Corning Classic in May. And, she sits No. 2 on the money list behind Jiyai Shin.

Tseng's "drive"
"I just want to do my best" said Tseng, a native of Taiwan. "It's not, "I wanna beat Lorena [Ochoa]. I want to be No. 1'."

One area in which Tseng is No. 1 is with the driver. She's the biggest hitter from the tee on the LPGA Tour with a 273-yard average rip. Distance is one facet of Tseng's game that appeals to even novice golf fans.

"They're all impressed with how far she hits," Tour player In-Kyung Kim said. But take the clubs out of Tseng's hands and she still has the style and image to attract followers.

Keen on Twitter, Tseng tweets about last night's Korean supper, her brand new high heels and everything in between.


Vocabulary

colleague n.
someone you work with, used especially by professional people: a colleague of mine from the bank
- She discussed the idea with some of her colleagues.

roam v.
to walk or travel, usually for a long time, with no clear purpose or direction
- The dogs are allowed to roam around.
- Chickens and geese roam freely in the back yard.
- You shouldn't let your children roam the streets.

eclipse v.
to become more important, powerful, famous etc than someone or something else, so that they are no longer noticed
- The economy had eclipsed the environment as an election issue.

ascension n. [uncountable]
when someone moves to a more important or higher position or job:  his ascension to the ranks of senior management

driver n.
a type of long, thin stick with a wooden head, used in golf

tee n. in golf, the place where you begin to hit the ball at each area of play

rip n. a long shot from the tee

facet n.
one part of a subject or situation that has many parts; one of several parts of someone's character, a situation etc
- He has travelled extensively in China, recording every facet of life.

appeal to 
if someone or something appeals to you, they seem attractive and interesting

novice n.
a person who is not experienced in a situation

keen adj.
very interested, eager or wanting to do something very much


Back to School (1)

Summer vacation is coming to an end

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

So, most carry binders between classrooms. A 3-hole binder holds handouts, homework and a pencil pouch.

Students also must complete the student-service learning (SSL) requirement in summer. Most schools in Maryland require students to complete at least 75 hours of community volunteer work. They must do this before graduating from high school. Students devote their time to libraries, school clubs, summer camps and community organizations. My daughter Irene has been working at a library to earn her SSL hours.

She helps check out books, make posters and clean up the environment. This experience is helping her not only contribute to society but also enhance her communication skills.


Info Cloud
Hello, friends, have you ever wondered what it's like to attend an American high school? How is it different from attending a high school in Asia?

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that in the US students go from classroom to classroom instead staying in one classroom throughout the day.

So, you must be wondering then, "Where do I leave my stuff?" Well, the answer is in your locker. That's where you keep all your books and personal affects.

You might also be wondering, "Isn't there a classroom where I belong?" And, the answer is homeroom, which is a very short period. This is a time when teachers take attendance and make announcements.

In some schools, students are permitted to socialize, to do group activities, or watch television news during homeroom. I have some fond memories of homeroom.

So do I. And, there is one final difference. In the US, there tends to be longer, but fewer periods, in a day. And school ends earlier here than it does in Asia.

But, that doesn't mean everyone just goes home at three o'clock. There are lots of after-school activities involving music, sports, drama, student government, and other various clubs.

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

Language Lab
packet n.
a container made of paper, plastic, or cardboard that something is sold in
- Vivian ate a whole packet of cookies during lunch break.
- Every student will receive a training packet when they register.

binder n.
/ˈbaɪndɚ/
a cover for holding together sheets of paper
bind v.
to tie or wrap (something) with rope, string, etc.
3-hold binder = 3-ring binder
binder n.
to combine with (something) by chemical forces
- The accessories are attached to the fabric with a special binder.

volunteer adj.
of, relating to, or done by volunteers
- William is a volunteer firefighter.
volunteer n.
someone who does something without being forced to do it: such as a : a person who chooses to join the military
- All the food was distributed by the volunteers.
volunteer v.
to offer to do something without expecting any reward, often something that other people do not want to do
- Josh volunteered to take out the trash.

enhance v.
to increase or improve (something)
- A warm and happy environment can enhance children's learning.
- The company's reputation was enhanced by this charity campaign.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130812_ad241.wmv

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20130812baacbdae66d4f9390abf7928ce15dae1f4acd9b206b6a90b8cda1966383a93cbe58.wma

[Advanced] Fashion of the Future (1)

Wearable technology could be the next big frontier for tech companies
by Andrea Chang / © 2013, Los Angeles Times. Distributed by MCT Information Services.

A wristwatch that reads your text messages out loud, a jacket that heats up when you’re cold, eyeglasses that display directions as you walk down the street. Gimmicks, or fashion of the future?

The world’s largest technology companies and startups alike believe “wearable tech” is the next big frontier, and they have been pouring money and research into developing high-tech clothing and accessories.“It’s a function of time before wearable technology becomes real, and it’s closer than a lot of people think,” said Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray. “Eventually, wearable technology is probably going to be your most easy access point to your technology.”

Integrating technology
The idea behind “wearables” is to integrate technology into everyday basics, but it’s more than just inserting a gee-whiz factor into your favorite pair of jeans. Bringing tech into the fold, developers say, will create a more seamless experience with technology that involves fewer devices to carry around and less time rummaging through your purse or pocket.But there are numerous challenges to overcome before wearable tech can become mainstream. Developers are working on improving battery life, scaling the technology down and making the products affordable.

Creating coexistence
Companies also need to persuade the public to accept the notion that digital devices and fashion can coexist in one unit by designing wearables that don’t look too techie and figuring out what kinds of functions to embed within the products.

Different markets
For now, wearable tech is taking off in the sports and health markets. Goggles made by Oakley assist snowboarders via a display that integrates GPS capabilities, Bluetooth and sensors that gauge jump analytics such as distance, height and airtime. There’s also smartphone connectivity and the ability to locate and track friends via an app.


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Saturday, August 10, 2013

August

“If the first week of August be unusually warm, the winter will be snowy and long.”

The dog days of summer remain in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. As the month progresses, the evenings become cooler in northern regions and mountains. But in the Southern Hemisphere, August means winter's end is fast approaching.

Festivals can be found worldwide this month. One of the more outstanding ones is La Tomatina in Spain. If you like tomatoes, then you'll like this one because people throw them at one another!

Is music more to your taste? Then head to the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. Although it's primarily a music festival, crafts and comedy get mixed in as well. The world's largest arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland is on, too.

Or perhaps you like horses. Then head to Siena, Italy, where a bareback horserace is held. It only lasts about a minute and a half!

"Evening emeralds." August's birthstone, the peridot, was called this by the Romans because of the way the peridot reflected lamplight.

"Love at first sight!" August's flower, the gladiolus, held this hidden meaning during the Victorian era.

Info Cloud
For thousands of years, we humans have tried to accurately to predict the weather.

Because it is important for us to know the best time to plant and harvest crops, when to take an ocean voyage, or when to go on a picnic.

Over the years, we've accumulated dozens of English sayings, which help us to determine whether tomorrow's weather will be fair or foul. They're not what we call scientific, but many of them are surprisingly accurate.

Perhaps, the most well known saying is, "Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.  Red skies at night, sailors' delight".

Right, if the sky is red in the morning, then expect rain. If the sky is red at night, expect the next day's weather to be pleasant.

Now, predictions about the weather are not just made by looking at the sky. They're also made by observing the behavior of animals.

Here is an example: "A cow's tail to the west makes the weather the best. A cow's tail to the east makes the weather the least".

Hmm... who needs weatherman when you have a cow. Other age-old weather predictors include "rings around the moon", clogged salt shakers, and aching bones.

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

Language Lab
in full swing 
if an event or process is in full swing, it has reached its highest level of activity
- The cherry blossom season was in full swing in March in Kyoto.
- The discussion was in full swing, and nobody wanted to stop for lunch.

outstanding adj.
extremely good
- The actor's outstanding performance won him an Oscar.
- George is outstanding at analyzing data.
outstanding adj.
not yet done, solved, or paid
- We still have some outstanding issue to discuss.

primarily adv.
/praɪˈmerəli/
mainly— used to indicate the main purpose of something, reason for something, etc
- The film's failure was primarily due to poor casting. 選角錯誤
- The discussion focused primarily on the company's financial status.
primary adj.
most important : main
- The primary goal of our trip is to find new clients.

reflect v.
if a person or a thing is reflected in a mirror, glass, or water, you can see an image of the person or thing on the surface of the mirror, glass, or water
- This fabric reflects sunlihgt better than those fabrics.
reflect v.
show or be a sign of a particular situation or feeling
- The conflict reflected the tension between races.


mms://webvod.goodtv.tv/SC/20130810_f9cb9.wmv