Monday, April 28, 2014

INTO THE JUNGLE (1)

Studying jungle plants is no bed of roses!

Flora smiled as she breathed in the humid air. Her dream had come true. She was finally in the jungle!

Flora was a scientist who studied plants in a lab, examining them one by one. Sometimes she felt like she couldn't see the forest for the trees. But here in the jungle, she could see the plants all living together.

Flora's boss, Dr. Greenleaf, had warned her that field work wasn't easy. "The grass is always grener on the other side," he had said.

But Flora loved the beautiful jungle plants. She only wished the team would stop and smell the roses so she could examine them more closely.

Flora said to Jared, the group leader, "It must be nice to do all your research out here."

Jared replied, "Sometimes it is, but every trip involves going out on a limb."

Just than, she heard thunder, and rain poured down on their heads. But the team kept moving toward the nearby mountains.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Different Ways to Describe a Heavy Rain
下大雨是heavy rain, 不要講 big rain,
另外可以用downpour n. 表示 a lot of rain that falls in a short time
bucket 也是可以形容下大雨的字,
大雨下的像是有人從天空把一桶一桶的水往下倒,
if rain comes down in buckets, it is raining very hard:
It's pouring buckets.
如果雨中有帶著風, 這種雨是橫著下的, 就可以說:
It's coming down in sheets. (像是床單在風中拍打一樣)
最後還有大家都學過的下大雨:
It's raining cats and dogs.


Grammar Gym
it must be nice to...
- It must be nice to do all your research out here.
- It must be nice to have your vacation completely paid for by someone else.
- It must be nice to finish all your work and not take anything home to do.


Language Lab
breathe v.
/ˈbriːð/
to take air into your lungs and send it out again:
- The doctor told me to breathe deeply while he was examining my lungs.
breath n.
/ˈbrɛθ/
- Alison took a deep breath before diving into the pool.

lab n.
a laboratory:
- The lab is equipped with top gear.
- The lab coasts are sterilized each day.
- Cindy is a lab technician in Harvard University.

research n.
careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something
- The lung cancer research lasted for three years.
research v.
to study (something) carefully
- The reporters are researching the background of this politician.

pour v.
to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle:
- Tears poured down Rita's face when she discovered she had been fired.
- The waiter poured some coffee into my mug.
- The chef poured some syrup onto the pancakes.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140428baa2b7edd2cd93f132e46c3dd2756b74aabf3912c19173559dda291118eb045746d.wma

Friday, April 18, 2014

HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME? (2)

Really!
Jeff doesn't spend that much time in front of a screen.

You would be astonished at how fast it all adds up.
Calculate all of his time on TV, computers, tablets and cellphones and see.

I guess so. But he's shown me several of the educational games on his tablet, so I'm not too worried.
He's learning things.

Yeah, but I doubt that your son plays educational games all the time.
I bet he's playing some violent video games, too.
Too much exposure to those can cause kids to become aggressive.

Well, Jeff's certainly not aggressive.

That's good.

Besides, screens really are the wave of the future.
Someday everything might be controlled by touching a screen.
So I think the earlier kids start, the more familiar they'll be with touchscreen technology.
It might even be an advantage in looking for a job someday.

We'll just have to wait and see about that.
I still think the key is to monitor our kids' screen use and encourage more outdoor activities.

Speaking of outdoor activities, Jeff's soccer game is about to end, so I've got to go.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Really?
really 感嘆詞
1. 真的呀,沒錯呀
Really! Jeff doesn't spend that much time in front of a screen.
2. 難以至信 (不相信的語氣)
Really! 有沒有搞錯啊?


Grammar Gym
to add up
to grow; to increase
- You would be astonished at how fast it all adds up.
- With all Henry has to do at the office and at home, it's no wonder he feels all that stress adding up.
- If you don't take care of your money problems soon, your bills and debt are going to add up.
to calculate the total of several numbers:
- We need to add up the amount from each receipt to see how much we spent.


Language Lab
astonish v.
to surprise someone very much [= amaze]
- The kid's talent in math astonished his teacher.
astonished adj.
very surprised about something [= amazed]
astonished by/at
- I was astonished at the customer service department's efficiency.

aggressive adj.
behaving in an angry, threatening way, as if you want to fight or attack someone:
- Jason becomes really aggressive when he drinks.
- These bulldogs are trained to be aggressive.
very determined to succeed or get what you want:
- The company is aggressive in the Asian market.

wave of the future n.
an idea, product, or movement that is viewed as representing forces or a trend that will inevitably prevail
- Hybrid cars are the wave of the future.
- Using robots in mass production is the wave of the future.

touchscreen n.
- Customers use a touchscreen to order their meals.
- The winner of the game show is decided by a touchscreen voting system.



Thursday, April 17, 2014

HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME? (1)

Can kids have too much screen time?

Sean and Tim are having coffee.

Sorry, Tim. I need to check this text.
Oh, my son is sending me a reminder to pick him up after soccer practice.

How old is Jeff now?

He's 8.

And he has a cellphone?

Sure. How else is he going to keep in touch with us?
We got him a tablet computer for his birthday, too.

So how much screen time is he allowed every day?

As much as he wants! He's a good kid.

Don't you give him any limitations?

We just tell him when to turn everything off and go to bed.
What about your daughter Alice?

We limit her screen time to two hours a day.
We discourage too much media use.

Why? Face it, Tim.
Kids today need to know how to use computers.

But they need to do other things, too.
The more time kids spend with screens, the more likely they are to get fat or have behavior problems.

Come on! You've seen Jeff, and he is certainly not fat.
He gets plenty of exercise.

That's true. But believe it or not, most kids his age spend more than seven hours a day with screens.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Onomatopoeia 擬聲字
bark 狗叫聲
meow 喵
purr 貓很舒服發出的聲音
roar 獅子的吼聲
hiss 蛇的聲音

沒有生命的生物也有擬聲字:
beep 手機聲


Grammar Gym
believe it or not:
something is true and it doesn't matter whether the listener agrees with it or not
- But believe it or not, most kids his age spend more than seven hours a day with screens.
- You might think it's important to be number one in class, but believe it or not, it does not matter ten years down the road.
- Many people think bats are blind, but believe it or not, these animals can actually see.


Language Lab
reminder n.
something that makes you notice, remember, or think about something
- The monument is a reminder of the cruelty of war.
something, for example a letter, that reminds you to do something which you might have forgotten
- The bank sent me another reminder for my house payment.

tablet computer n.
- I bought a digital pen for my tablet computer.
- The tablet computer's memory is sufficient for ordinary users.

face it 
(=used when saying something that is hard for someone to accept)
- Let's face it. I'll never be a great dancer.
- Face it! You can't get any loans from a bank in your condition.

behavior n. [uncountable]
the things that a person or animal does
- You need to apologize for your rude behavior.
- This professor is famous for his studies of the behavior of whales.
behave v.
to do things that are good, bad, sensible etc [= act]:
- Irene doesn't know how to behave in front of her boyfriend's parents.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140417baa34b04799291d88ed739215ac8b9f711b723043c3356b1c0f4f20bac8360f40db.wma


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

RULERS OF THE SKY (3)

Montana Raptor Conservation Center
The modern world is a dangerous place for these magnificent birds. They can be hit by cars or injured in collisions with power lines. They can eat poisoned meat or ingest lead from hunters' guns. They can become tangled in wire or string. Thankfully, there are places like the Montana Raptor Conservation Center in Bozeman, Montana, where injured birds get a second chance at life and freedom. At the center, volunteers do their best to rehabilitate injured birds. Some die from their injuries, but around 32 percent are eventually released. Some spend a few weeks or months at the center, while others may need a year or more to recover.

An osprey that had her feathers singed from head to talons spent 15 months at the center. She flew away to freedom last September. The birds that cannot return to the wild continue to live at the center and become education birds. Teams of volunteers take the birds to schools and public gatherings to teach people about raptors and their habits.

The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.


Grammar Gym
[subject] keeps [object] [doing something in a place].
- The Montana Raptor Conservation Center's efforts keep these magnificent birds flying in the skies where they belong.
- The church's afterschool program helps to keep kids focusing on their schoolwork and off the streets where they don't belong.
- The government funding keeps these single moms working at home where they not only earn a living but can also be with their children.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Power vs. Electricity
electricity 剛搬到新家可用這個字
- There is no electricity in the house.
power 日常生活中比較常用這個字
- power outage 停電
- Please turn off the power. 請把電關了
- Leave the power on. 不要關掉
- power company 電力公司
- power line 電線


Language Lab
collision n.
/kəˈlɪʒən/
an accident in which two or more people or vehicles hit each other while moving in different directions
- The collision of two trains caused a lot of casualties.
- The bumper of my car was dented in the collision.
a strong disagreement between two people or groups
- The movie showed the collision between two generations.

rehabilitate v. [re-再一次/ habi 居住]
to help someone to live a healthy, useful, or active life again after they have been seriously ill or in prison
- The team successfully rehabilitated this patient.
rehab (縮寫)
to make people think that someone or something is good again after a period when people had a bad opinion of them
a program for helping people who have problems with drugs, alcohol, etc.— often used after in or into
- The pop star is under treatment in a rehab center.

singe v.
/ˈsɪnʤ/
to burn the surface of something slightly, or to be burned slightly
- Eileen singed her dress by accident while she was ironing it.
- Angela got too close to the stove and singed her hair.

conservation n.
the protection of natural things such as animals, plants, forests etc, to prevent them being spoiled or destroyed [= preservation]
- The conservation area is only accessed by authorized persons.
- The organization is devoted to soil conservation. 致力放水土保持
conserve v.
to protect something and prevent it from changing or being damaged [= preserve]
- The people of this town put a lot of effort into conserving this old building.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140416baa65a5b54a3b80d139caedfb9a10dcf8cb9b34c212ce4bed53f676ce4aca5ec6dc.wma

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

RULERS OF THE SKY (2)

All Shapes and Sizes
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes. The smallest falcon weighs just 28 grams, while the Andean condor weighs in at 13 kilograms and has a wingspan of more than three meters! Birds of prey, or raptors, can be found on every continent and in habitats from dense tropical jungles to icy mountainsides to hot, dry deserts.

These birds play an important role in the balance of nature. Without them, there would soon be too many animals for the amount of food available, and many animals would die of starvation.

Many raptors also help humans by eating the pests that destroy crops. The predators also eliminate sick animals that can spread disease. Birds of prey are excellent parents. Eagles carry egg shells and other debris away from their nests, so other predators cannot find their chicks. Eagles often return to the same nest year after year and just add a little more nesting material to it. The largest eagle nest found was about three meters wide, six meters tall and weighted more than 1814 kilograms!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Baby Animal Names
eaglet n.
a young eagle
elver n.
a young eel
chick n.
a baby bird; eagle chicks
calf n.
the baby of a cow, or of some other large animals, such as an elephant;
the young of various other large animals (such as the elephant or whale)
cub n.
the baby of a wild animal such as a lion or a bear;
a young animal that eats meat
puppy n.
a young dog
kitten n.
a young cat
piglet n.
a young pig
duckling n.
a young duck
bunny n.
a young rabbit;
a word for a rabbit, used especially by or to children


Grammar Gym
to come in many... and...
The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes.
- Many people think chili peppers are all long and red; but in reality, chili peppers come in all shapes and colors.
- Although trench coats started out as a long khaki color military coat, they now come in many colors and lengths.


Language Lab
approximately adv. [proxim字根-靠近]
an approximate number, amount, or time is close to the exact number, amount etc, but could be a little bit more or less than it [= rough; ≠ exact]
- Approximately 20,000 people went to the concert.
approximate adj.
almost correct or exact
- The approximate cost of the renovation of the house would be 100,000 dollars.

starvation n.
[noncount] : suffering or death caused by having nothing to eat or not enough to eat: the condition of someone who is starving
- The people in this area are threatened by starvation and disease.
starve v.
to suffer or die from lack of food: to suffer extreme hunger
- People are starving because of the drought.
- I'm starving. I need to get some food now.

apex n.
the top or highest part of something pointed or curved

predator n.
an animal that kills and eats other animals [↪ prey]
- Antelopes' speed can help them escape predators such as lions or tigers.
prey n. [singular,uncountable]
an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal [= predator]
- The eagle swooped down on its prey.

debris n. [uncountable]
/dəˈbriː/ s不發音
the pieces of something that are left after it has been destroyed in an accident, explosion etc:
- Debris from the aircraft was found in various places.
- After the bombing, pieces of debris were scattered everywhere.

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140415baa91437fe05fd69533badda48c7680168e46ad3404d63917e8fa26ab380cc8a98b.wma

Monday, April 14, 2014

RULERS OF THE SKY (1)

The approximately 420 species of birds of prey come in many sizes and shapes.

There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder. Eagles, along with hawks and other birds of prey, have a well-deserved reputation for inspiring wonder. They are superb hunters, extremely skilled at taking live prey. Their keen eyesight is one of the reasons for this. It is up to eight times better than a human with the most acute eyesight.

A golden eagle can see a 46-centimeter rabbit from 3.22 kilometers away!

Once a bird spots its prey, it dives at speeds near 200 kilometers per hour in an attempt to snatch its meal.

America's national bird, the bald eagle, can plummet at speeds of up to 322 kilometers per hour. But in spite of the eagle's keen eyesight and extreme speed, only one out of 18 attempts to catch food succeeds. These birds have great strength, too. Eagles can fly with prey that weighs as much as they do. And harpy eagles have been known to carry away a small sheep. This bird's talons are as big as the claws of a grizzly bear!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Different Meanings of Live
1. live v. /ˈlɪv/
- He lives in Taipei.
2. live adj. /ˈlaɪv/
- live TV show; live music
3. live & alive
live 通常放名詞前面
- That farm sells live chickens.
alive 放在名詞的後面
- That farm's chicken's are alive.

本文講到老鷹 taking live prey,
意思就是捕捉活的臘物


Grammar Gym
There is something about...
- There is something about a big and powerful eagles soaring in the sky that gives people a sense of wonder.
- Even though the restaurant's food isn't so great, there is something about its atmosphere that makes people want to come back again.
- Although Lisa doesn't know Paul well enough, there is something about his personality that she finds attractive.
- Even though the movie was highly recommended, there was something about it that made me uncomfortable.


Language Lab
superb adj.
/sʊˈpɚb/
extremely good [= excellent]
- Maggie's superb acting impressed the audience.
- Claire is a superb financial consultant. She helps many companies cut their expenses.

acute adj.
acute senses such as hearing, taste, touch etc are very good and sensitive
- As a professional recording engineer, Peter has incredibly acute hearing.
an acute problem is very serious
- The food shortage at the area affected by the typhoon is acute.

plummet v.
to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place
- The airplane suddenly exploded and plummeted to the ground.
- The company's stock price plummeted by 10 percent after the CEO announced his retirement.

talon n.
a sharp powerful curved nail on the feet of some birds that catch animals for food
- The raven grabbed its prey with sharp talons.
- The eagle can use its formidable talons to carry large animals while flying.

formidable adj.
very powerful or strong: deserving serious attention and respect


*RULERS OF THE SKY=征服天空的羽翼族

Saturday, April 12, 2014

LET’S TAKE A POLL

Raise your hand if you believe that polls really reveal public opinion

Governments, businesses and journalists often look to polls to gain insight into public opinion. Not all polls are created equal, though. Only polls in which respondents are selected in a random sample can be considered scientific and, therefore, trustworthy. Meeting that standard allows a poll of 1,000 people to potentially represent the opinions of millions of citizens! Any poll in which respondents volunteer should be considered entertainment - not an accurate representation of public opinion.

Last June, major polling groups Gallup, Pew/Washington Post and CBS News asked the American public their opinion regarding the NSA's collection of phone calls and email messages. The results seemed to contradict each other a great deal. The Pew/Washington Post poll showed 56 percent approving of the NSA's action, while the GAllup poll showed 53 percent disapproving of that action. As journalist David Moore pointed out, one poll mentioned terrorism while another mentioned privacy concerns. Such variation in poll questions can affect respondents' thinking and lead to wildly different results. So remember, the public opinion revealed in polls may not always represent the masses!

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: What’s Your Proximity to English?
詢問民意時...
- Raise your hands if...
- Can I have a show of hands?


Grammar Gym
look to: to turn to or go to something with an expectation
- Governments, businesses and journalists often look to polls to gain insight into public opinion.
- Wendy looks to her grandmother for advice.
- John looked to his friends for support.
look at
- I am looking at my mother, and I see she is wearing a dress.


Language Lab
insight n.
a sudden clear understanding of something or part of something, especially a complicated situation or idea
insight into
- The article provides insight into the impact of media on teens.
- Traveling allows you to gain many cultural insights.

trustworthy adj.
someone who is trustworthy can be trusted and depended on [= dependable]
- Victor is a trustworthy guy. He always keeps his promises.
- The company's service has been trustworthy and reliable.

contradict v. [contra字首- 反對]
if one statement, story etc contradicts another, the facts in it are different so that both statements cannot be true:
- The witness's statement contradict the suspect's.
- Tom's actions often contradict his beliefs.
to disagree with something, especially by saying that the opposite is true:
- Lisa would never dare to contradict her parents.

terrorism n. [uncountable]
the use of violence such as bombing, shooting, or kidnapping to obtain political demands such as making a government do something:
- The country will take all kinds of actions to fight terrorism.
terrorist n. [countable]
someone who uses violence such as bombing, shooting etc to obtain political demands:
- Several terrorist were arrested by the police this morning.