[Advanced] What's Up With WhatsApp? (2) 2014/08/30

A wise investment?
At first, Facebook investors did experience what analyst Arvind Bhatia called "sticker shock" after learning that Facebook planned to shell out $19 billion for WhatsApp, a company that had declared it had no plans to make money any time soon.

But investors quickly shrugged off concerns. Shares of Facebook briefly hit a record high the day after the sale was announced.

Facebook is certainly not alone in placing sky-scraping valuations on unproven start-ups, analysts say.

Blogging service Tumblr sold to Yahoo Inc. for more than $1 billion. Dozens more start-ups are valued at $1 billion or more.

Facebook is quick to point out that WhatsApp reached 450 million users faster than any company in history.

WhatsApp's rapid growth — it adds 1 million users a day — and its hold on users — 70% log into the service every day — "are hard to match," Bhatia said. And WhatsApp is already twice the size of Twitter, which is currently valued at more than $20 billion.

WhatsApp's drawbacks
WhatsApp, like all consumer Internet companies, will be held hostage to people's fickle tastes. And although it may be wildly popular in Europe and Latin America, WhatsApp is overshadowed by rival messaging services in Asia. Line is tops in Japan, and WeChat is the go-to messaging app in China.

Then there's the matter of WhatsApp's strong aversion to the ways consumer Internet companies typically make money, namely through advertising. Koum reiterated that his company would never sell ads, and Facebook co-founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg backed him up.

Damodaran said it's anyone's guess whether WhatsApp will ever justify its eye-popping valuation."

He said. "The winners here won't be those with the most users. They will be those companies that are successful at converting those users into revenues."

Vocabulary Focus
sticker shock n.
an unpleasant surprise at the high price of something

shrugged off (something) (phr v)
 to treat something as if it is not important or not a problem

valuation n.
the act of deciding how much money something is worth, or the amount decided

aversion n.
a feeling of strong dislike or unwillingness to do something

eye-popping adj.
exciting, amazing or very impressive

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140830adaaef63acb1fee83e779199bfd37b9ef6665e80d43c58be3335ce4eb892bf18504.wma

A Better Way to Start Your Day (2)

This may seem obvious, but a good breakfast can make your day. As your mother said, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body is out of fuel by morning. You need some to help you control your blood sugar. That affects your mood and energy level for the day.

Don't watch TV or read a newspaper first thing in the morning. Your brain is fresh and ready to work on new things. Don't fill it up with negative information about the world and its problems.

Instead, read something inspiring or uplifting. This will give you positive thoughts to start your day.

Avoid answering email first thing. Use that precious morning time to get some exercise, eat breakfast and enjoy life. Check email last before you leave your house. Then you'll only have time to check the most important messages.

Your day will start better if you take time for the important things. Every day is a new day - enjoy it!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: 早餐為什麼叫做breakfast?
break+fast單字的組合
fast在這指的是斷食,
也就是睡了一整晚break打斷了fast 的狀況

Grammar Gym
Your day will start better if you take time for the important things.
Your... will...if you take time....
- Your health will get better if you take time to eat the right kinds of food.
- Your grades will improve if you take time to study your notes before each class.

Language Lab
obvious adj.
easy to notice or understand:
- There are obvious differences between this twins.
- It's obvious to everyone that Patrick has a crush on Tanya.

fuel n.
a material (such as coal, oil, or gas) that is burned to produce heat or power
原指燃料, 這裡指補充能量的食物
 - These kids need some snacks to get the fuel they need for the rest of the day.
something that gives support or strength to something (such as argument or angry feelings)
- The irrational behavior by both men inevitably added fuel to their conflict.

lift somebody's spirits 
to make someone feel more cheerful and hopeful

inspiring adj. [inspire v.]
giving people a feeling of excitement and a desire to do something great [≠ uninspiring]:
- The movie "Good Will Hunting" is a classic movie that is inspiring.
- The athlete is an inspiring example for many young people.

precious adj.
something that is precious is valuable and important and should not be wasted or used without care
- Our yearly family trip is a precious time that we can be together.
rare and worth a lot of money
- The precious jewels on this crown cost millions of dollars.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140830baadff28a71e6ee973d75da0eeafa45fba05c3cb086fd5b721eafadcf1bc8e2f901.wma

[Advanced] What's Up With WhatsApp? (1) 2014/08/29

This little company is worth some big money

The $19 billion that Facebook Inc. is paying for a smartphone application made jaws drop, even in Silicon Valley.

But analysts say the purchase of WhatsApp could pay off for Facebook as it takes on Google Inc. and other technology giants in the escalating arms race to be the next big thing in mobile.

The battle for mobile
Technology giants are fighting for their future as consumers switch their allegiances from personal computers to mobile devices. By 2015, 5 billion people are expected to be carrying around the tiny computers in their pockets.

As a result, nimble start-ups that have outpaced their grown-up rivals in building popular mobile services have become takeover targets.

Just last year Facebook offered $3 billion for Venice Beach messaging company Snapchat, but was rebuffed. WhatsApp, a tiny California company, was a far bigger prize.

With 450 million users, WhatsApp is the market leader in mobile messaging. Chief Executive Jan Koum says his company's goal from the start was "to be on every single smartphone in the world."

Facebook is betting WhatsApp can help it leapfrog competitors in messaging, the new communication medium of choice.

Survival at stake
The stakes could not be higher for Facebook. More people are communicating on their mobile devices rather than blasting information to hundreds of friends on social networks. Its very survival depends on its ability to latch onto the new ways people are connecting and sharing.

By that logic, the price Facebook is paying for WhatsApp isn't so bubbly, said David Wessels, a finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

"As a stand-alone company, WhatsApp is clearly not worth $19 billion, period," Wessels said. "But by no means would I consider this irrational. Would you give away 10% of your company to extend the life of your company?"


Vocabulary Focus
allegiance n.
support for a leader, country, group or belief

nimble adj.
quick and clever, acute in planning, devising or understanding

outpaced v.
to increase, move or grow faster than another thing

rebuff v.
suggestion, a request for help or an offer to help, often in an unfriendly way

leapfrog v.
to improve your position by moving quickly past or over something that blocks your way

latch onto (something) (phr v)
to become interested in an idea, sotry or activity, and to start to use it

irrational adj.
not based on reason or clear thinking; not reasonable

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140829ada5b06f3bbfafae903384a0cd742f6e005152a2319b215f0ce7ea2e769100a5272.wma

A Better Way to Start Your Day (1)

Enjoy your morning

Weather you love or hate mornings, they're a fact of life. If you dread them, here are some ways to make them less awful. If you're a morning person, these same tips can make mornings even better!

A good morning starts the night before. Be sure to get an adequate amount sleep. Most people need seven or eight hours of sleep to feel their best during the day.

If you must get up at 5 or 6 a.m., go to bed early to get your eight hours. Turn off the TV, computer or smartphone and hit they hay. When you get enough sleep, you won't feel the urge to hit the snooze button. That will make your day better, too. You can get out of bed on time.

Turn on some music in the morning. Play any tunes you like; it doesn't matter. Just turn on something that makes you feel good. You'll feel much happier as you start the day.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: What Is a Morning Person? (何謂 Morning Person)
morning person 很早起床, 精神很好, 做事有效率, 關鍵是temperament 氣質性情
early riser 很早起床, 但是很痛苦, 也許是被逼的
night owl 到了晚上才很有精神

Grammar Gym
Weather you love or hate mornings, they're a fact of life.

fact of life: something that is true and will never change

- In competitions, there are winners and there are losers; it's a fact of life.
- It's a fact of life that what is popular today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Language Lab
dread v.
to feel anxious or worried about something that is going to happen or may happen:
- Frank dreaded his driving test and couldn't even sleep the night before.
- Lillian dreads meeting her future in-laws. She's worried that they might not like her.

adequate adj.
enough in quantity or of a good enough quality for a particular purpose [= sufficient; ≠ inadequate]:
- We didn't have an adequate amount of time to prepare the proposal.
- Make sure we have an adequate amount of food and drink for the party.

crack of dawn
very early in the morning
at the crack of dawn 
- We were up at the crack of dawn.

sleep in phrasal verb
to let yourself sleep later than usual in the morning:
- We usually sleep in on Sunday mornings.

urge n.
to strongly suggest that someone does something;
to make someone or something move by shouting, pushing them etc
- I had an uncontrollable urge to laugh during the meeting.
- Irene urged her brother to attend the same school that she goes to.

tune n.
a serious of musical notes that are played or sung and are nice to listen to [= melody]:
- Susie stored all her favorite tunes on her cellphone.
- The radio station plays a lot of old tunes.
- The song has a very catchy tune.

hay n.
long grass that has been cut and dried, used as food for cattle
hit the gay
to go to bed

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[Advanced] The Mystery of the Baby Sea Turtles (2) 2014/08/28

Mansfield's turtle-tracking research also has been a journey. She began in the mid-2000s to develop a method of attaching instruments to young sea turtles for the type of research already done for many years with adult turtles.

But though the devices will stick to grown-up turtles for years, the shells of juveniles grow so quickly that no standard technique would work for more than a few weeks.

Revolutionizing the tactics
In time, Mansfield and colleagues got help from a manicurist, who suggested starting with a nontoxic, acrylic coating because turtle shells are built with much the same stuff as fingernails.

With the acrylic coating as a foundation, the researchers glue down a small piece of old wetsuit as soft bedding for the tracking device, which is then attached with hair-extension glue because it is flexible and waterproof.

The trackers, despite their tiny size and weighing about as much as four pennies, send a signal to satellites that includes location, temperature and how much power is being produced by solar chargers.

The 17 turtles were followed for a few as 27 days to as many as 220 days before the devices fell off. That may not seem like much time, but researchers previously knew little about their whereabouts during that period. What happens afterward is up for further tracking, which is already being done.

The discovery
What they got was a peek into the huge home of loggerhead turtles — essentially into the kids' room.

"We're getting a look at the toddler-to-teenage stage," Mansfield said. "Turtles take a couple of decades to reach maturity, so they have a long time out there before we see them again on our nesting beaches."

Vocabulary Focus
juvenile n.
a young person who is not yet an adult

manicurist n.
a person whose job is to give people maincures

acrylic adj.
of or made from a type of acid which is used in making plastic, cloth and paint

peek n.
a short look at something, especially in a secret way

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Dealing With E-waste (2)

Possible e-waste solutions
Owners can prolong the life of their gadgets by upgrading less frequently and by repairing the devices instead of replacing them. Owners might also choose to sell their old gadgets to a company like Gazelle that prepares them for resale overseas. That way, owners can earn money while preventing these devices from ending  up in a garbage dump. Similarly, owners could send their used electronics to Atteor, a company that specializes in extracting the valuable metals in used gadgets.

Some waste-management experts are promoting green chemistry. Green chemistry attempts to stop e-waste by designing safer chemicals to replace the hazardous ones currently used in making electronic products.

And green chemistry aims to design products that degrade easily, as opposed to plastic ones that take hundreds of years to break down.

Another creative solution to the e-waste problem has been found in Togo, West Africa, where members of WoeLab built a 3-D printer from scraps of e-waste. And in Ghana, a company called FairPhone is making phones using recycled materials. While such creative efforts won't completely solve the e-waste problem, they do offer a ray of hope.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Language Purists and Realists (語言的純粹主義者與現實主義者)
美國的小學老師, 最愛糾正小朋友的一件事,
就是當小朋友問:
Can I go to the bathroom?
老師會反問:
I don't know. Can you?
因為嚴格的來說, 小朋友應該說:
May I go to the bathroom?

英文文法來說:
Can I ....是指我有沒有這個能力,
但一般人不會在乎正確的用法,
因為事實是語言不斷的在改變演化,
語言的 purist 力求文法語言的正確使用,
但是 realist 現實主義者, 注重可以溝通可以使用即可

Grammar Gym
And green chemistry aims to design products that degrade easily, as opposed to plastic ones that take hundreds of years to break down.

[Subject] aims to..., as opposed to...

- Our aim is to complete this project on our own in one month, as opposed to sending it out to another company and waiting two months for them to finish.
- The church's aim is to provide a safe place for kids to go to after school, as opposed to being out in the streets where it's dangerous.

Language Lab
prolong v.
to deliberately make something such as a feeling or activity last longer [= lengthen]:
- We decided to prolong our stay in Paris to enjoy the city a bit more.
- The canned food was specially processed to prolong its shelf life.

hazardous adj.
dangerous
- Passive smoking is hazardous to people's health, so it's now illegal to smoke indoors.
- Slippery roads and darkness are hazardous for driving.
hazard n.
something that may be dangerous, or cause accidents or problems
- Being overweight is a health hazard.

degrade v.
to treat someone without respect and make them lose respect for themselves:
- Jacob feels it is degrading to tell lies.
if a substance, chemical etc degrades, or if something degrades it, it changes to a simpler form
- This kind of packaging degrades easily in soil.

scrap n.
a small piece of paper, cloth etc
- I wrote down the phone number on a scrap of paper.
- The quilt was made from scraps of cloth I collected from my friends.
a small amount of information, truth etc
- I need every scrap of information to finish my news report.

ray of hope
something that provides a small amount of hope or happiness in a difficult situation

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140828baa4ea10728f100e5028289e6be459f828140db6a79d91218b86ea13fc0f7b65ee7.wma

[Advanced] The Mystery of the Baby Sea Turtles (1) 2014/08/27

Scientists track the journey of young sea turtles in the deep ocean

University of Central Florida and coastal Floridians have been nursing baby sea turtles into the Atlantic Ocean for a long time and wondering: Where do they go and what do they do in the deep blue?

Unraveling the mystery 
Now a UCF biology professor has some answers, thanks to a tracking instrument about the size of a fig that cost $4,000 and was glued to the shells of 17 young sea turtles released in small groups from 2009 to 2011.

What Kate Mansfield and a team of other researchers have discovered is that little loggerheads may ease into a remote part of the ocean, the Sargasso Sea, where they can spend many years lounging, eating and growing up among floating piles of sargassum seaweed.

A sanctuary for  turtles
"Sargassum provides them with refuge. The turtles are brown, and they blend really well with that habitat, and there are a number of little organisms (crabs and fish) that turtles might eat," Mansfield said].

There's more than curiosity behind the effort to find out what loggerheads are doing early in a traveling life that can last more than a half-century and will include repeated visits to their birthplaces to lay their own eggs, but not until they have been away for more than 20 years.

Some of the most important beaches in the world for loggerhead nesting are along Florida, a state that has worked for decades to document and protect nests and to minimize perils for hatchlings.

"The more we understand about what they do offshore, the more we can understand how important it is to limit impacts to them during that short time we have them under our care on the beach," Trindell said.

Vocabulary Focus
loggerhead n.
a type of turtle

lounge v.
to stand or sit in a relaxed way

Sargasso Sea n.
a part of the northern Atlantic Ocean between the West Indies and the Azores; noted for the amount of seaweed floating on its surface

habitat n.
the natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives

organism n.
a single living plant, animal or other living thing

peril n.
danger, or something that is dangerous.

hatchling n.
an animal that has just hatched from an egg


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140827ada79370c122b47698fc887d88d11c900fc8f0855fe8a1372a2fd782e740c1700f7.wma

Dealing With E-waste (1)

Keeping used gadgets out of the garbage

Gadgets don't seem to last long these days. There's pressure to upgrade everything from TVs to computers to smartphones on a frequent basis. Having cutting-edge gadgets is fine, but the question remains: What happens to all of the old devices?

Unfortunately, a lot of them end up as e-waste, with up to 50 million tons of e-waste filling garbage dumps around the world each year. But a new industry is focusing on recycling such gadgets and offers two benefits.

First, recycling electronic gadgets keeps them out of garbage dumps. Second, new recycling techniques can extract several kinds of precious metals contained in gadgets.

The dangers of e-waste
One of the main concerns with e-waste is that most electronic devices contain toxic substances such as lead or mercury.

Computer monitors, for example, may contain around 6 percent lead by weight. If monitors are left in a dump, these substances could eventually leak into the ground or water supply. Equally troubling, large amounts of e-waste are illegally transported to Third-World countries, where poor youths risk their health to extract the precious metals found within.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: First World Problems (第一世界的問題)
Third World countries 第三世界國家, 指的是未開發的國家,
First World countries 第一世界國家, 生活水平高的國家,
現在有一個新的詞 First World problems 第一世界的問題,
指的是在第一世界好命的人所發的牢騷,
其中的問題大多都是芝麻綠豆的小事,
例如:
- Where's the remote? I had to get off the couch to change channels!
- My wallet won't close; there's too much money in it.

Grammar Gym
Having cutting-edge gadgets is fine, but the question remains: What happens to all of the old devices?
the question remains: we still haven't answered or solved this problem
- The billionaire's sons will inherit his money, but the question remains: Who will take over the billionaire's company?
- The lab results show that the man's death was not an accident, but the question remains: Who killed him?

Language Lab
upgrade v.
to make a computer, machine, or piece of software better and able to do more things;
to give someone a better seat on a plane or a better room in a hotel than the one they paid for
- The bank's computer system needs to be upgraded for better security.
- The airline upgraded my seat from economy to business class free of charge.

extract v.
to carefully remove a substance from something which contains it, using a machine, chemical process etc
- The oil was extracted from premium olives in Spain.
- The traditional ways of extracting coal are no longer used.

toxic adj.
- Lots of toxic waste was found in this rural area.
- These workers were unknowingly exposed to toxic substances over a long period of time.

illegally adv.
- Jim was accused of illegally accessing confidential data.
legal
- This house legally belongs to me.
illegal adj.
- It's illegal to sublet your apartment. You must get permission from your landlord.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140827baa0f67dd170029756bcd456376beecde056d64ec75389fc1e57fd89ccea2dff514.wma

[Advanced] Fun in the Sun (2) 2014/08/26

5. Scuba diving - Sharm El Skeikh, Egypt
The reefs of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea are a divers' paradise. Low rainfall and mild currents allow excellent visibility, in some places up to 150 feet. As one of the saltiest seas in the world, a large variety of endemic species can be found here.

6. Swimming - Varadero Beach, Cuba
Some VirtualTourist members called Varadero Beach the best beach in the Caribbean. With its sugary-white sandy beach, turquoise clear water, and warm water temperatures year round, it's easy to see why. The calm waters make swimming here a favorite pastime for all levels.

7. Sailing - British Virgin Islands
If you're looking to venture out in to the open waters by sailboat, then British Virgin Islands is for you. With 25 jaw-dropping islands in reach, checking out new land by boat has never been more fun. Consistent trade winds, long, sunny days and beautiful views make BVI a sailor's paradise.

8. Surfing - Inchydoney Island, County Cork, Ireland
County Cork has some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Ireland and the beach on Inchydoney Island is no exception. VirtualTourist members noted that the endless beach and reliable tides make this a perfect place to learn to surf.

9. Catch-and-release fishing - Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize
Glover's Reef Atoll considered the greatest range of reef type and is home to a variety of sea life including three species of sea turtles, eight species of sharks and rays and numerous species of coral. Fishing can be enjoyed year round, but because the area is now a Marine Preserve, it's catch and release only.

10. Canoeing - Pemba Island, Zanzibar
Pemba is a remote tropical island just off the East Coast of Africa. Pemba is most noted for its unique mangrove swamps. For a great sense of adventure, VirtualTourist members recommend hopping aboard a canoe and exploring what nature has to offer. While floating along the endless channels, you'll soon see why some say no other place in Africa can provide the same sense of adventure.

Vocabulary Focus

endemic adj.

found particularly in a specific area or group

pastime n.
an activity that is done for enjoyment

jaw-dropping adj.
very surprising or shocking

trade winds n.
a movement of air toward the equator, steadily blowing from east to west

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140826ada4c19cdb21f730990e5b014cfdda5cb37b150026d33920f550c87deb404d99c95.wma

The Wizard of Oz (2)

"Over the Rainbow"
In 1899, writer L. Frank Baum wrote the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It quickly became the most popular children's book of the day, and Baum followed it with a series of "Oz" books. He and others produced stage shows and silent film versions of the story. But when movie studio MGM released The Wizard of Oz in 1939, all previous versions were basically forgotten.

The talented 17-year-old Judy Garland brought Dorothy Gale to life, and Garland would forever be associated with the role. Audiences related to young Dorothy, who dreamed about a place beyond the rainbow where troubles were far, far away.

America was in the midst of the Great Depression, and moviegoers were like Dorothy. They wanted to escape and forget their problems, if only for a little while.

The film has appeared on American TV almost every since 1959. Many families have made it an annual tradition to watch the film together. Once the movie begins, the magic never fades, and viewers are transported once again to the wonderful Land of Oz!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Movie vs. Film (Movie 和 Film的差別)
film & movie 都是指電影, 可以替換著用
但如果要細分, film指的是比較有深度的電影,
影展就叫做 film festival
movie 比較用於商業性質的商業片,
電影也可以稱為 the big screen (大螢幕),
這個字可以當名詞, 例如:
- What's playing on the big screen?
也可以當形容詞:
- He is a big-screen star. = He is a movie star.
相對的, the small screen指的是電視


Grammar Gym
They wanted to escape and forget their problems, if only for a little while.

if only: if there are no other reasons or choices

- Let's go to the museum, if only to see the outside of the building.
- I know Uncle James is busy, but I would still like to see him, if only to say hello.


Language Lab
series n.
a set of television or radio programmes that have the same characters or deal with the same type of subject, and are usually broadcast every week or several times a week:
- The TV series "Lost" was very popular among teens.
several events or actions of a similar type that happen one after the other:
- A series of explosions took place in the city last week.

associate v.
to make a connection in your mind between one thing or person and another
- Even though many years have passed, people still associate Britney Spears with Justin Timberlake.
associate with somebody
to spend time with someone, especially someone that other people disapprove
- The teacher warned him not to associate with those dropouts.

annual adj.
happening once a year:
- The foundation's annual conference will be held in L.A.
- The department's annual budget was cut by 15 percent.
annually adv.
- All employee's salaries are reviewed annually.

viewer n.
someone who watches television:
- Millions of viewers anticipated watching the World Series.
audience n.
a group of people who come to watch and listen to someone speaking or performing in public
- The audience was amazed by the performer.

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140826baa47111136738c1014f89ca36ff8e0e961a9b44c84d823508e09b7d854e85bee8b.wma

[Advanced] Fun in the Sun (1) 2014/08/25

These beach activities will appeal to both adventurers and vacationers

For many travelers, a vacation is only a vacation if there is a beach to sunbathe on. For others, activities are a must. With this in mind, members and editors of travel website and community VirtualTourist.com prepared a list of the "Top 10 beach activities and where to do them."

1. Snorkelling - El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
El Nido is a quiet little community that faces the sparkling sea and is cradled by a backdrop of dark, majestic limestone cliffs. Made up of 45 islands and islets, island hopping is very popular. Many of the areas offer some of the best opportunities for snorkeling and walking off white sand beaches into crystal-clear waters.

2. Fossil hunting - Lyme Regis, Dorset Coast, United Kingdom
Travellers seeking an unusual beach activity should consider visiting the Dorset Coast, home to the World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coastline. Visitors to the beach have found a variety of amazing fossils, including giant marine reptiles and even dinosaur remains.

3. Seaplaning - Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays Island, Queensland, Australia
Whitehaven Beach offers some of the most crystal clear aqua waters and white sand beaches you will ever see. And to truly experience it, VirtualTourist members recommend a seaplane adventure. By air, you will see some of the most amazing views of Whitsunday Islands National Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Your plane lands in the water, where you practically jump from your seat into the ocean to enjoy the warm waters.

4. Paddleboarding - Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Known as a luxurious honeymoon destination, Bora Bora's lagoon has bright blues and calm disposition offered by few locales. The flat conditions are ideal for a first-timer, and paddlers frequently spot manta rays in the lagoon, since it has visibility up to 150 feet!


Vocabulary Focus
sunbathe v.
to sit or lie in the sun

backdrop n.
the things that can be seen behind something

islets n.
a small island

lagoon n.
an area of sea water separated from the sea by a sandbar or reef

disposition n.
the particular type of character that a person or place naturally has

locales n.
an area or place, especially one where something special happens

The Wizard of Oz (1)

Happy 75th Anniversary to this beloved classic film!

"There's no place like home!"

This famous line from The wizard of Oz touched hearts worldwide as moviegoers journeyed into a world of enchantment. The film opened in 1939, a year movie buffs consider Hollywood's "Golden year" since many memorable films played that year. Perhaps no other movie, though, has had impact of Oz with its story of friendship, adventure and love. Generations have enjoyed the film's great songs, lively dances and heartwarming story.

The plot 
Early in the movie, young Dorothy Gale resents her drab existence on a Kansas farm. As she sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," she longs for a different life.

When a tornado blows through, Dorothy is hit on the head and awakens in a strange, new land --Oz! There, she meets three new friends, and they set off to find the Wizard of Oz. They believe the wizard can solve all of their problems. However, he helps them realize they have the solutions within themselves. While in Oz, Dorothy has many remarkable encounters but comes to realize there is "no place like home."


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: What Is an Anniversary? (Anniversary涵義為何?)
anniversary 週年紀念
annum 在拉丁文表示年
75th Anniversary 75週年紀念
有些人想要慶祝一個月的紀念日,
他們就會用 one-month anniversary,
或是一星期的紀念日 one-week anniversary,
但這不符合anniversary的定義的用法,
所以就有人創造出 monthiversary , lunaversary 來表示週月紀念日,
但不是所有的人都可以聽的懂,
所以最好用形容的方示來表達,
- Let's celebrate being together for one month.

Grammar Gym
The film opened in 1939, a year movie buffs consider Hollywood's "Golden year" since many memorable films played that year.
[Subject]+[verb]+[object], a [something]+[someone]+[has an opinion] since [reason].
- Many tourists go to Yosemite National Park to see Half Dome, a rock many consider to be unique because of its shape.
- The castle garden is full of lilies, a flower many experts consider to be the unofficial royal flower since it appears in various designs all around the castle.


Language Lab
enchantment n. 魅力；迷人之處        
[uncountable] the quality of being very pleasant or attractive:
- The beautiful scene of the castle filled us with enchantment.

enchant  v. 使喜歡；使著迷；施魔法

if something that you see or hear enchants you, you like it very much: 

- Diane was so enchanted by the house that she decided to buy it.

generation n. 世代；一代
all people of about the same age:
- Five generations of my family gathered at our reunion.
- Our young generation is full of creativity and willing to take risks.

resent v. 厭惡；憤慨
to feel angry or upset about a situation or about something that someone has done, especially because you think that it is not fair
- I resent the newspaper's exaggeration and distortion of the issue.
resentment n.
a feeling of anger because something has happened that you think is unfair [= bitterness]
- He feel s a deep resentment toward anyone who's in power because he was abused as a child.

encounter  n. 碰到；遭遇；相遇
an occasion when you meet someone, or do something with someone you do not know:
- I had a remarkable encounter with a leopard during my trip to Africa.
- Tomorrow will be our team's first encounter with last year's champions. I hope we can beat them! encounter v.
to experience something, especially problems or opposition
- Steven encountered his high school teacher on a bus.

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[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (3) 2014/08/23

Building an indoor 3-D map on the spot, via smartphone

The view from the basement laboratory is breathtaking.

Not the one out the tiny windows of the half-underground office. It’s on a smartphone that computer science Prof. Stergios Roumeliotis is using while walking around the University of Minnesota’s Walter Library.

On the screen, a three-dimensional map of a nearby hallway has taken shape. The map was made by holding the smartphone’s camera while moving. The camera and the phone’s motion sensor worked together to create a grid of data points that became a 3-D image.

It’s a radical new ability for smartphones and promises to enable consumers to create 3-D maps on the fly. The software development is being handled by U grad students who are funded by $1.35 million grant from Google Inc. The work is part of the company’s recently announced Project Tango, a cellphone optimized for 3-D mapping.

“We will soon be able to get smartphone directions for how to go from one place to another in a building, such as how to go from the entrance to my classroom,” Roumeliotis said.

In addition, homeowners could use the software to create a virtual tour of their houses before putting them up for sale, Roumeliotis said. While the software is being designed to work on a prototype of the new Google smartphone, it will also work on existing smartphones.

One of the key features of the University of Minnesota software is that it creates a map almost instantly without slowing down the phone’s other operations or drawing much battery power, Roumeliotis said.

“We’re on the frontier of this kind of mapping,” Roumeliotis said. “You could map the inside of the Mall of America today using a computing center with a lot of processing power and a lot of time. Our plan is to do that on a cellphone in almost real time, with the time lag getting smaller and smaller.”


Vocabulary Focus
breathtaking adj.
extremely good, beautiful or exciting

underground adj.
below the surface of the earth; below ground

taken shape idiom
to start to develop a more clear or certain form

optimize v.
to make something as good or effective as possible

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140823adae9ae646aa7e44804186254b3a3276e85a9937b12673aaa6866995183c4d315d1.wma

Stay Up Late or Get Up Early? (2)

When I try to stay up late, I fall asleep while I'm working.
I usually feel so tired that I can't concentrate.
I'm more productive when I'm well-rested.

But what if you don't get up early enough to finish something?
Then you have to skip class or not finish the assignment.

I never save assignments until the last minute, so I make sure I have enough time.
When I know I have to go to class, I go.
And having gotten something done prior to class makes me feel better all day.

I just feel safer working on assignments in the evening.
Then I know I can take as long as I need to finish them.

Doesn't that make it easier to procrastinate, though?

Not really.
I admit I put off doing homework sometimes, but that can happen just as easily in the morning, right?

I suppose so.

Staying up late is also good for social reasons.
You know I sometimes talk with the girls in our dormitory until late at night.

Well, I'm glad staying up works for you, but I'm going to bed.
Good luck with the essay.

Thanks. Sleep well!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: A Few English Riddles (幾個英文謎)
essay 這個字會不會讓你連想到字母 SA,
有一個英文謎語就是問以下單字有什麼共同的地方:
decay (D-K), expediency(X-P-D-N-C), ivy(I-V)
這些字聽起來都像單一的英文字母組成的

Grammar Gym
I'm glad staying up works for you.
works for you = to give the result that is wanted
- Even though many people don't like the new computer software, I have found it actually works for me.
- This diet program works for Janice, but it doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

Language Lab
productive adj.
- This factory became more productive after installing the new machines.
produce v.
- This medicine produces serious side effects.

prior to
before
- George made all the arrangements prior to the trip.
- All passengers need to go through immigration prior to departure.

procrastinate v.
- People tend to procrastinate when facing difficult tasks.
procrastination n.
- Procrastination can make you lose some good opportunities.

essay n.
- The essay was wordy and hopelessly boring.
essay on
- I read an essay on lung cancer.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140823baa38f01f3a9d1a752546c92d40bc542f9139bd111706af4f1460e65fb1b1169db9.wma

[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (2) 2014/08/22

Rocker Neil Young talks the future of sound at SXSW

Neil Young wants to bring music back to where fans can listen to every cymbal strike, every guitar strum, every echo thought up by a musician.

The future of sound one day soon could be contained in a candy bar-size receiver — a new music initiative he's launching named PonoMusic, the legendary rocker told an audience of several thousand attendees at SXSW [in March].

Young, 68, used a 30-minute speech, prerecorded video of stars and a Q&A with USA TODAY technology writer Mike Snider at the Austin Convention Center to promote his new start-up company, PonoMusic, a music ecosystem that will offer studio-quality music in an online store.

In his speech, he pointed to the invention of MP3s as the key element that derailed recorded music's quality. That format lowered sound quality by drastically reducing the amount of recorded information, he said.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who delivered timeless hits such as Heart of Gold and Old Man, said he became incensed through the years at seeing technology improving everything from video cameras to toasters but letting music quality wither.

Midway through the presentation, Young flashed a video of more than 20 star performers and music executives — from Norah Jones to Sting to Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen — sampling PonoMusic and giving seemingly candid endorsements of the new sound.

"I haven't heard a sound like that since vinyl," Elton John said. "It was wonderful."

A Kickstarter campaign launched in March to raise money and awareness of the project drew more than $500,000 in four hours, Young said.

But even if PonoMusic is a financial failure, the effort is a big win if consumers realize there's a choice in quality, he said.

Vocabulary Focus
derailed v.
to prevent a plan or process from succeeding

timeless adj.
describes something that does not change as the years go past

incensed adj.
extremely angry

wither v.
to become, or cause something to become, weak, dry and smaller

vinyl n.
in the past, records for playing music

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140822ada4fa02ea09c290e84b6c3b9c87bce012edef45610612d7c6fed8bfc36ca031c99.wma

Stay Up Late or Get Up Early? (1)

Does early to bed, early to rise really make you healthy, wealthy and wise?

Sarah and Rachel are roommates at their university.

I'm going to stay up late again tonight.
I have a big history paper due tomorrow.

I have one to finish, too, but I'm tired.
I think I'll go to bed now and get up early to finish it.

Well, whatever floats your boat.
I'd be exhausted if I got up as early as you do.

That's because you go to bed so late.

I like going to bed late.
I can concentrate better when there are fewer distractions.

I was about to say the same thing about getting up early.
Besides, it's easier for me to make time for things like exercise and planning then, before I get busy.

I've tried waking up early, but I just don't have the willpower.

If you can make a habit of getting up early, it's easy.
And speaking of willpower, I read that people have more willpower early in the day.
Making decisions tires you out, so you make better choices in the morning.

Maybe. But I also read an interesting study.
It said people who stay up late get a surge of energy later in the day.
Early risers don't.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Conventional Wisdom (傳統的智慧)
廣為大眾接受的觀念, 但並非一定正確的想法,
所以這個片語帶有負面的意思,
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
這句話就是典行的Conventional Wisdom

早睡早起真能讓你更健康、更富裕、更聰明？

根據研究顯示, 有錢的人跟smart的人大部份都是夜貓子

Grammar Gym
Making decisions tires you out, so you make better choices in the morning.
tires you out: tire [someone] out: to make someone feel weak and have no energy
- Amy doesn't like babysitting, and being with little children tires her out.
- Karen is not good with math, and doing her math homework tires her out.


Language Lab
whatever floats your boat 你開心就好
do what makes you happy
- If you want to buy another car, just buy it. Whatever floats your boat.
- You can go shopping or stay home. Whatever floats your boat.

concentrate v.
to think very carefully about something that you are doing
- The kids couldn't concentrate because of the noise from the construction site.
concentrate on
- Maggie will now concentrate on her career instead of her love life.

willpower n.
[uncountable] the ability to control your mind and body in order to achieve something that you want to do:
- Dave successfully quit smoking by using his strong willpower.
- I don't think I have the willpower to diet.

surge n.
if a feeling surges or surges up, you begin to feel it very strongly:
- Panic surged through her when Shannon heard her son was missing in action.
- Charles was overcome by a sudden surge of jealousy when he found out his best friend had been promoted.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140822baabfd006a79e9b4a214cae62f2cd5e30029c1dd7d2b6587591155c975b72f0cb7e.wma

[Advanced] NEWSworthy Clips (1) 2014/08/21

Yosemite bears aren't eating as much human food as in decades past

Black bears in Yosemite National Park aren’t snacking as much on human food as they did decades ago, according to new research.

Researchers analyzed samples of bear bones from museums and bear hair collected from the field to determine the ratio of human-to-wild-food that Yosemite bears consumed as far back as 1915.

Not surprisingly, they found that the proportion of human food rose significantly after the park started feeding bears in 1923 to keep the animals away from developed areas.

The bears also took advantage of a park fish hatchery, dipping into hatchery tanks for helpings of non-native trout.

From 1975 to 1985, human food made up about a third of the diet of pilfering bears, according to the study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

It wasn’t until the park received funding to install bear-proof food lockers and to patrol campgrounds for problem bears that the proportion of human food dropped to 13% of their diets.

[University of California, Santa Cruz research fellow Jack] Hopkins teamed with coauthor Paul Koch, a UC Santa Cruz professor of earth sciences, to analyze carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes derived from bone and hair samples from park bears.

The researchers compared samples from bears that ate only wild food, from bears known to forage for human food and from human hair, including some from the Smithsonian Institution.

Thanks in part to the meat and corn-based products that people eat, isotope ratios differ between wild bear food and human food, creating a record of the bears’ culinary habits.

Hopkins "searched far and wide to get the collection of samples we analyzed, and that collection made the study powerful enough to answer the question of how management practices affect bear diets," Koch said.

Vocabulary Focus
ratio n.
the relationship between two groups or amounts that expresses how much bigger one is than the other

pilfer v.
/ˈpɪlfɚ/
to steal things of little value or in small amounts
- He was caught pilfering.

isotope n.
/ˈaɪsəˌtoʊp/
a form of an atom which has a different atomic mass from other forms of the same atom but the same chemical structure

forage v.
to go searching, especially for food
to go around searching for food or other supplies

culinary adj.
connected with cooking, especially as a developed skill or art


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140821ada8116a8160ae28efde4a08206d970ee2abd19ce55fb647a7bbcd3b5ec452ab1a6.wma

The Thrill of an Urban Adventure (2)

Some urban adventures offer more than simply heart-racing thrills and excitement. Perhaps you prefer challenging your intellect during the adventure. You may be interested in participating in the Great Urban Race, an organized competition held in many U.S. cities. In this competition, it is impossible to feel gloomy. People race through a city wearing silly costumes and looking for clues to solve puzzles. It's a great way to explore a city.

Interested in soaring through the air? Why not try being an acrobat? The flying trapeze has become an option for the public. In five American cities, you can attend a trapeze school and learn the skills of a flying acrobat.

Now imagine your urban adventure taking you through empty buildings, tunnels and even sewers. You can join the urban spelunkers on one of their trips. This may surprise you, but you can find urban spelunkers in many cities around the world. You will be amazed by the rich history that you discover on one of these expeditions beneath a city.

So go ahead. Follow your sense of adventure and go on one of these thrilling urban adventures.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Urban, Suburban and Rural 都市、郊區與鄉間
urban 都巿的
suburban 都巿外圍郊區
rural, the country 鄉下


Grammar Gym
Some urban adventures offer more than simply heart-racing thrills and excitement.
[Subject] offers more than [something 1] and [something 2].
- The university's internship program offers more than just work and experience in an outside company.
- The hotel's wedding package offers more than just a banquet hall and fancy food.

Language Lab
gloomy adj.
making you feel that things will not improve [= depressing];
sad because you think the situation will not improve [= depressed];
- The kid's gloomy faces told me that they had lost the game.
dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad:
- Economists are very gloomy about the country's economic prospects.

acrobat n.
someone who entertains people by doing difficult physical actions such as walking on their hands or balancing on a high rope, especially at a circus
- The acrobats in the circus have been professionally trained since they were kids.
- This famous dancer started off as a child acrobat.
- Using a pole for balance, the acrobat walked high above the street on a steel wire.

sewer n.
a pipe or passage under the ground that carries away waste material and used water from houses, factories etc
- The worker can only repair the area's sewer system at night.
- The sewer line might be clogged.

expedition n.
a long and carefully organized journey, especially to a dangerous or unfamiliar place, or the people that make this journey:
- Stewart and his friend plan to go on an expedition to Africa next year.
- Ten members of the expedition are from Germany.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140821baacdb07f078e4d930b8fcf2ec5a15bb4df42690f067a21044e6a9c4b3e70dd8f70.wma

[Advanced] Where Has All the Milk Gone? (3) 2014/08/20

Creating a game plan
The dairy industry is fighting back with a new marketing campaign launched [in February]. “Got milk?” has been replaced — except in California — by the slogan “Milk life.” New ads play up milk’s protein content. High protein has become a major health-oriented marketing strategy for food makers.

The ads’ message is that milk provides the energy to power a person’s day, said Colle and McVoy’s Anderson. “It’s a much more practical approach than “Got milk?”

Of course, marketing can only go so far. “There’s a lack of innovation in dairy,” Bozic said. The industry “needs to offer people more variety.”

Bozic said there could be a promising market for milk that undergoes “filtering” to boost nutrient concentrations and lower sugar levels. Fairlife, a Chicago-based company, is aiming to develop such a market, rolling out first in Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Fighting the good fight
The company is the brainchild of a husband-and-wife team who own a dairy farm in northwest Indiana. Fairlife makes filtered milk with 50 percent more protein and calcium and half the sugar of regular milk.

Sue McCloskey, one of Fairlife’s founders, said she sees her milk going up against not only other dairy products, but all sorts of beverages, from juices to plant milks. “Our competition is all of the grab-and-go beverages.

”Bringing people back to the milk fold won’t be easy; tastes have been changing. Take the experience of Stacey Sundquist, a lawyer in Minnesota. She and her husband have three kids under age 10 who drink milk regularly at meals.

Until a few years ago, Sund­quist herself drank milk three times a day. Now, she drinks more water and has developed a taste for almond milk, including in her morning oatmeal. Sundquist made the switch after reading about antibiotics and hormones used in raising cows.


Vocabulary Focus
play up (something) (phr v) to emphasize a particular quality or part of something, or make it seem more imortant than it really is, usually for your own advantage

brainchild n.
something originally invented or thought of by someone

the fold n.
your home or an organization where you feel you feel you belong


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140820ada7000c8c85dd9fa2d4669be5d00ae023e90e598b6b4abe8824b82c9697d10ebde.wma

The Thrill of an Urban Adventure (1)

Unique ways to explore a city
It's one of those days; you're feeling mischievous and want an adventure. However, you have a dilemma; you don't want just any ordinary adventure. Fortunately, there are many creative urban activities you can do in only a few hours.

Are you interested in mysteries? If you live in San Francisco, you can participate in a heated spy game called Jericho San Francisco. You will find yourself exploring San Francisco while trying to fulfill a specific mission.

In this game, everybody you see is a spy, so you must be sneaky. Just bring a NERF gun, a hat and your imagination. It only happens once a month, so check the date!

What if you want to see the city from above? If you live in Sydney, Australia, why not allocate a few hours to checking out the BridgeClimb? You can ascend the Sydney Harbour Bridge and get a bird's-eye view of the city. Or imagine walking on the outside edge of a tower 356 meters above the ground without holding onto anything. You can enjoy this thrill at the EdgeWalk, in Toronto, Canada. It's Toronto's tallest urban adventure!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Bird’s Eye View (鳥瞰)
a bird's eye view 俯視
overhead view 比人頭高一點的高度, 有可能是室內的
eagle eye 很好的眼力
在這裡要注意的是 bird's eye 和 eagle eye 都是要用單數

Grammar Gym
In this game, everybody you see is a spy, so you must be sneaky.
In this [something], everybody/every something you see is a [description], so you must be [adjective].
- In this store, everything you see is expensive and easy to break, so you must be careful.
- In this competition, everyone you see is number one in their school, so you must be prepared.

Language Lab
mischievous adj.
/ˈmɪstʃəvəs/
someone who is mischievous likes to have fun, especially by playing tricks on people or doing things to annoy or embarrass them:
- There's a mischievous look on the little girl's face.
- Even though Jonathan is over 60, he's still a mischievous boy inside.
mischievousness n. [uncountable]
- The boy's mischievousness got him into a lot of trouble.

dilemma n.
a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what to do, because all the choices seem equally good or equally bad:
- He was faced with the dilemma of telling the truth or losing his job.
- The governor is caught in a difficult ethical dilemma.

sneaky adj.
doing things in a secret and often dishonest or unfair way:
- The boy looks kind of sneaky. I bet he's planning on skipping class today.
sneak v.
to go somewhere secretly and quietly in order to avoid being seen or heard
- Laura sneaked off in the middle of the meeting.

allocate v.
to use something for a particular purpose, give something to a particular person etc, especially after an official decision has been made
- We allocated 5 percent of our profit to charity.
- James is in charge of allocating jobs to the members of our team.
allocation n.
the amount or share of something that has been allocated for a particular purpose:
- The allocation of flour and rice was handled by the government during the war.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140820baad376553efdd2fc9390f4537b4e6e7317caf6b3a40dceefbe8d0d11115f36e7a9.wma

[Advanced] Where Has All the Milk Gone? (2) 2014/08/19

Changing diets and ideas
While Bryant said her 5-year-old is “crazy for milk,” her older daughter barely drinks any. She might be lactose intolerant, a condition Americans have become increasingly aware of, and one that is a brake on milk sales.

To a growing number of consumers, milk isn’t the nutritional touchstone it once was, even though it fulfills key nourishment needs.

“It’s really one of our best sources of vitamin D and calcium,” said Deb Sheats, a nutrition and dietetics professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Vitamin D and calcium are important nutrients that often get shorted in the American diet.

Cheese is also an excellent source of calcium. But cheese is often more fattening than milk, and doesn’t pack the same vitamin D punch.

A new kind of drink
Enter the “plant” milks — soy, almond and so on. They’re not really milk, but they are marketed that way. Through fortification, plant milks have just as much if not more calcium and vitamin D as dairy milk, and sometimes fewer calories — though they are more expensive.

“They are riding the coattails of milk’s nutritional profile,” said Marin Bozic, a professor of dairy marketing economics at the University of Minnesota. “They try to place themselves as a substitute for dairy milk.”

Plant milk is indeed a health play for packaged food makers. “Soy and almond milk manufacturers will benefit as more Americans become health conscious and are more willing to spend money on healthy beverages,” according to a report by market researcher IBISWorld.

Some consumers have been concerned about growth hormones used in dairy cows, IBISWorld found. Others have questioned the premise of drinking cows’ milk altogether, Antal Neville, an IBISWorld analyst, said in an e-mail interview.

“Some consumers have definitely questioned the health halo of milk in recent years,” he wrote.


Vocabulary Focus
lactose intolerant adj.
/ˈlækˌtoʊs/
unable to digest lactose
a type of sugar that is present in milk

touchstone n.
something that is used to make judgments about the quality of other things
- Good service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant.

short v.
to provide less of something that is expected or desired

pack a punch idiom
to be very forceful or effective;
to have a great effect or influence
- Careful—these hot peppers really pack a punch. [=they are very hot and spicy]

fortification n.
/ˌfoɚtəfəˈkeɪʃən/
a structure (such as a wall or tower) that is built to protect a place — usually plural

ride one's coattails (idiom)
/ˈkoʊtˌteɪl/
to be successful by capitalizing on the strength of someone else's success
- They were elected to Congress by riding (on) the coattails of the President.
= They were swept into office on the coattails of the President.
[=they were elected because they belong to the same political party as the President, who is very popular]

halo n.
a circle of light that is shown in a religious painting, drawing, etc., around the head of a holy figure (such as an angel, saint, or god) — often used figuratively
- The scandal has tarnished the candidate's halo. [=has damaged his reputation as a morally good person]

Corinna Chamberlain (2)

Chamberlain has always loved music, especially singing and dancing. After graduating from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, she chose a musical career. Small singing and acting opportunities cam along, with TV appearances starting in 2008.

But two things happened in 2013 that brought her overnight fame. Chamberlain won a starring role in a popular nighttime TV show. She also released her first Cantopop single, "Yi Jung," which was enthusiastically accepted by Hong Kongers.

Through her singing and acting, Chamberlain demonstrated her flawless Cantonese and cultural understanding. Both helped her gain acceptance and respect. Today people on the street greet Chamberlain like one of the family, asking, "How's your mom?"

For years Chamberlain tried to figure out how to be like everyone around her. Now she feels differently about her identity. "I discovered as I grew up that I don't need to change to become someone else. Who I am actually has a lot to offer," the young woman remarked.

That's a lesson worth remembering!


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Earworm and Other Non-words (耳蟲和其他的非單字)
一首歌聽久了, 歌曲的旋律就在腦海中忘不了,
這種現象就叫做earworm,
這個在正規的字典是找不到的,
因為這個字不是主流的字, 所以很少人用,
像這種字是被歸類為non-words(非單字)
要等到傳播媒體或有更多人用這個字時,
才會升格為正式的英文單字

Grammar Gym
come along: to be with someone and follow them
- The kids wanted to come along and visit their father's office.
Small singing and acting opportunities cam along, with TV appearances starting in 2008.
come along: to arrive, to appear
- If you want success to come along, you must work hard.
- The business almost failed until help suddenly came along.


Language Lab
graduate v.
to obtain a degree, especially a first degree, from a college or university
graduate from
- Rebecca is graduating from elementary school this summer.
graduate adj.
relating to or involved in studies done at a university after completing a first degree [= postgraduate British English]
- Ellen got accepted into the graduate program at Stanford.

overnight adj.
happening surprisingly quickly
- Overnight fame had a huge impact on this girl. She has changed a great deal.
happening during the night or for the night;
- Chelsea had overnight guests last night.

flawless adj.
having no mistakes or marks, or not lacking anything [= perfect]
- Because of her flawless performance, the figure skater received high scores from the judges.

acceptance n.
[uncountable] when you officially agree to take something that you have been offered
- Amanda won acceptance from her senior coworkers because of her hard work and humbleness.
accept v.
to take something that someone offers you, or to agree to do something that someone asks you to do [≠ refuse]
- I accept your apology.
acceptable adj.
good enough to be used for a particular purpose or to be considered satisfactory
- acceptable behavior


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140819baa69f7b98e7ba53f0a79eaf817e9f79e7d6c84e8b632209f709ad6e298ffc2a3c2.wma

[Advanced] Where Has All the Milk Gone? (1) 2014/08/18

Milk’s popularity falls as trendier drinks surge

Got almond milk?

More and more consumers do. They’ve also got soy milk, coconut milk, flax milk and all sorts of trendy juices and bottled waters. But good old milk — the moo kind — keeps fading from grocery lists.

Milk’s rate of decline in 2011 and 2012 was the highest in more than a decade, though per capita consumption has been falling for years and dropped 25 percent from 1975 through 2012, according to federal data.

Milk drinking by both kids and adults has particularly declined during prime-time: meals. The tall, cool glass of milk with a sandwich at lunch or a burger at dinner is increasingly an anachronism.

“If I’m with another adult and they have milk during dinner, it seems kind of nostalgic,” said Amy Bryant, a Minnesota mother of two daughters. “I was a milk lover and I grew up drinking it. You just kind of had milk with your dinner.”

A constant decline 
While producers have offset milk’s decline by selling more cheese, nearly tripling its consumption in the past four decades, the industry hasn’t been able to halt the slide in milk demand.

Recently, it even shelved its venerable “Got milk?” campaign, with the milk-mustached celebrities. New ads will emphasize milk’s protein content.

Katie Anderson, insight director at Minneapolis marketing firm Colle and McVoy, said the old campaign may have “lost its relevance.”

“Milk has just been sleepy,” Anderson said. “We have the juice people, the water people — everybody else is taking off.”

Alarmingly for the industry, even the most devoted milk drinkers — kids — aren’t consuming as much of the white stuff as they once did.

“It’s kind of the younger generation we’ve lost, ” said K.J. Burrington of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Dairy Research.


Vocabulary Focus
surge n.
a sudden, large increase
- a surge of support for the candidate

fade v.
to disappear gradually

per capita adj.
/pɚˈkæpətə/
for each person, especially when considering all of the people in a group
- The state's average per capita income is $35,000.

anachronism n.
/əˈnækrəˌnɪzəm/
someone or something placed in the wrong period in history, or something that belongs to the past rather than the present
- The novel is full of anachronisms.
- He's an old-fashioned politician who is seen by many of his colleagues as an anachronism.

nostalgic adj.
/nɑˈstælʤɪk/
feeling happy and also slightly sad when you think about things that happened in the past
- Seeing pictures of my old friends made me feel very nostalgic.

offset v.
to cancel or reduce the effect of (something) : to create an equal balance between two things
- The limited storage space in the house is offset by the large garage.

shelve v.
to delay action on something

venerable adj.
respected, especially because of long experience or age

take off [phrasal verb]
to quickly become very successful or popular


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140818ada0c3975a27300dc7ce6f46483f7ed3b42624c19ec2ea95aa724c19ee4d8fee3a1.wma

Corinna Chamberlain (1)

Hong Kong’s young new artist surprises her fans in more ways than one

Close your eyes and listen to this young artist sing, and you'll probably think she's Asian. Yet in reality, Corinna Chamberlain (陳明恩) is a blond, blue-eyed Westerner. Her life began in 1982 in Hong Kong when Chamberlian was born to missionary parents. Her Austration mom and New Zealander father chose not to live in a Western community. Instead, the family lived in a rural part of Hong Kong, where there were few foreigners.

Growing up, Chamberlian had mostly Chinese friends, and as a result, she speakings fluent Cantonese. Her understanding of Hong Kong and its people sets her apart from most Westerners. In spite of all that, Chamberlian suffered an identity crisis. "I was struggling as a teenager. Am I Chinese, or am I Western?" she asked herself. She felt, thought and spoke Chinese. But because she looked Western, the Chinese community didn't consider her "one of [their] own."

Yet all of that would change in a surprising way - through her music.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Count Your Blessings! (學英文已沒有那麼難了)
早期的英文單字有多種變換,
一個字可能有五種拼法,
五種發音, 有些形容詞可能有十一種變換,
而且可能有陽性跟陰性的分別,
現在的英文就簡單多了,
blond 這個字可以說是少數留下來的變換字,
他的拼法男女有別,
男性: blond, 女性: blonde
但在英語簡化的過程下,
有沒有按照這個規則已經沒有那麼重要了

Grammar Gym
Growing up, Chamberlian had mostly Chinese friends, and as a result, she speakings fluent Cantonese.
[Verb1-ing], [subject]+[verb1], and as a result, [subject]+[verb2].
- Studying at the university, Freddy had an early morning job, and as  a result, he became a morning person.
- Traveling through Europe, Gloria tried all kinds of dishes, and as a result, she decided to open a restaurant.

Language Lab
blond adj. 金黃色      
a man who is blond has pale or yellow hair   
- The model in the shampoo commercial has beautiful blond hair.
blond n. 白皮膚金色頭髮的人
a woman with pale or yellow-coloured hair:      
- Margaret is the only blond in her family.

instead adv. 反而；卻
used to say what is done, when you have just said that a particular thing is not done:
- Brenda didn't go to the States for graduate school. Instead, she went to England.
instead of  prep.  替代
used to say what is not used, does not happen etc, when something else is used, happens etc:
- Instead of traditional Chinese food, the couple chose to serve a Western buffet at their wedding banquet.

set apart v. 使與眾不同；顯得特別突出
if a quality sets someone or something apart, it makes them different from or better than other people or things;
to keep something, especially a particular time, for a special purpose
- Tom's excellent math ability set him apart from the other students.
- Hanna's amazing looks set her apart from other contestants.

identity crisis n. 自我認同危機
a feeling of uncertainty about who you really are and what your purpose is
- Many people have an identity crisis during their teenage years.
midlife crisis n.中年危機
a period of worry and lack of confidence that some people experience when they are about 40 or 50 years old and begin to feel that they are getting old
- Ray is facing a midlife crisis now. He feels a sense of hopelessness.

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140818baaa263fd45631eccd0df66f5cef2a97463e8cc271cdf1cdcbc7beab40872c7660a.wma

[Advanced] Blending Work and Play (2)

Taking care of its employees
Through the years, Plantronics in Tijuana has moved far beyond an assembly plant. It now has a 110-person design and engineering center and testing lab that has earned four U.S. patents for its work.

Whether engineers or on the assembly line, all employees are encouraged to suggest ways to improve productivity, winning tickets to sporting events or even better parking spaces for their tips. It’s paid off. The company says it’s saved over $100 million through improvements suggested by employees.

“The company has to make a profit, but we try to make it a gratifying place to work,” said Cesar Lopez, director of government regulations at the plant.

In turn, employee-led teams decide what institutions – such as orphanages, the Red Cross and police and fire departments _ the company should support as part of its practice of improving Tijuana and helping the community. Employees volunteer to take orphans to movies, sports events and on camping trips.

The company has 188 well-being programs for employees and families, touching on fitness, weight loss, study habits, good parenting and community service. Workstations are scattered about the assembly hall floor where workers can peruse job openings and learn how to gain skills for new jobs. “Every employee can see how they can advance in the company,” said Diana Alvarado, head of the plant’s human resources department.

Workstations are scattered about the assembly hall floor where workers can peruse job openings and learn how to gain skills for new jobs.

“Every employee can see how they can advance in the company,” said Diana Alvarado, head of the plant’s human resources department.

A reason to work
Inculcating a sense of mission in employees is part of the company ethic.

Employees grasp that lives rely on the headsets they design and assemble, he said.

“We know our headsets have to be depended on, whether it is someone working at a 911 station dispatching fire, police or emergency medical, or someone from the moon,” Kannappan said, noting that Neil Armstrong used a Plantronics headset when he set foot on the moon in 1969.

The benefits that make for a happy workplace make hiring easy.

“A few months ago, we were asking for 75 people that we needed to hire, and we got over 1,000 people,” said Bustamante, [senior vice president of operations].



mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140816ada77ce0e27ffec76f37369c66f6b60c5a46e7e2c31db902e181f70583407337eb0.wma

Once Upon a Time (3)

Trying to make hay while the sun shines, the prince and Ray left immediately. After a while, they stopped for a snack. While they were eating , they heard a roar. A monster, which looked like a giant bat, was flying toward them. Prince Gale threw caution to the wind and charged. He swung his sword but missed, and the monster knocked him down. Ray helped the prince by throwing the first he saw- an open bottle of juice. It splashed into the monster's eyes, blinding it for a moment. That gave Prince Gale time to kill it.

The prince and Ray ran like the wind back to the city to get the magic stone. They returned home and used it to cure the king.

After the monster's defeat, everything was right as rain in Foggy Kingdom. The people built several new cities. When Prince Gale got wind of this news, he visited the kingdom. He and Queen Misty fell in love, got married and lived happily ever after.


Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Weather Lore (預測天氣的諺語)
從古至今, 人們都希望可以預測天氣,
雖然古時候沒有科學的儀器,
但人們累積足夠的經驗就可以掌握未來的天氣,
有些經驗也成為朗朗尚口的諺語,
例如:
- Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning, red skies at night, sailor's delight.
早上天空呈現紅色, 水手們有所警介, 因為會是壞天氣;
晚上天空呈現紅色, 水手們會高興, 因為第二天會是好天氣
- A cow's tail to the west makes the weather the best; a cow's tail to the east makes the weather the least.
牛尾朝西天氣好; 牛尾朝東天氣壞


Grammar Gym
Ray helped the prince by throwing the first he saw- an open bottle of juice.
[Subject] [verb1] by [verb2-ing] the first [person/thing] he/she saw- [something].
- The traveler got directions by asking the first person he saw- a blind musician playing by the roadside.
- The clumsy waiter made the problem worse by wiping the spill with the first thing he saw- an expensive scarf of a dinner guest.


Language Lab
immediately adv.
without delay [= at once]:
- William got a phone call from home and rushed out the office immediately.
- The mechanic spotted the car's problem immediately.
immediate adj.
happening or done at once and without delay:
- My boss didn't make an immediate response to my request.

knock down phrasal verb
to hit or push someone so that they fall to the ground:
- The boxer was knocked down in the third round of the match.
knock somebody ↔ down
- When the old lady was crossing the street, a motorcycle knocked her down.

make hay while the sun shines = don't procrastinate
to take the opportunity to do something now, because you may not be able to do it later

defeat n.
failure to succeed or to win
- The football team's morale is very low because of its series of defeats.
defeat v.
to win a victory over (someone or something) in a war, contest, game, etc.
- I believe we can defeat our opponents and win the title.

right as rain spoken
completely healthy
- After being treated in the hospital, the wounded driver is now right as rain.
no problems
- Molly is a great accountant. She always right as rain when it comes to numbers.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140816baa2803868d26ece229a02596158b7a58b54097d5758009599fdee886a3a5592048.wma

[Advanced] Blending Work and Play (1)

Award-winning Mexican factory offers employees more than just a job

On a recent day off from her assembly plant job [in Tijuanan], Antonia Morena put on her prettiest blouse and returned to her factory, her fiance at her side.

There, the couple took part in a mass wedding.

The factory took care of red tape around the marriage certificate and put on a splashy ceremony for Morena and her fiance, and 30 other couples.

It’s the sort of thing the Plantronics assembly plant does on a routine basis, earning it earlier this year the U.S. State Department’s corporate excellence award, one of three worldwide, and the loyalty of its 2,300-member work force.

A special company
Plantronics, headquartered in Santa Cruz, Calif., designs and assembles headsets for use by air traffic controllers, police and fire dispatchers, and retail clients. It’s had operations in Tijuana for four decades.

Just 400 yards from the U.S. border, its air-conditioned factory floor has natural light filtering in through the louvered roof. Employees, during breaks, congregate around pingpong and foosball tables. A dance troupe, opera singers, a mime and mariachis have also regaled workers.

“It’s really no wonder that the company has been named the best place to work in Mexico three years in a row,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in January at a ceremony honoring the three companies that won the State Department’s corporate excellence award. He was referring to the judgment of the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco.

To be sure, hundreds of employees at the plant receive little more than the minimum wage of $400 a month – equivalent to other nearby factories – but promotion possibilities are ample, and morale high. For some, it’s the gymnasium, and help in reaching a high school or college diploma. For others, it’s the on-floor health clinic with two attending physicians.

Once Upon a Time (2)

After a long journey, Prince Gale and Ray reached a city in Foggy Kingdom. A guard stopped them and asked who they were.

Once Prince Gale and Ray had explained their mission, the guard said, "This city is all that remains of Foggy Kingdom." A monster has destroyed the other cities. We came here to weather the storm, hoping the monster will go away."

The guard took them to Queen Misty, Foggy Kingdom's young but capable ruler. The guard said she had a heart as pure as the driven snow. She had been a ray of sunshine during these difficult times.

Prince Gale and Ray told her their story.

Queen Misty replied, "I'd like to help. But the stone's magic is our city's best defense against the monster."

The prince offered to kill the monster in exchange for the stone. The queen agreed and gave them food for their quest.

Prince Gale told Ray to stay safe in the city. But Ray answered, "I'm not a fair-weather friend. I won't abandon you."

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: Chatting about the Weather (聊天氣)
西方人聊天喜歡聊天氣,
天氣weather這個字是不可數名詞,
不可以說 a weather, 或many weathers,
但通常都不會用到weather,
通常的問法是: what's it like outside?
另外講到天氣會用到 supposed to be: 照理說...
因為氣象報告通常是不準確的,
所以會說,
It supposed to be sunny.

Language Lab
remain v.
to continue to be in the same state or condition

capable adj.
having the qualities or ability needed to do something;
able to do things well;
capability n.
the natural ability, skill, or power that makes a machine, person, or organization able to do something, especially something difficult

in exchange for something
the act of giving someone something and receiving something else from them

quest v.
a long search for something that is difficult to find


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140815baa29c845c62f64a0d577d3911af9f3c612b4e0969e41552527f3b40578faff1ca4.wma

[Advanced] Uncovered Secrets (2)

The process
To find out, she scraped the mineralized plaque off the teeth of four skeletons from a medieval convent in Dalheim, Germany, and after treating the samples with various chemicals and enzymes, she put them through a machine that separates cell debris from DNA.

The result, she said, was thrilling.

"When you get DNA from bones it is so damaged and there is so little of it left, " she said. "When we analyzed the dental calculus we got 100 to 1,000 times more DNA fragments than we would have from a bone."

From those DNA fragments Warinner and an international team of colleagues determined that the bacteria associated with human periodontal disease have not changed much in 1,000 years even as dental hygiene and diet have. They also found that ancient oral bacteria had a gene that could allow it to resist low-level antibiotics, just as some of our oral bacteria has today. And they found bits of plant DNA in the plaque, which provides direct evidence of the ancient diet.

But these results are just scratching the surface of what scientists can learn from ancient plaque.

Endless possibilities for discovery
Anne Stone, a molecular anthropologist at Arizona State University who was not involved in the study, said the findings were significant.

"What is exciting is it looks like the way calculus forms protects the DNA -- almost like it is sealed in concrete -- so it is more protected from the environment," she said. "People who study respiratory pathogens will be interested in this study, and people who study how periodontal disease has changed over time."

Warinner notes that every known human population has had dental plaque problems, so this technique could be used to learn more about people from a wide range of time periods.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140814adab262a3292462fc5383564370bd23d5902fefd37ea6eabc8c28094e82e0bd4665.wma

Once Upon a Time (1)

This kingdom’s problem is no tempest in a teapot

Once upon a time there was a king who began to feel under the weather. The court physicians could not cure him. He grew sicker and sicker, and his family began to worry.

One day the king’s wisest adviser spoke with the queen and the prince.

“Legends tell of magical stones that can cure any disease. Long ago they were scattered to the four winds,” said the adviser. “But I have discovered that there is one in Foggy Kingdom, over the northern mountains.”

The prince, named Gale, offered to go to Foggy Kingdom and get the stone. He asked many people to go with him, but most refused. Rumor said there was a dangerous monster in Foggy Kingdom.

Finally the prince’s friend Ray agreed to go with him. Ray sometimes had his head in the clouds. But the prince knew he was very loyal and would stay with him come rain or shine. So Prince Gale and Ray began their journey.

Info Cloud

Teaching Topic: Once Upon a Time 很久很久以前

許多的西方童話故事都會使用同一個開場: Once upon a time....
這個片語早在1380年就開始用於故事書裡頭,
雖然他的年份久遠, 但是我們還是可以用於日常生活中,
可以用這個片語來表示曾經或一度,
當然要表達曾紅或一度的片語有很多,
像是: at one time, back then, back in the old days,
但once upon a time就因為他跟童話故事有連結,
會給人一種懷舊的感覺,
童話故事的傳統結尾則是:
and they lived happily ever after.
從此以後他們過著快樂的日子


Language Lab
physician n.
a doctor;
especially : a medical doctor who is not a surgeon

adviser n.
/ədˈvaɪzɚ/
someone whose job is to give advice because they know a lot about a subject, especially in business, law, or politics:
advise v.
to give an opinion or suggestion to someone about what should be done : to give advice to (someone)

tempest n.
a violent storm
a tempest in a teapot
an unimportant matter that someone has become upset about:

rumor n.
information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true
Rumor has it that
- Rumor has it that Jean's getting married again.

loyal n.
always supporting your friends, principles, country etc [≠ disloyal]
loyal to

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140814baa27b1cd285adbe5ddcec9416470c7621eaf452a283088aaf7dbbfafee3ca90660.wma

[Advanced] Uncovered Secrets (1)

Preserved on ancient teeth, a fossilized microbial world is discovered

Scientists have discovered the DNA of millions of tiny organisms entombed in the ancient dental plaque of four medieval skeletons.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, have implications for research into what our ancestors ate, how they interacted, and what diseases they fought, the authors write.

"I feel like we discovered a time capsule that has been right under our noses this whole time," said Christina Warinner, a molecular anthropologist and the lead author of the study. "This is a game changer."

New understandings
Calcified plaque is the rough, bumpy stuff you might notice coating your teeth if you have skipped too many dental appointments. Today, dentists scrape plaque off our teeth as part of our regular dental cleanings, but before the days of modern oral care, it could grow layer upon layer until sometimes the hard plaque covering a tooth was thicker than the tooth itself.

The layers of calcified plaque entomb the bacteria that also live in our mouths -- turning them into small fossils even when we are alive. And when we die, these dense, calcified micro-fossils remain intact.

Throughout most of the history of archaeology, researchers have considered calcified plaque disposable -- often removing it from skeletons in the process of cleaning them. But recently, it has become clear that calcified plaque is a reservoir of information.

"People are realizing that you have this rich bacterial community living on the surface of your teeth..." [Matthew] Collins, [a co-author on the paper,] said. "There is so much information there. The challenge is how to access it."

Over the last decade scientists had started to look at ancient plaque samples under a microscope, hoping to find microscopic bits of food stuck in its hard matrix. But Warinner wanted to know whether it had also preserved DNA.



mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140813ada7edb80272220ec684ebbf3e67391517874732a9eb7b5dc22f7a40b57c28a2d71.wma

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Ways to get the most out of your working hours
Ever catch yourself dozing off at work? If so, maybe your body - or brain - is trying to tell you it's time for a break. Instead of ignoring such signals, maybe it's time you tried working smarter, not harder.

Take breaks or even naps
Your brain is your most important tool when it comes to work, but it does have limitations. In fact, your brain can only remain focused for about 90 minutes at a time. That's why it's important to take 15-minute breaks every hour and a half to restore your attention span.

Better yet, if your company allows it, take a 20-minute nap once during the work day. Research suggests that napping helps you think more clearly and memorize things better.

Stay mobile and work in blocks
Entrepreneur and author Joel Runyon urges worker to try his "workstation popcorn" method. First, break down your office to-do list into clear tasks. Throughout the workday try moving to a different work area (or coffee shop) for each new task. That way you're staying active and giving your mind a natural break between tasks. With a refreshed sense of focus, you'll be working smarter than ever!

Editor's Summary
What is smarter work as opposed to harder worker?
Well, take for example when you find yourself dozing off at work.
Do you fight it and keep working?
Well, our article suggests that perhaps instead of ignoring that feeling, you need to take a little break.
Our brain does have limitations and can only stay focused for about 90 minutes at a time.
So, what should we do to extend that time?
Well, take a break every hour or every hour and half hour to keep our attention span.
Or even take a short 20-minute nap during the day.
Research shows it helps with memorization and clear thinking.
Joel Runyon has introduced the "workstation popcorn" method.
He says to move around to different place for every new task that you are involved in.
It keeps you active and gives your mind a natural break.
That will help you work smarter than ever.
I think I'd like to try that, especially the suggestion about going out for coffee for one of my tasks.

Info Cloud
Teaching Topic: On Increasing Your Vocabulary (如何增加字彙？)
許多人認為學英文最難的地方就是背單字,
與其說背單字, 不如說用單字,
因為死背只會增加學習的挫折感,
要增加字彙有以下方法可以參考:
1. reading 閱讀
read, read and read.
2. context 用上下文去了解字意
當閱讀看到生字時, 暫時不要查字典,
可用上下文去推測一個字的意思,
- The animal expert spoke about ducks, geese and ibises.
3. keep a new word notebook 做筆記
記下單子的意思, 並且做一個例句
4. practice 練習
多活用新學習的字

Grammar Gym
Better yet = An even better idea would be...
Better yet, if your company allows it, take a 20-minute nap once during the work day.
- Let's have spaghetti for dinner. Better yet, let's just go to an Italian restaurant and have a nice Italian dinner.
- Let's go for a hike. Better yet, why don't we just go camping?

Language Lab
doze off phrasal verb
to go to sleep, especially when you did not intend to [= drop off, nod off]:
- Travis dozed off during the speech and even snored.
- Dean's boss caught him dozing off in the meeting.
- Rita often dozes off for 15 minutes after lunch to restore her energy.

limitation n.
the act or process of controlling or reducing something
- There are certain limitations to a CEO's powers.
- The organization is working on the limitation of whaling activities in this area.
- Due to space limitations, only VIP customers can park inside our building.

urge v.
to strongly suggest that someone does something
urge somebody to do something
 - Mark urged his dad to get a thorough physical exam because he's been so sick lately.
to try to persuade (someone) in a serious way to do something
- The area's residents urged the council to consider the construction of a hospital nearby.

refresh v.
to make (someone) have more energy and feel less tired or less hot
- A nap will refresh you before the kids get home.
- I need to take a look at my calendar to refresh my memory.


mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20140813baa77e172ba99fdbad7ce01445549d254dca0f428078cab0d804d27ae7abc2590d1.wma