WARM UP WITH HOT POT (1)

A delicious meal in a pot
吃火鍋囉！ 讓人暖呼呼的美味鍋物 

The temperature is dropping, and the winter sun is setting earlier than before. For a lot of people in Asia, it's time for hot pot! This way of cooking food dates back over 1000 years in China. The idea originally came from Mongolia. 

Hot pot is made by boiling a pot of broth on a hot plate or gas burner. Then, you add different ingredients into the pot: meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, etc. As each item cooks, you can take it out and dip it into your choice of sauce. 

Many different kinds of broth can be used for hot pot. You can choose a plain broth or one with a lot of flavor. One kind of spicy hot pot is called mala, and it is very popular. 

The participation of each individual adding and taking out ingredients adds to the flavor of the broth. So, eating hot pot encourages diners to talk, share and serve each other. But you can enjoy a personal hot pot by yourself. 

Info Cloud

out of the frying pan, into the fire 每況愈下

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Today I want to share a traditional English idiom: out of the frying pan, into the fire. 

Ooh. Just by listening to the literal meaning of that expression, I can tell it's not describing a very comfortable situation, is it? 

Not at all. "Out of the frying pan, into the fire" is an idiom used to describe getting out of a bad situation only to find out that you are in a worse challenge than before. 

For example, after John quit his under-paying job to start a business, he is in a greater debt than before. He went from out of the frying pan into the fire. 

This expression comes from historical English fables and has been used for hundreds of years. 

Here's another example. Lincoln got into an argument with his girlfriend and the next day bought her a terrible gift. He went from out of the frying pan right into the fire. 

Yikes! Being in a frying pan would be extremely painful. But being in the fire sounds even worse. 

當一個人的狀況越來越不好，我們可以說他每況愈下，英文可以用 out of the frying pan, into the fire 來形容。frying pan 是煎或炸東西的平底鍋，out of the frying pan, into the fire 就是跳出煎鍋之後，卻跳入火坑，情況越來越糟。

例如，John 辭去了一份低薪的工作就去創業，但是卻陷入了更大的債務，你就可以說: John is out of the frying pan, into the fire. John 現在的狀況比之前更慘。

Language Lab

temperature n. 氣溫、溫度
a measurement that indicates how hot or cold something is : a measurement in degrees showing the heat of something (such as air or water)
- It is sunny outside, but the temperature is rather cold.
外面有出太陽，可是氣溫還是蠻冷的。
- The nurse asked the boy to hold still so she could take his temperature.
護士要小男孩不要亂動，好讓他能夠量體溫。
temperature n. 發燒
a measurement of the heat in a person's body
- Jamie isn’t feeling well, and she thinks she has a temperature.
Jamie 身體不太舒服，他認為他可能發燒了。 

dip v. 沾一下 
to put (something) into a liquid and pull it out again quickly — usually + in or into
- These dumplings will taste better if you dip them in the chili sauce.
這些餃子如果沾上辣椒醬，就會更好吃。
dip v. 降下去
to move downward
- Mark’s business was doing well at first, but then sales began to dip last month.
Mark的生意一開始還不錯，但是上個月的業績開始下降。
- We stayed on the beach long enough to watch the sun dip below the horizon.
我們一直待在海灘上，看著太陽落入地平線以下。 

spicy adj. 辣 
of food : flavored with or containing strong spices and especially ones that cause a burning feeling in your mouth
- Elva uses a lot of chilies in her cooking because she likes spicy food.
Elva 煮飯時會用很多辣椒，因為她喜歡吃辣。
spicy adj. 重口味、辛香料很多的
- Janet doesn’t want to eat anything spicy; she’ll probably just order a salad.
Janet 不想吃口味重的東西，她大概只會點一盤沙拉吧。
- Katherine is baking an apple pie, and her kitchen smells nice and spicy.
Katherine 在烤蘋果派，她的廚房有滿滿的辛香料的味道。 

flavor n. 食物的風味或味道
the quality of something that you can taste
- Carol didn’t really like the flavor of the soup.
Carol 沒有很喜歡那道湯的味道。
flavor n.  口味
a particular type of taste
- Sammy is at the ice cream store and having a hard time choosing a flavor.
Sammy 在冰淇淋店裡難以決定要選哪一個冰淇淋口味。
flavor n. 風格、特色
a particular quality that something has
- Talia likes the restaurant; the whole place has a bit of a Mediterranean flavor.
Talia 喜歡那家餐廳，整個地方的氣氛會有一點地中海風格。

Should I Eat This? (1)

Genetically modified (GM) foods are safe to eat … aren’t they?
這種食物，該不該吃？ 基改食物安全無虞……果真如此嗎？

Few things have caused as much controversy as genetically modified foods. These are plants or animals whose DNA has been changed in order to bring some benefit to either the producer or the consumer. A 2018 Pew Research Center poll found that 49 percent of Americans think foods containing GM ingredients are worse for one's health than natural foods. Slightly fewer people, 44 percent, are neutral on the question.

They believe foods with GM ingredients are neither better now worse for one's health. Only five percent say GM foods are better for one's health. The Pew poll thus reveals a nearly 50-50 split among Americans as to whether GM foods are harmful or not. 

Whatever they may believe about GM foods, it is almost impossible for Americans to avoid them. About 90 percent of all corn, canola and soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified. One or more of these ingredients goes into nearly all of the food products processed in the U.S. Even some food staples such as potatoes and sugar beets come from GM crops. 

Info Cloud

weed out 過濾

Welcome back to Info Cloud. When I was a girl, one of my chores at home was helping my dad take care of the family garden. My job was to pull out any weeds that grew up around our vegetables. 

Anne Marie, this is a great topic to talk about today. We have a special verb for pulling weeds: to weed. 

If you are weeding the garden, it means you're pulling out anything that isn't supposed to be growing there. 

"Weed out" can be used in situations other than weeds, too. 

And our phrase for today, to weed out, it means to get rid of anything or anyone that isn't supposed to be there. 

You could weed out unsuitable candidates when you're interviewing people for a job. 

Or when deciding what you want to eat for dinner, you could weed out restaurants you know you don't like. 

Once Dora had weeded out all the movies she didn't want to see, it was easy for her to select a movie on Netflix to watch. 

I'm teaching my son to weed out bad influences in his life. 

And, students, by weeding out your bad study habits, your English learning can be more effective. 

當你必須要篩選或過濾一些人事物，你可以用今天分享的用語 weed out 來形容。weed 是雜草，weed out就是把雜草清除掉，讓菜園裡的蔬菜能夠好好地生長，用在日常生活中就是過濾的意思。John needs to weed out bad influences in his life. John需要清除生活中對他不好的影響。weed out 可以用來形容任何要過濾或清除掉的東西，它可以是不好的東西，或是不必要的人，像是一家公司在應徵員工時，就可以將不適任的候選人weed out。

Language Lab

controversy n. 爭議、爭論
argument that involves many people who strongly disagree about something : strong disagreement about something among a large group of people
- The plan to merge two of the company’s departments created a lot of controversy.
公司的計畫要把兩個部門合併，造成很大的爭議。
- There was a big controversy about the school’s decision to sell that piece of land.
學校打算賣掉那塊土地，引起很大的爭議。
- Allison always tries to stay away from any controversy.
Allison 總是會盡可能避開任何的爭議。

neutral adj. 中立的  
not supporting either side of an argument, fight, war, etc.
- Andy’s two best friends are having an argument, but Andy is staying neutral.
Andy 的兩位最要好的朋友正在吵架，但是Andy要保持中立。
- Reporters asked the actor how he felt about the recent controversy, but the actor gave a very neutral response.
記者詢問那位影星最近的爭議有什麼感覺，但是影星給的回答很中立。
neutral adj. 不容易引起人的注意或是中性的 
not connected with either side involved in a war, contest, etc.;
not bright or strong in color : able to go easily with other colors
- It’s rare to see Sabrina wear any bright colors; her outfits are mostly neutral colors.
Sabrina 很少穿顏色很亮的衣服，她的衣著大部分都是中性色系的。

split n. 在一群人當中因為意見不一樣所產生的分歧  
to separate or divide into parts or groups
- Because half of the company did not like the new plan, there was a split among the employees.
由於公司有一半的人不喜歡新的計畫，而造成員工間的分歧。
split n. 裂痕
to break apart or into pieces especially along a straight line
- The mother bird found a split in the rocks and decided to build her nest there.
母鳥在岩石中找到一個裂口，牠就決定在那裡築巢。
split n.  一字腿、劈腿
to cut, rip, or tear (something) especially along a straight line
- The young dancer ended her performance with a split.
那位年輕的舞者用劈腿動作來結束她的表演。 

staple n. 基本的、主要的食物 
an important food that is eaten very often
- In many countries, rice is the staple.
在很多國家裡，米是主糧。
- The man said he didn’t have any money to buy any staples for his family.
那個人說他沒錢買一些基本的食物給他的家人吃。
staple n. 訂書針 
a piece of metal or thick wire that is pushed into a surface to hold or attach something (such as rope or wire)
- While we were putting the handouts together, we ran out of staples.
我們在裝訂講義的時候，訂書針被我們用完了。

Why Do We Say It?

Stories behind the words we use
詞彙濫觴 一些尋常字詞背後的源起故事

We say some things at the drop of a hat without knowing why. Here are two of them:

OK

How often do you say "OK"? You likely say it dozens of times a day. That's not surprising. OK is one of the most widely used terms in the world. In Boston during the early 1800s, using abbreviations was popular. Among some of the most popular abbreviations was OK. The term was short for "oll korrect," a misspelling of "all correct." People thought misspelling all correct on purpose was humorous. Since then, people have continued to say "OK" as an easy way of confirming something. 

Say Cheese

"Say cheese!" Photographers use this simple phrase to command a smile from people. The "ch" and "ee" in "cheese" forces people's mouths into a smile when they say it. It was possibly made popular by an American newspaper article in 1943. The article offered a simple way to get an automatic smile: Say "cheese"!


Info Cloud

cheesy 代表很老套、很浮誇的意思

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, could we take a photo together? I want to post it to my social media. 

Sure. Why not? OK. 

Oh, no. My face looks so cheesy in this photo. 

Hmm. You don't have anything on your face. What do you mean? 

We say cheesy when something looks overdone, tacky or lame. I'm talking about my smile. It's too big and fake. 

Well, I think it looks fine. But while we're on the topic, let's talk more about the word cheesy. 

Anne Marie, what other things can be cheesy? 

Hmm. When I think of cheesy, I think of predictable movies, romance novels or overused costumes at Halloween. 

I have a good example. I wanted to get my wife a nice card, but all of the messages inside were too cheesy. I would never say those things in real life. 

Cheesy sometimes has a connotation of cheap as well. Like my favorite pair of big sunglasses, I love them, but everyone tells me they're too cheesy. 

當你跟外國朋友們聊天的時候，有時候會聽到 cheesy 這個字，或許你會以為他們是在形容跟 cheese 有關的食物，但通常不是那個意思。當你說一樣東西很 cheesy ，那就代表很老套、很浮誇的意思。My face looks cheesy in this photo. 我的臉部表情在這張照片看起來很誇張，也有點假假的。cheesy 也可以用來形容一件事情非常的老調牙，像是一段比較誇張的讚美，聽了可能會讓人翻白眼的那種，就可以用 cheesy 來形容。


Language Lab

misspelling n. 拼錯字
to spell (a word or name) incorrectly
- There is a misspelling in the news article.
那篇新聞報導裡有一個字拼錯。
- Alice is quick to find any misspelling because she used to be an editor.
Alice 能夠很快找到拼錯的字，她以前是一位編輯。
misspell v. 拼錯 
to spell (a word or name) incorrectly
- Erban didn’t do great on his essay, because he had misspelled a lot of words.
Erban 的作文分數不高，因為他拼錯很多字。 

humorous adj. 幽默的、滑稽的
causing laughter : funny
humor n. 幽默、幽默感
a funny or amusing quality
- Dereck has a strange sense of humor.
Dereck 的幽默感很奇怪。
- The children really enjoyed the movie because it was very humorous.
小朋友很喜歡那部電影，因為很滑稽好笑。
- Now is not the time to be humorous, we have a serious problem to discuss.
現在不是耍幽默的時候，我們有個很嚴重的問題要討論。 

command v. 指示  
to have and be able to use or control (something)
- The dog trainer uses hand signals to command a response from her dog.
訓練師用手勢來指示他要小狗做的動作。
command v.  命令 
to give (someone) an order : to tell (someone) to do something in a forceful and often official way
- The general commanded his man to start digging holes in the ground.
將軍命令他的下屬開始在地上挖洞。
command v. 指揮 
to have authority and control over (a group of people, such as soldiers)
- According to the record, this fort was once commanded by a notorious general.
根據記載，這個堡壘以前是有一位惡名昭彰的將軍指揮。 

automatic adj. 不自覺的 
happening or done without deliberate thought or effort
- If you asked Paul a question, his automatic response is “I don’t know.”
如果你問Paul一個問題，他會不自覺地回答不知道。
automatic adj. 自動的
of a machine or device : having controls that allow something to work or happen without being directly controlled by a person
- Gina used to take a lot of pictures with her automatic camera but now she just uses her phone.
Gina以前會用她的自動相機拍很多照片，但是她現在會用手機拍照。
automatic adj. 必然發生、自然而然
always happening because of a rule, law, previous agreement, etc.
- The school tries to attract students by promising automatic job replacement immediately after graduation.
那所學校為了吸引學生就讀，保證學生畢業後就直接被安排工作。

at the drop of a hat :
very quickly and immediately
- He says he's ready to help us at the drop of a hat.
- She loses her temper at the drop of a hat.

Just Four Seconds of Exercise (2)

Twenty seconds total exercise an hour sounds like nothing, but the data showed it made a big difference to the subjects' bodies. The next day they burned more fat and showed lower levels of triglycerides in their blood. In short, they didn't exhibit the usual ill effects of having sat all day. 

This study is small, but it's still both hopeful and relevant. "The results suggest that breaking up sitting with frequent, intense and extremely abbreviated exercise 'can undo' some of the adverse effects of being sedentary," explains Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times. 

And while the study used a special type of bike developed by sports scientists, the researchers feel similar results are obtainable with home exercise equipment. However, you may have to work for a few more seconds to reach the same level of intensity. Your goal should be to get your heart pumping to its maximum as quickly as possible.

The research still suggests an actionable takeaway. "When you find yourself sitting for most of the day, try to rise frequently and move, preferably intensely, as often during the day as possible and for as many seconds as you can manage," Reynolds concludes. That sounds doable. 

Info Cloud

backpedal 當有人答應你一件事情但又反悔  

Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Hey, Rex. What's wrong? You look upset today. 

I just got off the phone with my old friend Scott, and I'm disappointed. 

What happened? 

I'm moving this Saturday, and Scott promised weeks ago he would drive his SUV over and help me move. But he just called and backpedaled when I asked him what time he could come on Saturday. 

Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. It's disappointing when friends pull out of something they committed to doing with you. Let's talk about the phrase, to backpedal. OK. 

To backpedal means to not keep your promise or to do something different from what you said you would do. 

Yes. So Rex's friend backpedaled on his promise to help Rex move. The image comes from pedaling a bike in reverse, so you are going back instead of going forward. 

This phrase can also be used when someone changes an opinion or position they expressed before. Sometimes politicians backpedal from their original positions when they find it is no longer beneficial to advancing their careers. 

Good point. Let's get back to your move, Rex. I'll ask my husband if he can help you move this weekend. We have a van, and I assure you we will not backpedal.

當有人答應你一件事情但又反悔，你可以用 backpedal 來形容這個人的行為。backpedal 就是騎腳踏車的時候，踏板往後踩，不再往前騎了，這是用來形容一個人食言而肥。Scott promised he would help me move, but he backpedaled. Scott 答應要幫我搬家，但是他反悔了。backpedal 也形容一個人改變原本的立場，像是在政治人物的領域裡面，如果你改變了原先的主張，你就可以說: 他已經 backpedaled。

Language Lab

relevant adj. 有意義的、適宜的 
- Tony wanted to major in literature, but his parents didn’t think the subject was relevant.
Tony 想要主修文學，但是他父母不認為那個科目很適宜。
relevant adj.相關的、有關係的
relating to a subject in an appropriate way
Let’s not waste our time discussing issues that aren’t relevant to the topic.
我們不要浪費時間討論跟主題無關的問題。
- The man wants to talk to the police because he has information that might be relevant to the case.
那個人想聯絡警方，因為他有一些可能跟案情有關的資訊。 

undo v. 消除
to change or stop the effect of (something) : reverse
- Whenever the king makes a bad decision and creates trouble, the queen steps in and tries to undo the damage.
每當國王做不明智的決定，然後造成麻煩後，王后就會出來解決問題。
- Once you’ve made the decision, there is no turning back. This is something you cannot undo.
你一旦做了決定後，就再也回不去，這個決定是無法消除掉的。
undo v. 解扣、解開
to open or release (something) : to unfasten or loosen (something)
- I have trouble trying to undo the zipper on this jacket. Maybe I should have the zipper replaced.
這件夾克的拉鍊很難拉開，也許我應該把拉鍊換了。 

obtainable adj. 能夠得到、辦得到的 [obtain v. 得到 able adj. 能夠 ]
to gain or get (something) usually by effort
- Sea food is obtainable in the supermarkets here in the mountains but it is very expensive.
在山裡的超級市場是可以找到海鮮，但是會很貴。
- Those results are obtainable, but it will take a very long time.
想要得到那些成果是辦得到，可是需要花很多時間。
- Beef was not often obtainable, so a steak dinner was only for special occasions.
牛肉不容易取得，所以只能在很特殊的狀況吃牛排大餐。 

actionable adj. 可行的  
able to be used as a basis or reason for doing something
- It’s great you have a goal, but you need to come up with actionable steps to reach your goal.
有一個目標是好的，但是也需要列出可行的步驟來達到目標。
- There are all these great ideas out there, but what we need is actionable solutions.
到處都有很多很棒的想法，但是我們真正需要的是可行的解決辦法。
actionable adj. 可以起訴的 
law : giving a reason to bring an action or a lawsuit against someone
- Adrian is in trouble, because his company is involved in several actionable activities.
Adrian 麻煩大了，他的公司被捲入好幾項可被起訴的活動。

Just Four Seconds of Exercise (1)

New science offers an easy way to offset all the sitting
只要四秒鐘 一種彌補久坐缺點的 簡易運動法

Sitting around doing nothing used to seem like one of the safest activities possible. Then a few years ago scientists discovered that sitting all day causes a cascade of harmful metabolic changes that together increase your odds of meeting an early end. Even regular workouts didn't counteract the ill effects of having your butt in a chair all workday. Suddenly, sitting became public health enemy number one. 

New research offers a hopeful answer, finding that tiny bursts of intense activity are enough to protect your body from the worst effects of your couch-bound lifestyle. 

Could 20 seconds an hour of activity lengthen your life?

[A] study was conducted by scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. [The scientists] closely observed eight young, healthy volunteers as they sat around. On the first day of the experiment they simply lounged for six hours. On the second day they got up from their lazing each hour and engaged in five rounds of four seconds of intense exercise on a specialized exercise bike. 

Info Cloud

Just like riding a bike 一次學習，終身受用的益處。

Welcome to Info Cloud, friends. I'm a little nervous. I will need to give a short speech in Spanish at the local university I teach at next Monday. 

Why in Spanish? How did you get roped into giving a speech in Spanish in Asia?

Well, I teach English at the university once a week. I bumped into the head of the Spanish Department last week, and we chatted. I told him I took Spanish classes in high school. 

So he invited you to give a talk? 

Yes, to the incoming freshman class. But I haven't used Spanish in years. 

Don't worry. It will come back to you because it's like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget. 

I sure hope so, but I'm not so sure. But that is a useful idiom. 

"Just like riding a bike" means once you have learned or done something, you never forget. Like riding a bike, once you learned to ride a bike, you can get on a bike many years later and still be able to ride it. 

I sure hope I still remember all those words in Spanish I learned years ago. I hope giving my speech will be just like riding a bike. 

我們都知道學習是永無止境的，不過有些事情一旦學會了，就很難忘記。英文有一句很有趣的用語: just like riding a bike，就是在形容這種一次學習，終身受用的益處。Just like riding a bike 字面上是就像騎腳踏車一樣，這是用來表達一旦學會了，你一輩子都不會忘記。例如，Sarah 小時候練過鋼琴，長大之後再次彈奏，還是可以彈得很好，你可以說: It’s just like riding a bike!

Language Lab

offset  v. 抵銷、彌補
to cancel or reduce the effect of (something) : to create an equal balance between two things
- The hilltop shabby interior was offset by the magnificent view.
山頂餐廳的壯麗景觀彌補了簡陋室內裝潢的不足。
- The appliance’s durability has offset its expensive price tag.
這個家庭電器的耐久性抵銷了它昂貴的價錢。
- You just had a two-hour workout and you want to offset that with a pizza dinner?
你去吃披薩大餐會把你運動兩個小時的成果都抵銷掉。 

cascade n. 瀑布群裡的小瀑布 
/kæˈskeɪd/
a small, steep waterfall
- The cascades might not look dangerous, but it is slippery around there, so be careful.
小瀑布群看起來不危險，但是那裡周遭非常濕滑，要小心。
cascade n.  一連串的東西或是狀況
a large amount of something that flows or hangs down
- No one knew there was a garden behind the wall because a cascade of ivy has covered up everything.
沒有人知道牆後面，因為如瀑布般的常春藤把一切都遮蓋起來。
cascade v. 像瀑布流水那樣落下
to flow or hang down in large amounts
- The bag of rice got knocked over, and rice cascaded off the kitchen counter.
那包米被打翻，結果米就像瀑布一樣從廚房檯面下流下來。 

lounge n.  等候室、休息廳  
a room with comfortable furniture for relaxing: such as a : a comfortable room where people can spend time while they are waiting in an airport or other public place
- Our guests are waiting for us in the lounge.
我們的客人在休息廳等我們。
lounge v. 很悠哉地做事或懶散地靠著、躺著 
to sit or lie in a relaxed way
- I was planning to go out and clean the yard, but I ended up lounging in the house.
我本來打算出去清理院子，結果最後還是懶懶地待在屋內。
lounge v. 悠閒地度過時光 
to spend time resting or relaxing
- Ivan just lounged through the whole weekend.
Ivan 整個周末就很悠閒地度過。 

specialized adj. 專門的 (專門為某一種狀況特別設計的) 
made or used for one particular purpose, job, place, etc.
- After Mr. Swanson had a stroke, his family had to get him a specialized wheelchair.
Swanson 先生中風後，他的家人給他找到一台專門為中風患者設計的輪椅。
specialized adj. 受過特別訓練而成為專科的
- Kenny is a personal trainer who works with cancer patients; his specialized skills have helped a lot of people.
Kenny 是一位服務癌症病患的私人教練，他的專科技術幫了許多人。
specialized adj. 跟專科有關的 
- It’s impossible to teach all these specialized terms in one afternoon.
要在一個下午教這些所有的專科術語是不可能的。

Kimonos (2)

Kimonos declined in popularity during the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) as the Japanese adopted Western clothing in the effort to create a modern, industrialized state. Men were encouraged to wear Western styles during daily life, and Western clothing was required for official functions. During that time, the image of graceful women in kimonos came to represent a connection to traditional Japanese culture and values.

Today, the kimono is experiencing a revival. Japanese youth are starting to wear kimonos to festivals and everyday events. Foreign visitors to Japan can also try them on as they visit historic sites. A group called Kimono Jack organizes events where large numbers of people appear in public places wearing kimonos. 

They tend to ignore strict rules about how kimonos should be worn, encouraging people to take joy in the kimonos' stunning colors and patterns. These events have taken place in several different countries, connecting people from around the world who are interested in kimonos.

Wearing a kimono has become a way for Japanese youth to connect with their history, as well as to express their individuality. Perhaps soon the streets of Japan will once again be filled with people in kimonos just as they were centuries ago.

Info Cloud

march to the beat of your own drum 你跟大家的節奏不同，你有自己的節奏，自己走自己的

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, I saw you talking to John earlier. What were you talking about? 

Current events. I enjoy talking to him because his opinions aren't conventional. He thinks in a different way than most people do. 

It sounds like John marches to the beat of his own drum. Let's talk about that phrase today. 

We use this phrase to describe someone who doesn't conform to social standards, someone who enjoys being different marches to the beat of their own drum. 

You could say Erika's clothes don't follow current fashion trends. She marches to the beat of her own drum. 

So, Anne Marie, in the example you just used, it sounds like a positive thing. Can this phrase ever be used in a negative way? 

Sure it can. People who march to the beat of their own drum sometimes forget to take others into consideration. Some people might even feel that they are weird or odd. 

It may seem like Steven is rude. But don't take his comments to heart. He just marches to the beat of his own drum. 

How about you? Do you march to the beat of your own drum? 

如果你不喜歡跟隨群眾的腳步隨波逐流，或許可以用今天介紹的用語 march to the beat of your own drum 來形容自己。march 是遊行或是行軍，遊行隊伍經常用鼓聲來打拍子，指揮所有人的腳步。march to the beat of your own drum 就是跟著自己的鼓聲來前進，意思就是你跟大家的節奏不同，你有自己的節奏，自己走自己的。

Do you march to the beat of your own drum? 你是不是比較特立獨行呢? 當然，march to the beat of your own drum 可以是正面的-- 堅持做對的事情，也可以是負面的- 不合群或是不喜歡遵守規定。 

Language Lab

decline v. 減少、降低 
to become lower in amount or less in number
- After the sixteenth century, the empire’s power started to decline.
十六世紀後，帝國的權威逐漸衰退。
decline v. 拒絕、謝絕 
to say that you will not or cannot do something
- Because Mr. Jackson had too many things to do, he had to decline the dinner invitation.
Jackson 先生因為有太多事情要處理，所以只好謝絕邀請。
- Martha declined to answer the reporters’ questions.
Martha 拒絕回答記者們的問題。

revival n. 復興、復甦 
a period in which something becomes popular again after a long period of time;
the growth of something or an increase in the activity of something after a long period of no growth or activity
- There has been a revival of trade between the two countries.
這兩國之間的貿易有復甦。
- Thanks to that art exhibit, there is now a revival of that style of artwork.
現在那種藝術風格得以復興都要歸功於那個藝術展覽。
revival n. 戲劇、歌劇、舞台劇影片的重演
the showing of a play, a movie, etc., to the public usually many years after it was last shown : a new production of an old show
- Rumor has it the famous director’s next project is a revival of a Hitchcock movie.
聽說那位名導演的下一部片子是重演希區考克的電影。

stunning adj. 非常漂亮的 
very beautiful or pleasing
- I want to take a photo because the view is absolutely stunning.
我想要拍照，因為這裡的風景實在是太漂亮了。
- The bride looked stunning in her wedding dress.
新娘子穿著婚紗實在是太美麗了。
stunning adj. 震驚的
very surprising or shocking
- We didn’t know what to say when we heard the stunning news.
我們聽到令人震驚的消息後，都不知道該說什麼。
stunning adj. 讚不絕口、讓人印象深刻 
- The pianist gave a stunning performance in the concert hall.
鋼琴家在演奏廳裡的表演令人嘆為觀止。 

individuality n. 個人特質
 /ˌɪndəˌvɪʤəˈwæləti/
the quality that makes one person or thing different from all others
- The designs weren’t ugly, but they lacked individuality.
那些設計不難看，但是缺乏個人風格。
- In the process of trying to express their individuality through fashion trends, these kids all end up looking the same.
年經人透過時尚表達個人特質，結果他們看起來都變成一樣的。
- Lana claims her choice of clothes is an expression of her individuality.
Lana 說他所選的衣著是為了表達他的個人特質。

Kimonos (1)

This beautiful traditional clothing is returning to the streets of Japan
和服之美 傳統優雅服飾 美麗重現日本

The kimono, a garment with a long history, has always been associated with traditional Japanese culture. Yet now it is making a comeback because more and more people are seeking to bring back its status as everyday clothing. 

Worn by both women and men, kimonos are long robes with wide sleeves. They are wrapped around one's body and held in place by a belt called an obi.

The kimono was popular during the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. This time of political stability and economic growth followed centuries of civil war. This time of political stability and economic growth followed centuries of civil war. High-class samurai, who had traditionally made a name for themselves through combat, turned instead to clothing to demonstrate their status through beautiful materials in bright colors. 

But the growing merchant class, who were of lower status, began to develop new kimono styles during the Edo period. These merchants showed off their growing wealth by wearing kimonos of distinctive patterns and materials. The upper classes responded with laws forbidding merchants from wearing certain colors and using materials such as silk. So the merchants turned to using subtle details such as patterns of delicate lines to add beauty to kimonos that initially appeared plain. 

Info Cloud

Japanese words that English has borrowed

Konnichiwa, everyone. Welcome to Info Cloud. 

Uh, Rex, what did you just say? 

I said hello in Japanese. 

Oh. No wonder I didn't understand you. 

Today we are talking about Japanese words that English has borrowed. 

There are more than you might think. 

English borrows words from other languages and cultures all the time. 

They are usually nouns that describe something originating in that country. 

There are foods like sushi, wasabi and teriyaki, a sweet Japanese barbecue sauce. 

There are types of weather like the typhoon and tsunami, which is a huge tidal wave. 

There are also some types of art that come from Japan. They are now popular all around the world. 

Origami is the art of folding paper like the paper crane. 

And a haiku is a special type of Japanese poem. It only has three lines. 

And each line has a certain number of syllables. The first and last line have five syllables each, and the second line has seven. You can try to write one in English. 

It's a great way to practice. Let me try writing a haiku about what we learned today. Sushi, wasabi, Japanese food is so fun to say and to eat. 

很多人不知道其實英文也有很多外來語，今天就跟大家介紹一個從日本來的英文外來語，最受歡迎的當然就是 sushi 壽司、wasabi 芥末還有 teriyaki 照燒，聽到是不是口水快要流出來了呢? 除了食物之外，跟天氣有關的 typhoon 颱風和 tsunami 海嘯，其實都是從日語來的。在藝術和文學方面，origami 就是日本的摺紙藝術，haiku 是日本的三行俳句詩，這種詩通常只有三句話，第一和第三句話只有五個音節，第二句則有七個音節，用英文也可以寫出 haiku 的詩。以上介紹的這些生字，都是英語系國家經常用到的外來語。

Language Lab

comeback n. 捲土重來、再一次流行起來  
a return to being popular or fashionable
- Do you think the large hairdos of the 1980s will ever make a comeback?
你認為80年代的大髮型會不會重新流行起來呢?
comeback n. 東山再起
a new effort to win or succeed after being close to defeat or failure
- The actress has not been in any movies for a very long time, but she is thinking of making a comeback.
那位女演員已經好久沒有演戲了，不過她打算要東山再起。
comeback n. 反敗為勝
- Everyone had thought the team was going to lose, but then they made an incredible comeback.
大家都以為那個球隊會打輸，結果他們竟然能夠反敗為勝。
comeback n. 反駁、回嘴
a quick reply or response
- Aaron couldn’t think of a good comeback so he chose to stay silent.
Aaron 因為不知該如何反駁，所以選擇保持沉默。 

combat n. 鬥爭、格鬥  
active fighting especially in a war
- Andrew is an army officer and he has a lot of experiences in combat.
Andrew 是一位軍官，他有不少戰鬥的經驗。
combat n. 雙方之間的爭奪
- What started out as an innocent debate between two students turned into an intense verbal combat.
那兩位同學原本只是再辯論，結果變成激烈的口角之爭。
combat v. 打擊  
to try to stop (something) from happening or getting worse
- The mayor promised the public that he would do his best to combat the issues of crime. 
市長對民眾承諾他會盡最大努力來打擊犯罪。 

distinctive adj. 獨特的、跟其他的不一樣的
having a quality or characteristic that makes a person or thing different from others : different in a way that is easy to notice
- Linda decided to buy the rugs because of their distinctive patterns.
Linda 決定要買下那幾張地毯，因為他們有獨特的圖案。
- Although Mitch didn’t have a lot of work experiences, he was able to get a job because of his distinctive personality.
Mitch 雖然沒有很多工作經驗，但是因為他的獨特個性，所以能夠找到工作。
- Only members of the royal family were allowed to wear that distinctive robe.
只有皇家成員能夠穿上那獨特的衣袍。

subtle  adj. 不明顯、不容易被注意到 
/ˈsʌtl̟/ [有 b 這個字母，但不發音]
hard to notice or see : not obvious
- I didn’t think the cake was that good; the flavor was too subtle.
我不認為蛋糕有那麼好吃，味道太淡了。
subtle  adj. 很細、細到很難察覺
- There is a difference between these two products, but the difference is very subtle.
這兩個產品不一樣，但是之間的不同是非常細微的。
subtle  adj. 東西非常精巧、微妙的 
clever and indirect : not showing your real purpose
- The queen was very wise and knew how to make subtle suggestions to the stubborn king.
皇后很有智慧，知道該如何給頑固的國王微妙的建議。

Black Beauty (2)

Now that Beauty's knees are permanently scarred, he is no longer considered suitable for a wealthy estate. So he becomes a horse for hire, which is a difficult life. He is eventually sold to Jerry Barker, a cab driver in London. Barker is a first-rate cabbie and loves horses. He helps Beauty adapt to the disheartening life of a London cab horse. Then Jerry becomes severely ill and retires to the country. Beauty is sold to another series of owners who work him very hard. 

He meets Ginger again on the London streets, but she has been so cruelly treated that she dies. Beauty later sees her body on a cart and mourns her. Beauty himself is nearly dead from overwork and injury. But a kindly veterinarian nurses him back to health and then sells him. A kind grandfather and his grandson buy Beauty and care for him before selling him to two ladies who live in the country. As their groom cleans him up, he recognizes Black Beauty! It is Beauty's old friend Joe! Beauty enjoys a wonderful life in his final years. 

Info Cloud

horsing around 胡鬧

chomping at the bit  形容一個人很毛躁，想要趕快開始

Welcome to Info Cloud. Let's get started. There's no time to waste. 

Wow, Anne Marie, you're really chomping at the bit today. 

That's because I'm excited about today's lesson. 

OK, OK, fine. No horsing around. 

Both idioms we just said have something to do with an animal: a horse. 

Horsing around means playing in a way that is a little rough. 

Like an animal. Say students are running around the classroom, the teacher might remind them not to horse around. 

What about chomping at the bit? What does that have to do with horses? 

Well, a bit is a piece of metal that goes in a horse's mouth to control it. 

So if you think about horses at the beginning of a race, they are ready to go. They are impatient. They are chomping at the bit. 

Exactly. So this idiom describes someone who is eager to get started at something. 

You might also hear this idiom as "champing at the bit," spelled with an A. The racer is champing at the bit to become the champion. 

This is the original form of the word. But chomp, with an O, is more commonly used today. 

Both mean to chew or bite noisily. But whether you are champing or chomping at the bit, we hope you're excited to learn English. 

今天跟大家介紹的兩個用語都跟馬兒有關係，第一個是 horsing around，也就是胡鬧的意思。我們都知道當馬兒太興奮、失控的時候，情況就會有一點混亂。當有人正在 horsing around，那就代表他正在搗亂。No horsing around! The class is starting. 不要胡鬧，要開始上課了。

當有人很興奮地想要開始做一件事情，快要按耐不住的時候，那就要用 chomping at the bit 來形容，bit 是馬兒咬的那一根嚼口，當馬兒準備要往前衝之前，通常會很興奮地、不斷地咬住嚼口，因此，chomping at the bit 就用來形容一個人很毛躁，想要趕快開始。You’re really chomping at the bit today! 你今天有點毛躁，太興奮了喔!

Language Lab

dishearten v. 讓人很沮喪
to cause (a person or group of people) to lose hope, enthusiasm, or courage : to discourage (someone)
- Nothing could dishearten Tristan; he was determined to win.
沒有任何事會讓Tristan洩氣，他已決定非贏不可。
- Don’t dishearten the children with the bad news right now; we’ll let them know later.
不要現在把壞消息跟孩子們講，讓他們沮喪，我們晚一點再讓他們知道。
- Irene was a little disheartened when she heard she didn’t get the job.
Irene 得知沒有被錄取，而感到有一點沮喪。 

severely adv. 嚴重地 
very bad, serious, or unpleasant
- Ruby was in a car accident and was severely injured.
Ruby 出車禍，傷得很嚴重。
- The children in the refugee camps were severely malnourished.
難民營裡的小朋友們都嚴重地缺乏營養。 
severely adv. 很嚴厲地
- Tyler was severely punished when his parents found out he had been stealing.
當 Tyler 的父母得知他偷竊的行為後，就很嚴厲地懲罰他。 

mourn v. 因某人過世而哀傷悼念
to feel or show great sadness because someone has died
- In many countries, people wear black to show they are mourning.
在許多國家，人們穿黑色服裝來表示他們在哀悼。
- In some cultures, it is not acceptable to overly mourn a family member’s passing.
在某一些文化裡，家人過世後不可以非常明顯地為他們哀悼。
- Carla lost her daughter many years ago, and she is still silently mourning for that child.
Carla 多年前失去了女兒，直到如今他還是在默默地悼念那個孩子。 

overwork n. 工作超量  [over - 超過/ work- 工作] 
to work too hard;
to work on (something) too much
- If you combine overwork with low pay, you will discourage any employee.
如果你把工作過量跟低薪連在一起，每位員工都會感到沮喪。
overwork v. 工作超量
- The donkey was overworked and suddenly collapsed.
那匹驢子因為過於勞累，而突然倒下。
- The workers are on strike because they’ve been overworked and never paid.
工人在罷工，因為工作過量卻從來都沒拿到薪水。

Black Beauty (1)

A touching lesson in animal welfare narrated by a horse
黑神駒 從馬兒的角度看動物福利

The story begins right after the birth of Black Beauty, who narrates his own story. He tells of growing up with his mother as she teaches him important life lessons. She tells him to do good, always give his best effort and everything will work out. Beauty learns that humans can be great friends or cruel enemies. He realizes that not all horses are as well cared for and happy as he is. 

Beauty is trained to wear a saddle and bridle and carry a rider. He is sold to Squire Gordon of Birtwick Park. He spends some of the happiest years of his life at Birtwick. He becomes close friends with two other horses in the estate's stable, Ginger and Merrylegs. And he loves his groom, Joe. But sadness comes when Squire Gordon's wife becomes ill. Her doctor says that she must move to a warmer climate, so Squire Gordon sells his estate and horses. Beauty is then sold to a series of owners who neglect him. One night a drunk groom causes Beauty to fall. The fall kills the groom and scars Beauty for life. 

Info Cloud

Put up and tie up

Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. My daughter is growing so much recently. And her hair is growing, too. I love that I'm finally able to try different hairstyles on her. 

How about you share some vocabulary about hairstyles with us today? 

Great idea, Rex. If we are styling hair up, the verbs we use for this action are: put your hair up or tie your hair up. Put up and tie up. 

What is the end result of putting your hair up? 

Well, if it's tied together in one place, we call that a ponytail. 

A pony like a horse? Oh, I guess it does look like a pony's tail. I've seen little girls wear their hair in two ponytails on both sides of their head. What are those called? 

Those are called pigtails. Let me guess, because they look like a pig's tail? 

Exactly. Let's talk about what we use to secure these hairstyles. 

This I know. My daughter has many hair ties and hair clips at home. 

Some people even call those special rubber bands ponytail holders. My personal favorite, however, is the scrunchie. When I want to tie my hair up, the scrunchie is my go-to accessory. 

今天要跟大家分享一些跟綁頭髮有關的用語，首先 put your hair up 把頭髮磐起來，跟 tie your hair up 把頭髮綁起來，在英文都是一樣的意思。

如果後面綁一搓馬尾，那就是 ponytail, pony 是小馬的意思；如果是頭的兩邊各綁了一搓馬尾，那就是 pigtails，字面上是豬尾巴，因為有些人覺得那看起來像是豬尾巴的形狀。

另外，hair tie 是髮帶，hair clips 是髮夾，有些人會把綁頭髮的橡皮筋統稱為 ponytail holders 馬尾固定器。最後，那些被設計的很漂亮的髮束則是叫做 scrunchie。

Language Lab

saddle n. 馬鞍   
a leather-covered seat that is put on the back of a horse — see picture at horse
- Arnie is learning to put a saddle on the horse.
Arnie 在學習如何把馬鞍套在馬背上。
in the saddle ph. 控制、掌控
in control : in a position to decide what happens
- Richard might be in charge right now, but he won’t be in the saddle for too long.
現在所有事也許都由Richard 負責，但他很快就要失去控制權。
back in the saddle ph. 回到以前的工作、之前所做的事
- After being sick for several months, Anthony is back in the saddle again.
Anthony 生了好幾個月的病後，又回到工作崗位上。 

bridle n. 馬轡、馬勒   
 /ˈbraɪdl̟/
a device that fits on a horse's head and that is used for guiding and controlling the horse
- It was difficult for Angela to put the bridle on the horse.
要把馬勒裝上馬，對Angela 來說是很難的事。
bridle n.  意志
- Dwayne was very careless with his money until his parents put a bridle on his spending habits.
Dwayne 很會亂花錢，所以他的父母嚴厲控制他亂花錢的習慣。
bridle v. 把馬勒套上
to put a bridle on (a horse) — sometimes used figuratively
- Evan noticed something was wrong with the horse as he was bridling it.
Evan 再把馬勒套在馬的時候，有注意到馬有一點怪怪的。 

groom n. 新郎  
a man who has just married or is about to be married
groom n. 馬伕、一位專門照顧馬匹的人  
a person who takes care of horses
- Clarence wanted to own some horses, but he would also need to hire a groom to care of them.
Clarence 想養幾匹馬，但是他也就需要一位馬伕來幫忙照顧。
groom v. 做動物美容 
to clean and care for (an animal)
- The dogs are all groomed before the dog show begins.
在小狗表演之前，每隻狗都做了寵物美容。
groom v. 訓練、培訓 
to prepare (someone) for a particular job or position
- The princess was being groomed to become the next ruler because she was the king’s only child.
公主被訓練成為下一位統治者，因為她是王唯一的後裔。 

scar  n. 疤痕  
a mark that is left on your skin after a wound heals
- The scar on my knee is from a motorcycle accident.
我膝蓋上的疤痕是因為摩托車車禍所造成的。
scar  n.心裡方面的傷痕
a feeling of great emotional pain or sadness that is caused by a bad experience and that lasts for a long time
- For Mark, losing both of his parents at a very young age left a huge emotional scar.
從小就失去雙親給Mark心裡留下很深的傷痕。
scar  v. 留下疤痕 
to mark (something) with a scar
- His arms were scarred by a terrible skin disease.
嚴重的皮膚病造成他的兩隻手到處都是傷痕。

Exploring Ecuador (1)

Enjoy a historic city and some unusual islands
深入探索──厄瓜多 流連拉丁美洲歷史文化與自然生態交錯之美

In 1978 the city of Quito and the Galapagos Islands became two of the twelve original UNESCO World Heritage sites. UNESCO chose Quito "as the best-preserved and least-altered historic city center in Latin America." They chose the Galapagos as a "unique living museum" that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded by the Spanish in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. It sits at an altitude of 2850 meters and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes.

The best place to begin a visit may be in the historic city center, Quito's Old Town. Despite many earthquakes over the years, this area has changed very little since the 16th century. Its buildings combine Spanish, Italian, Moorish and Flemish styles with native influences. At the heart of Old Town lies Plaza Grande, a busy, beautiful square surrounded by buildings from colonial times. Try walking down La Ronda, a famous nearby street, and enjoy the shops and cafes.

While in Quito, don't miss the cable car to the top of Pichincha volcano and the city-wide view.

Info Cloud

Hi, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I've been thinking about earthquakes as there was a sizable one last night. Did you feel last night's earthquake? Yes. It was a big one. It happened around 3 a.m. and woke me up. I was shaken to the core and could not sleep the rest of the night. I'm sorry to hear that. It was a stronger quake than usual. But we do have many earthquakes in Asia. Are there any earthquakes where you come from? I come from Ohio and had never experienced earthquakes until I moved to Asia. Oh, that makes sense, then. I can understand why you feel shaken to the core. Students, people say this phrase when they feel extremely shocked or surprised by something. Yes, it definitely gave me a big scare. I wasn't expecting it at all. You raised a good point. It is the things that we don't expect that shake us to the core the most. I guess earthquakes are something I need to get used to if I'm going to live here a long time. It won't do to constantly feel shaken to the core. 

當你碰到一件令你震驚或震撼的事情，你可以用 shaken to the core 來形容你的狀態。I was shaken to the core by that earthquake. 那場地震讓我感到很震驚。shaken 有撼動的涵義，to the core 是直達核心，shaken to the core 就是深深地被震驚。基本上，shaken to the core 是在形容一種相當恐懼的狀態，這個用語並不是在形容興奮或是亢奮的狀態，而是比較極度害怕的那一種負面情緒。

Language Lab

...

Does Birth Order Determine Your Personality? (2)

Youngest child - The "Baby" 

By the time the youngest family member is born, most parents have loosened their rules. Not as much is expected of the "babies," and they tend to have more freedom. They often enjoy amusing others and being the center of attention. They are typically fun-loving, creative people who aren't afraid to question authority or take risks. Famous youngest children include Jennifer Lawrence, Zhang Ziyi and Yo-Yo Ma. 

Only child - The "King of the Castle"

Life in the family of an only child often revolves around him or her. A single child doesn't have to share their toys or their parents' time. An only child enjoys learning from adults and is usually very clever for his or her age. Only children are creative and intelligent and can easily converse with adults. They are typically confident, independent and very successful. Famous only children include Tiger Woods, Jackie Chan and Li Na.

What about you? Does the birth order description match your personality?

Info Cloud

I wasn’t born yesterday.

Welcome to Info Cloud, friends. I was helping my daughter with her homework last night, and I discovered something. Anne Marie, did you know that tomatoes are really a fruit, not a vegetable? 

Of course I know that, Rex. I wasn't born yesterday. 

Wow. You don't have to be upset about it. 

Don't worry, I'm not mad. I just wanted to give our students an example of how to use today's phrase. I get it. 

See, a baby born yesterday is very new in the world. He doesn't know anything except for eating and sleeping. 

When someone says, "I wasn't born yesterday," they are implying that something is obvious. It could be because they feel slightly offended that you would doubt their knowledge, or it could be said as a little joke. 

Do you know how to find your way around the Taipei Metro system? 

Of course I do! I wasn't born yesterday. You could also say that someone was born yesterday as an insult, like this: 

Can you believe Levi insulted our boss like that? You'd think he was born yesterday. As for me, I was a little offended that Rex thought I didn't know that fact about tomatoes. After all, I wasn't born yesterday. 

當有人問一些很簡單的問題，例如: 你知道番茄算是水果不是蔬菜嗎? 被問的人可能會有點生氣的回答: I wasn’t born yesterday. 我不是昨天才出生的，我當然知道啊。I wasn’t born yesterday. 是在表達我不是什麼三歲小孩，什麼都不懂，你問我這個問題，簡單到好像在污辱我。除了自我防衛之外，有些人也會用這句話來攻擊別人。Levi easily fell for our prank. It’s as if he was born yesterday. Levi 看起來好像昨天才出生的，很容易就被我們捉弄了。

Language Lab

loosen v. 放鬆、放開之前比較嚴格的制度或要求 
to become or to cause (something) to become less strict
- The park service has agreed to loosen the regulations within the park.
公園管理局同意放寬公園內的規則。
- The king gradually loosened his control over his kingdom.
國王慢慢地放鬆他對他王國的掌控。
loosen v. 放鬆、放開很緊的東西
to make (something) less tight or firm : to make (something) loose or looser
- My shoes feel tight; let me loosen the shoelaces a bit.
我的鞋子覺得很緊，我要把鞋帶放鬆一點。
- Terry had trouble breathing, so he quickly loosened his necktie.
Terry 呼吸困難，所以他趕緊把領帶弄鬆。 

amuse v. 製造歡樂、讓人家感到開心
to make someone laugh or smile : to entertain (someone) in a light and pleasant way
- We were all laughing at the dinner table as Uncle John amused us with funny stories.
我們一起吃晚飯的時候，一直在笑，因為John 叔叔一直跟我們講好笑的故事。
- Dennis was acting like a clown, but I was not amused.
Dennis 動作像一個小丑一樣，可是我一點都不覺得好笑。
amuse v. 提供消遣 
to get the attention of (someone) in a pleasant way as time passes
- Paul amuses himself by working on crossword puzzles.
Paul 玩填字遊戲，來當作消遣。
- The old ladies at the park like to amuse themselves with the latest gossip.
公園裡的老太太們會拿最新八卦來當作消遣。 

revolve v. 環繞著  
to turn around a center point or line : rotate
- The moon revolves around the Earth.
月球繞著地球轉。
- Andrew is so self-centered; he acts as if the whole world revolves around him.
Andrew 非常以他自己為中心，好像全世界都環繞著他一樣。
- The children should not be playing around the revolving door; it’s not safe.
小朋友不應該在旋轉門那裡玩，那裡不安全。
revolve around (someone or something) 注重在、主要在於  
to have (someone or something) as a main subject or interest
- The writer’s stories are all about the same; they all revolve around the theme of courage.
那位作家的每一本書都差不多，都跟勇氣的主題有關。 

intelligent adj.  非常聰明的、理解力非常強的  
having or showing the ability to easily learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations : having or showing a lot of intelligence
- Many scientists would say dolphins are very intelligent animals.
很多科學家認為海豚是很聰明的動物。
- We need someone who is intelligent enough to understand this problem and creative enough to come up with a solution.
我們需要一位理解力很強的人來了解這個問題，而且他還要很有創意地想出解決的辦法。
intelligence n. 智力
the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations
- The researchers are testing the intelligence of the chimpanzee.
研究人員在測試黑猩猩的智力。
- The queen was a woman of great intelligence, and she governed her kingdom wisely.
女王是一位非常聰明的女人，她很有智慧地治理她的王國。

Does Birth Order Determine Your Personality? (1)

Where do you fit into your family’s birth order?
出生順序心理學 你在家中排老幾？！

Within your family, are you the "boss," the "peacemaker," the "baby" or the "king"? Many researchers believe your position in the family influences your personality.

Firstborn - The "Boss"

First-time parents often have very high expectations for their eldest children. As a result, these kids are often responsible, organized, bossy, successful achievers.

Firstborns tend to be natural leaders who respect and trust authority. Many astronauts and engineers are firstborn children. Famous firstborns include Neil Armstrong, the first person on the moon. Also on the list are Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare and Beyonce. 

Middle child - The "Peacemaker"

Typically, parents don't give middle children as much attention as the firstborn or the youngest. That often causes middle kids to feel a bit neglected. As a result, they are usually determined to achieve success in their own way. 

They don't like conflict and will try to avoid it. They are often realistic, independent, patient peacemakers and good communicators. Famous middle children include Jeremy Lin, Bill Gates and Ang Lee.

Info Cloud

third wheel / fifth wheel 指那個多餘的人

Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. Last night I went to see a movie with two of my good friends. I was really looking forward to it, but I just felt left out the entire time. 

Well, you know, those two you're talking about just started dating. It's easy to feel like a third wheel around people like that. It won't feel that way forever. But while we're on that topic, let's discuss "third wheel". 

Good idea. It is an interesting phrase. Sometimes people will say "fifth wheel," too. Do you know the origin? 

I do. Most vehicles have either two or four wheels. The third one or the fifth one is extra - and I hate to say it - useless and wanted. 

Yeah. That's just how I felt around my two dating friends: totally useless and unwanted. Can this phase be used in situations other than when two people are dating? 

Yes. No one likes to play on the playground with Cindy and Hannah. They make everyone else feel like a third wheel. It's not a good feeling. Students, remember, calling someone a third or fifth wheel means you feel they are not necessary to the group or are unwanted. 

How about you, students? Have you ever felt like a third wheel? 

當一對情侶在一起的時候，出現了另外一位朋友，我們通常會說他是電燈泡，英文可以用 third wheel 或 fifth wheel 來形容那多出來的人。third wheel 或 fifth wheel 分別是第三或第五個輪子，這世界上的交通工具通常不是兩輪就是四輪，如果出現 third wheel 或 fifth wheel 那就完全沒有用處。因此，third wheel 或 fifth wheel 就是指那個多餘的人。I felt like a third wheel around my two dating friends. 我在那兩位正在交往的朋友身邊，感覺好像是多餘的人。

Language Lab

peacemaker n. 一位調解人、使人和好的人
a person who helps to prevent or stop an argument, a fight, or a war
- Andy has two older brothers and two younger sisters, and he has always been the peacemaker in the family. 
Andy 有兩位哥哥及兩位妹妹，他在他們家老是扮演調解人。
- When people get into arguments, Carl is always the peacemaker.
當人們之間有爭議的時候，Carl 往往是調解人。
- Because the tribe leader is a peacemaker, people go to him whenever there is a problem.
因為部落的領袖是調解人，所以誰有什麼問題就會去找他調解。 

achiever n. 有成就的人   
a person who achieves success : a successful person
achieve v. 成就、達成
to get or reach (something) by working hard
- We hope to achieve our goals by the end of this year.
我們希望在年底可以達到目標。
- Every single student in this class is a high achiever.
這個班裡的每一位同學都是成績很好的人。
high achiever n. 成績優秀的人
hardworking and successful
low achiever n. 成就不怎麼樣的人
an unsuccessful person who does not work hard
- The boss wanted to fire every single worker who was a low achiever.
老闆打算解雇每一位績效不彰的員工。 

neglect v. 疏忽、忽視   
to fail to take care of or to give attention to (someone or something)
- How could Richard have neglected to tell us that important detail.
Richard 怎麼會漏了告訴我們那個重要的細節呢?
- Marlene didn’t mean to neglect her guests; she suddenly had an important phone call to make.
Marlene 不是故意要忽視她的客人，她只是突然有一個很重要的電話要打。
neglect n. 疏忽、忽視   
lack of attention or care that someone or something needs
- The neighbor’s yard used to be very neat, but now it is in complete neglect.
鄰居的院子本來保持得很整齊，但是現在完全被忽視。
- The poor dog was kept in a cage and suffered from neglect.
可憐的小狗被關在籠子裡遭受忽視。

communicator n. 溝通者 
communicate v. 溝通
to give information about (something) to someone by speaking, writing, moving your hands, etc.
- The company is looking for someone who is an effective communicator to lead its public relations department.
公司在尋找一位溝通能力強的人，來擔任公關部主管。
- James is often misunderstood because he is not a good communicator.
James 常常被誤會，因為他不是一位善於溝通的人。
communicator n. 溝通電子產品
- In a lot of sci-fi movies, the characters use fancy communicators to talk to each other.
在很多科幻片裡，裡面的角色用很炫的溝通器彼此通話。
- The communicator is not broken; it just needs a new battery.
通訊器沒有壞掉，只是需要一顆新的電池而已。

Want to Be a Better Job Interviewer? Start Mirroring (2)

Mirroring is a conversational technique that establishes rapport, helps others open up and lets you get past the canned 
「鏡像模仿」幫你找到對的人這種談話技巧能建立融洽關係、助人敞開心胸、讓人不再制式回應

Do that, and you accomplish at least two things. One, you show you're actually listening. Two, you show you want to know more... and the candidate will give you more. As Voss says, "People love to be mirrored. They love to be encouraged to go on."

Mirroring sounds more conversational. Asking follow-up questions is important but can seem interrogative: "What did you do next?" "How did that turn out?" 

Each also sounds potentially judgmental. What the candidate did, how things turned out - the answers could be positive or negative.

But mirroring takes "judgment" out of the equation. Mirroring says, "That's interesting. Tell me more." 

Say you ask a sales candidate to describe the toughest sales call she ever made. 

Candidate: "... but I pushed through."

You: "Pushed through?"

Candidate: "... until I realized what his real needs were."

You: "His real needs?"

Keep mirroring and you'll learn how the candidate navigated the call, built rapport, dealt with rejection, found the right strategy, etc. 

By repeating the last three or four words the candidate says, you'll turn what could have been a question-and-answer session into an engaging conversation. And get a better sense of their motivation, outlook and cultural fit. 

Info Cloud

spill the tea / spill the gossip / spill the beans 形容分享祕密

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Info Cloud. Anne Marie, I heard a really big secret this morning, and I've been dying to tell you. 

Rex, what are you waiting for? Spill the tea! 

I will as soon as we explain "spill the tea" to our friends. 

OK, fine. Spill means to reveal confidential information to someone. Maybe you've heard the phrase: spill the gossip? 

Gossip is information about someone else. It's usually something about their personal life. 

Like the secret Rex has to tell me. 

Not yet. Anne Marie, we're not done teaching. In this phrase, "tea" has become synonymous with gossip. 

It's easy to imagine how "spill the tea" came to mean the same thing as "spill the gossip". 

Yep. And "spill the beans" means essentially the same thing. Although this phrase is older, it also carries the idea of letting information slip that you shouldn't have. 

I guess you could say that people have always been spilling the gossip. "Spill the tea" is just a trendier way to say it. OK, Rex. It's time to spill the tea. 

當有人正在講八卦，或是分享祕密的時候，你可以說他正在: spill the tea，spill是灑出來的意思，tea是茶，spill the tea 字面上就是把茶灑出來，用來形容分享祕密。你也可以說: spill the gossip，因為gossip是流言蜚語或是小道消息。在這邊，tea 跟 gossip 就有一樣的涵義。當你想要你的朋友告訴你某個秘密，你可以跟他說: Come on, spill the tea. 除了 spill the tea 和 gossip 之外，你也可以說 spill the beans. 字面上是把豆子灑出來，跟 spill the tea 有一樣的涵義。

Language Lab

interrogative adj. 疑問的 
/ˌɪntəˈrɑːgətɪv/
asking a question : having the form or force of a question
- James was acting goofy, and the people around him all had an interrogative look on their faces.
James 的動作很奇怪，他周遭的人臉上表情充滿疑問。
- My coworker gave me an interrogative stare when I walked into the office with the giant box.
我拿著超大的箱子子走進辦公室的時候，我的同事看著我的眼神充滿疑問。
interrogate v. 審問、訊問 
/ɪnˈterəˌgeɪt/
to ask (someone) questions in a thorough and often forceful way
- The spy was captured and taken to a secret base where he would be interrogated.
那個間諜被抓了之後，被帶到一個秘密基地去訊問。
- When you’re going on a first date with someone, don’t make them feel like you’re interrogating them.
當你第一次跟人家約會的時候，不要讓對方覺得你在審問他。 

equation  n. 數學、化學的方程式 
mathematics : a statement that two expressions are equal (such as 8 + 3 = 11 or 2x – 3 = 7)
- The teacher was surprised at how quickly the student was able to solve the equation.
老師對學生解方程式的快速感，感到驚訝。
- The professor wrote an equation on the board for everyone to see.
教授在板上寫了一個方程式給大家看。
equation  n. 有多種因素的狀況 
a complicated situation or issue — usually singular
- The situation is very complicated, and I’m trying to find a way to remove myself from the equation.
情況很複雜，所以我在想如何把自己從況況中抽出來。
- The use of smartphones has completely changed the equation when it comes to our forms of communication.
智慧型手機的使用，對我們溝通的方式帶來了很大的改變。 

navigate v. 為船隻或車輛導航   
to find the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, car, etc.
- When Patrick goes on a road trip, he relies on his GPS to navigate.
Patrick 開車長途旅行時會依賴GPS來導航。
navigate v. 導向
to control the direction of (something, such as a ship or airplane) : steer
- Please don’t ask Serena to navigate; she can’t read a map.
請不要讓Serena 幫你導向，她不知道怎麼看地圖。
navigate v. 確定方向
- How do salmons navigate their way back to their place of birth?
鮭魚是如何確定方向，游回他們出生的地點呢?
navigate v. 在一個狀況或是問題當中逐漸確定，並導正方向 
- It was a miracle that we were able to navigate through that crisis.
我們得以在那危機當中度過，真的是一個奇蹟。 

outlook n. 看法、觀點 
the way that a person thinks about things
- Sam has a negative outlook on everything and likes to criticize things.
Sam 看事情都很悲觀，所以很愛批評。
- Alice has changed her outlook on things, and it’s made her a happier person.
Alice 改變了她的觀點，她人也因此變得比較開朗。
outlook n. 前景 
a set of conditions that will probably exist in the future : the future of someone or something — usually singular
- The weather outlook for the coast is pretty good for this weekend.
這周末，氣象預報說海岸區的天氣會不錯。
- With the way the team is playing in this game, the outlook is not very favorable.
以球隊在這場球賽的表現來看，前景不是很樂觀。

Pet Influencers (2)

Mr. Bagel was adopted from a shelter. Now he's Instagram's favorite chinchilla! Mr. Bagel has sweet black eyes, big gray ears and soft white fur. He is often seen posing with tiny furniture or pushing a tiny shopping cart. Though he isn't Instagram's biggest influencer, this little guy has more than 100,000 followers. 

Mr. Bagel encourages his followers to say "no" to wearing fur. Chinchilla fur is very soft, and it is often used to make coats. 

Around 150 chinchillas must be killed to make one fur coat. It is no wonder that MR. Bagel feels strongly about this cause! 

Then there is Hamlet the Piggy, who boasts more than 300,000 Instagram followers. Hamlet is famous for her unique sense of fashion. Her online posts are a joy to many people. But Hamlet focuses on helping one person. Her main job is being her owner's therapy pig.

Social media followers can't get enough of these animal celebrities. They can't wait to see what they will post next!

Info Cloud

go down the rabbit hole 形容這件事情迷到無法自拔的情況

Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Growing up, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland sparked my imagination. In that book, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in Wonderland. 

"Going down the rabbit hole" now has a different meaning because of the story. This concept means to go on a strange, illogical journey. It can be literal or in your mind. 

While daydreaming during class, Isaac fell down the rabbit hole of imagining what would happen if aliens took over the world. 

This phrase is commonly used in reference to the Internet. In Alice's story, she fell through the hole for a long time. 

That's why when someone goes down the rabbit hole on the Internet, they're spending a lot of time reading or researching things that they didn't mean to. Sometimes I go down the rabbit hole researching idioms for Info Cloud. I get lost reading so many different articles online that I can't even remember what I was looking for in the first place. 

You might even hear someone ask, "How far down the rabbit hole are you willing to go?" or say: "Don't go down the rabbit hole." This means they are warning you not to go on a crazy journey because you may discover things you didn't want to know in the first place. 

在網路時代，人們經常不經意地被某些內容吸引，一看就是幾個小時，浪費了許多時間，英文有一句諺語 go down the rabbit hole，就是用來形容這件事情迷到無法自拔的情況。Don’t go down the rabbit hole of the Internet. 不要被網路迷惑到無法自拔。go down the rabbit hole 這句諺語是源自於經典名作《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》裡的情節，女主角愛麗絲掉進 rabbit hole 兔子洞裡，不停地向下墜落，到了一個令她困惑又驚奇的地方。down the rabbit hole 通常是用來形容一種越陷越深的情況，像是看電視或是跟人展開一場激烈的討論，讓你一頭栽進去。

Language Lab

shelter n. 庇護所、收容所  
a place that provides food and protection for people or animals that need assistance
- We want to get a dog, so we will take a trip to the animal shelter to adopt one.
我們想要一隻狗，所以會去動物收容所領養一隻。 
shelter n. 遊民的收容所 
a structure that covers or protects people or things
- A lot of people donate food to local shelters during the holiday season.
很多人會在佳節期間為當地收容所捐食物。 
shelter n. 受虐者的庇護所
- The counselor helps out at the women’s shelter.
那位輔導員會到婦女受虐者的庇護所幫忙。 
shelter n. 遮蓋、提供遮蓋的地方
the state of being covered and protected from danger, bad weather, etc.
- Let’s try to find some shelter before it starts raining hard.
在雨還沒有下很大之前，我們趕緊找個可以遮雨的地方吧。 

pose v. 擺姿勢   
to stand, sit, or lie down in a particular position as a model for a photograph, painting, etc.
- Gloria wanted to pose next to the boat but then she fell into the water.
Gloria 想要站在船邊擺姿勢，結果不小心掉入水裡。
pose v. 引起問題
/ˈpoʊz/
to be or create (a possible threat, danger, problem, etc.)
- Making sure the boss’s young son was doing his job posed a problem for the manager.
要一直確認老闆的兒子有在工作，造成經理的困擾。
pose v. 提出問題
to ask or suggest (a question)
- The delegate posed a question during the conference.
那位代表在大會中提出了一個問題。
pose v.  假裝、冒充 
pose as [phrasal verb] pose as (someone or something)
to pretend to be (someone or something) in order to deceive people
- In the movie, a police officer posed as a drug dealer and got himself into trouble.
在電影裡，一位警察冒充毒販，結果碰到麻煩。 

boast v. 擁有值得驕傲的東西 
to have (something that is impressive)
- The town boasted one of the best universities in the country.
在那座城市，擁有全國最好的大學之一。
- That restaurant may not have the best food, but it sure boasts a great view.
那家餐廳的菜雖然不怎麼樣，但是它卻有超級無敵的景觀。
boast v. 誇耀、吹牛
to express too much pride in yourself or in something you have, have done, or are connected to in some way
- Nobody really wants to work with Sammy, because he is always boasting about his past achievement.
沒有人想跟Sammy 一起工作，因為他老是在誇耀他以前的成就。
- The king got very drunk and started boasting about his riches.
國王喝醉酒，開始誇耀自己的財富。 

unique adj. 獨一無二的、獨特的 
used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else
- The artist was known for his unique painting style.
那位藝術家因為他的畫風很獨特而出名。
unique adj. 獨有的
very special or unusual
- Each piece of jewelry was hand-made and every single one of them was unique.
每一件首飾都是手工的，每一件都很獨特。
- Sumo Wrestling is unique to Japan.
相撲摔角是日本獨有的。 
unique adj. 難得的事情 
belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person — + to
- It is such a unique opportunity for these children to participate in an international tournament.
這些小朋友能夠參加國際比賽，真的是一個很難得的機會。

Seven Habits of the Happiest People (2)

4. They express gratitude.

Several research studies indicate that a deep sense of gratitude can increase happiness levels by up to 25 percent and help reduce anxiety and depression. The evidence also shows that grateful people  are more resilient and sleep better.

5. They are generous. 

In one study of more than 600 Americans, "happiness was predicted by the amount of money they gave away: The more they invested in others, the happier they were." Science also confirms that giving is good for our health and evokes gratitude. 

6. They exercise patience. 

In one 2012 study, researchers found that people exhibiting the rare trait of patience made more progress toward their goals and were more satisfied when they achieved them. Other research also found that patient people tend to experience less depression and negative emotions and can cope better with stressful situations. Additionally, they feel more gratitude, more connection to others and experience a greater sense of abundance. 

7. The deep a gratitude journal.

Science says you can train your brain to be happy and optimistic if you journal three things daily for which you are grateful. And you do it for 21 days in a row. 

Info Cloud

chasing paper  形容人們追求金錢

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Recently, I have been thinking about the role of money in our lives. Is it wrong for people to be chasing paper? 

Well, I think you should explain what chasing paper means before we continue this deep discussion on money. 

Oh, sorry. Chasing paper means to be only interested in making money or chasing money, you know, because money is made of paper and ink. 

Chasing paper is often used in a negative way to describe someone loving money too much that they put too much effort into making it. 

Because the word paper tends to remind us what money really is, and there are more important things in life worth our attention. On the other hand, chasing paper can be used in a neutral way. 

For example, if someone is trying to support their family, the person would do any kind of work, you could say: She doesn't really like her job. She's just chasing paper. 

今天跟大家分享的用語相當有趣，那就是 chasing paper，字面上是「跟著紙後面跑」，這是什麼意思? chasing paper 是形容人們追求金錢。例如，John is just chasing paper at work. John 在工作上只是追求金錢，可能他根本不喜歡那份工作。雖然 chasing paper 通常是負面的使用，但他也可以客觀的形容賺錢這件事情。例如，一個人為了養家，他願意做任何工作，他可以說: I’m chasing paper to support my family. 我要賺錢養家。

Language Lab

resilient adj. 很有適應能力  
 /rɪˈzɪljənt/
able to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens
- Although the job was difficult, the worker was resilient and able to get everything done.
工做雖然艱難，但是那位工人適應能力很強，並且能夠把該做的事都做完。
- The manager noticed how resilient the intern was and offered him a full-time job.
經理注意到實習生的適應能力很強，所以給他一份全職的工作。
resilient adj. (東西)很有彈性的、可以恢復到原來的狀態的 
able to return to an original shape after being pulled, stretched, pressed, bent, etc.
- The company has a new product, but the material isn’t very resilient.
那家公司有新的產品，但是產品質料的彈性不夠好。
- The inventor is trying to come up with a fabric that is both resilient and 100 percent natural.
發明家想發明一種有彈性的純天然布料。

evoke v. 引起   
to cause (a particular reaction or response) to happen
- The king’s many foolish decisions have evoked a series of protests across the country.
國王的這些愚昧的決定，已經引起全國各地的抗議。
- The actor played the villains so well that it evoked a feeling of disgust within me.
那位演員演壞人演得非常好，看了會引起我內心的一種厭惡感。
evoke v. 想起、喚起 
to bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind
- Listening to that song on the radio evoked ugly memories of the past.
在廣播中聽到那首歌，就想起一些過去很不好的回憶。
- It’s amazing how the food in this restaurant evokes the flavors of my grandmother’s cooking.
這家餐廳的菜很神奇地讓我想起我祖母煮飯的味道。

exercise  v. 運動  
to do physical activities in order to make yourself stronger and healthier
- As we walked into the jungle, our guide told us to exercise caution.
當我們進入叢林時，我們的嚮導警告我們一定要非常小心。
exercise  v. 使用
to use (an ability, power, etc.)
- It is sad how these people do not know how to exercise their right to free speech.
這些人不懂得如何行使他們的言論自由，真是很悲哀。
exercise  n. 運動 
physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier
- The young king was eager to exercise his power.
年輕的國王迫不期待地要行使他的權力。

trait n. 特質、特徵
a quality that makes one person or thing different from another
- David has so many wonderful traits, but patience is not one of them.
David 有很多很棒的特質，但是耐性不是其中一個。
- When a girl was asked to list all the positive traits of her boyfriend, she couldn’t think of any.
當那位女孩被問到她男朋友有那些好的特質時，她想不出任何一個。
- Beatrice knew Clancy was dishonest, and that was a trait she could not accept.
Beatrice 知道Clancy 人不老實，而那是一個她無法接紹的特性。

Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons (1)

Press
集合啦！動物森友會按下A鍵就能打造自己的專屬島嶼

This past spring Nintendo released a new version of its popular Animal Crossing game. It was an instant hit. People loved the open-ended game play. They also loved the chance to share their in-game work with friends. It was perfect for people stuck at home because of the coronavirus. 

The game begins with a loan from Tom Nook, owner of Nook, Inc. He wants your help exploring a deserted island. The loan covers your trip to the island and a few basic things to use there. 

Once you arrive, you must make your own equipment such as shovels, fishing poles and ladders. Then you can go fishing, catch bugs, collect fruit and explore. Everything you find you can sell to Tom Nook. Within a few days, you should have earned enough to pay back the loan.

Tom Nook decides that you are just the person to help develop the island. He gives you a bigger loan to build a house. You become the island representative in charge of making all the decisions. 

Info Cloud

Lend me your ears. 請聽我說

Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. Lend me your ears, and I will share some wonderful English idioms with you. 

I'm glad you said this is an idiom because I don't really want to borrow anyone's ears.

Me, either. This idiom is a way to ask someone to listen to you or pay attention to what you have to say. 

Are there other things we can lend beside our ears? 

Yes. You can lend your name to something or someone. That means you give it public support or you officially associate your name with it. 

Oh, like if a celebrity lends his or her name to a political campaign. 

Yes. People who are fans of that person might be influenced to vote for the candidate they support. 

You can also lend weight or support to something. Both of these words mean making an idea appear more true or correct. 

In this case, it doesn't have to be a person. For example, that research paper lends weight to her theory; or he found several books to lend support to his thesis. 

今天要跟大家介紹跟lend有關的流行用語，lend 是借東西給別人，Lend me your ears. 就是把你的耳朵借給我，意思就是請聽我說。如果你要支持某個行動，你可以lend your name，把你的名字借給別人，他們就可以說你是支持他們的，明星代言也是這個意思。另外，lend weight to something 代表讓一件事情更有正當性和真實性，That research paper lends weight to her theory. 那份研究報告更加證實她的理論。

Language Lab

loan n. 貸款、借款 
an amount of money that is given to someone for a period of time with a promise that it will be paid back : an amount of money that is borrowed
- Vivienne has paid back her school loan.
Vivienne 已還清她的助學貸款。
- Ronald is going to the bank to apply for a loan.
Ronald 要去銀行，申請貸款。
on loan ph.  東西被借出、人才暫時效勞於另外一個單位
borrowed from someone or something for a period of time
- These ancient manuscripts are on loan from a private collector.
這些古卷是從一位私人收藏家借來的。
- Sullivan is working with human resources, but he’s actually on loan from the finance department.
Sullivan 在人力資源部工作，他其實是從財務借來的人才。

deserted adj. 空無一人的
/dɪˈzɚtɪd/
there were no people
- The hikers found a deserted cabin in the mountains.
登山客在山裡找到一間空無一人的小屋。
- Jacob often goes to a deserted beach to be by himself.
Jacob 常常會去某個空蕩的海灘，好獨自一人。
deserted adj. 被離棄、撇掉的
abandoned
- In the movie, a fisherman finds a deserted ship in the middle of the ocean.
在影片裡，一位漁夫在大海中找到一個被遺棄的船。
- The deserted soldier had to find a way to survive in enemy territory.
這名被拋下的軍人，得想辦法在敵區存活下來。 

shovel n. 鏟子 v. 用鏟子移動東西
a tool with a long handle that is used for lifting and throwing dirt, sand, snow, etc.
- We want to move this pile of dirt, but we need to get some shovels.
我們要把這堆土移掉，是必須先拿幾把鏟子來。
- The children are playing in the sand with their toy shovels.
小朋友拿著玩具鏟子在沙堆裡玩耍。
shovel v. 用鏟子移動東西 
to lift and throw (dirt, sand, snow, etc.) with a shovel
- Snow is pretty to look at, but shoveling it is not fun.
雪看起來很美，但是你要剷雪可就不好玩了。
- Allen hurt his back while he was shoveling dirt.
Allen 在鏟土的時候，傷到他的背。 

representative n. 代表  adj. 代表的、典型的
someone who acts or speaks for or in support of another person or group
- A representative from the company was sent to the overseas factory to inspect the work there.
公司派一位代表去海外的工廠，檢查那邊的工作。
- Please call this phone number if you wish to speak to a customer service representative.
如果跟我們的客服代表聯絡，請撥打這個電話號碼。
representative adj. 代表的、典型的 
typical of a particular group of people or of a particular thing
- The painting is not representative of the artist’s work.
這幅畫不代表那位藝術家的傑作。
- The clothing worn by our tour guide is representative of what the women wear in that region.
我們導遊穿的衣服，是當地婦女們典型的衣著。

ARE ALL NIGHTERS ALL RIGHT? (2)

What? You're going to stay up all night?

Yes! I'm one of the top 10 students in the class. I don't want to lose my place! 

But Max, skipping sleep is bad for your health. 

On a regular basis, sure, but it's OK once in a while. And I have a pretty good system for pulling all nighters. 

Really? What do you do to stay awake? Do you drink coffee and eat candy all night? 

No. I usually snack on fruit and food with a lot of protein. Apples with peanut butter is my favorite!

Sleeping helps your brain retain things. What good is memorizing facts if you're too tired to remember them the next day? 

I just take a few naps throughout the night. Thirty minutes here and there makes a big difference. 

It sounds like you're good at this. But I still think it's important to get enough rest. 

I can catch up on sleep tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to get ready for my A-plus! 

Well, I hope that works. But try to get a little rest, OK?

We'll see. See you tomorrow!

Bye, Max. Good luck!

Info Cloud

rack your brain 很用力地思考、絞盡腦汁地要擠出一些創意

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Info Cloud. I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm just not sure what to talk about today. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with something. 

Rex, that's the perfect expression to talk about. We use it all the time when we are trying really hard to think of something or to remember something. 

Oh, of course. The idea is you stretch your brains to the point of racking them because you are thinking so hard about something. 

There have been times when I lost my keys and had to rack my brains to try and remember where I left them. 

I think we have all experienced that. Now sometimes you see wracks spelled W-R-A-C-K, and another time just R-A-C-K. Both spellings are OK. 

Both words mean roughly the same in this case. You are torturing or ruining your brain trying to think of something. 

Anyone who is thinking really hard under pressure understands it's not exactly a pleasant feeling. 

Yes. So we all appreciate Rex working so hard to come up with such an interesting lesson. 

當我們很用力地思考、絞盡腦汁地要擠出一些創意，你可以用今天分享的用語 rack your brain 來形容這樣的狀況，I’m racking my brain trying to come up with ideas. 我很努力地在思考，希望可以想出一些點子。rack 這個字有折磨的涵義，它可以拼成 rack 或是 wrack，看起來像是不同字，但意思和唸法都完全相同。rack your brain 就代表你正在折磨自己的大腦，希望想出一些事情。

Language Lab

skip v. 輕快地跳(單腳起步) 
to move forward in a light or playful way by taking short, quick steps and jumps
- You can tell the child is in a good mood because she is skipping around.
你可以看出這個小朋友心情很好，因為他一直在跳來跳去。
skip v. 跳過去
to not discuss, read, do, or deal with (something) and go instead to the next thing : to pass over or leave out (something)
- The speaker was running out of time, so he decided to skip the middle section of his talk.
演講人因為時間不夠，只好跳過他演講裡的中間部分。
skip v. 省略掉、故意不做
to not do (something that is usual or expected)
- Trent was running late for work and had to skip breakfast.
Trent 因為工作快遲到，只好不吃早餐。
- We decided to skip the movie and just go to the restaurant for dinner.
我們決定不去看電影了，就直接去餐廳吃飯就好。 

awake adj. 醒著的  
not asleep
- Were you awake during the earthquake?
地震的時候，你是醒著的嗎?
- The mother was trying to be very quiet, but her baby was already awake.
那位媽媽盡可能保持安靜，但是她寶寶已經醒了。
awake to [phrasal verb] v. 意識到、領悟到 
to become aware of (something)
- The spy’s report awoke the king to the possible threat of an invasion.
密探的報告讓國王意識到國家被入侵的可能性。
- Brian was sore from playing basketball, and it awoke him to the truth that he was getting older.
Brian 因為打籃球而全身痠痛，他領悟到他人漸漸老了。

retain v. 記住 
to keep (something) in your memory especially for a long period of time
- When Aimee is very busy, it’s harder for her brain to retain information.
Aimee 忙起來的時候，她的腦子很難記住東西。
- Now that we have cellphones, my head cannot retain one single important phone number.
現在有了手機，我的頭腦連一個重要的電話號碼都記不住。
retain v. 保留、保住
to continue to have or use (something) : keep
- Although Timothy had a pretty rough day, he was still able to retain a cheerful attitude.
雖然有很多不順的事情發生，但是Timothy 還是能夠保持一個愉悅的態度。
- Isaac’s family wants to sell their farmland, but Isaac is hoping to retain the farmhouse.
Isaac 的家人想把農地賣了，但是他希望農舍可以保留下來。 

memorize v. 背起來、熟記  
to learn (something) so well that you are able to remember it perfectly
- Katherine memorized the multiplication table when she was in second grade. 
Katherine 二年級的時候，把九九乘法表背起來。
- Tony is trying to memorize every word in the dictionary.
- Tony 試著把字典裡的每一個字背下來。
memorization n. 記住、背起來的過程
/ˌmɛməˌraɪˈzeɪʃən/
- There seems to be no other way to learn this difficult material but to commit it to memorization.
好像沒有別的辦法可以搞懂這個很難的資料，只能把它死背起來。
- Some students have incredible memorization skills and have no trouble preparing for tests.
有些學生背誦的技巧就是那麼厲害，準備考試都難不倒他們。

ARE ALL NIGHTERS ALL RIGHT? (1)

Is a good night’s sleep the best study habit?
通宵熬夜OK嗎？ 一夜好眠才是學習 的王道嗎？

Oh no! You have a big test tomorrow, and you're not ready for it! Should you get a good night's rest and hope for the best? Or should you pull an all nighter and study? Some would argue that staying up late makes your brain less efficient. It can be hard to recall anything when you're tired. Others say pulling an all nighter now and then doesn't do you much harm. And if it helps you pass a test or finish a project, maybe it's worth it! 

Max and Luke have a history exam tomorrow. Luke feels prepared for the test. He's going to the night market before reviewing. But Max wants to get the best score he can. So he plans to stay up all night and cram. Luke runs into Max as he is walking home. 

Hey, Max! I'm going to the night market on my way home. Want to come? 

Sorry, Luke, I need to go home and study for the history exam. 

We won't stay long. I need to review as well. 

I need to do more than review. I haven't studied at all! I'm going to pull an all nighter. 

Info Cloud

brain dead / brain fog

Hi. Thanks for joining us on Info Cloud. I hope that everyone is ready for another lesson. But I did work late last night, so I'm still a little brain dead. 

When you are feeling brain dead, it means that you are so tired that you can't think. 

If you're having a hard time focusing or remembering things, you can also say that your brain is foggy or that it feels foggy. 

Both of these expressions are used to describe when you feel like you aren't thinking clearly, but usually people include a reason why. 

I'm sorry. Could you say that again? My brain is a bit foggy right now. I'm still thinking about the project I was working on last night. 

That's a great example of when someone would use this expression because they are feeling distracted and can't focus. 

Of course, there are ways to clear our heads so we can think normally again in various ways. 

If I'm feeling brain dead in the morning, the best way for me to clear my head is to do some exercise, or just go out and get some fresh air. 

That's a great idea and a great suggestion if studying makes your brain feel foggy. 

當你感到很疲累的時候，腦子突然變得無法正常思考，這個時候你就可以用 brain dead 或 brain fog 來形容這種狀況，這兩個用語都是比較幽默的表達方式。首先，brain dead 就是所謂的腦死狀態，當你累到腦子沒有辦法再想事情的時候，你可以說: I feel brain dead because I worked so late last night. 我的大腦停止運轉，因為昨晚工作到太晚了。如果你只是注意力不集中，沒辦法想起一些事情，你可以說: My brain is a little foggy right now. 我的腦子現在不太清楚，因為 foggy 字面上是起霧，會讓你看不清楚。

Language Lab

recall v. 記得、回想起 
to remember (something) from the past
- I know Patrick cancelled our meeting, but I don’t recall him rescheduling another one.
我知道Patrick 取消了我們的會議，但是我不記得他有重新安排另外一個會議。
recall v. 讓人聯想到 
to cause (something) to be thought of : to bring (an image, idea, etc.) into your mind
- The design of the new museum recalls the Palace of Versailles.
新的博物館的設計讓人聯想到法國的凡爾賽宮。
recall v. 召回
to ask or order (someone) to return
- The soldiers were suddenly recalled to the base.
士兵們突然被召回基地。 
recall v. 如果某產品出了問題，需要被廠商收回去
to ask people to return (a product with a defect or problem)
- A lot of cars have faulty airbags and had to be recalled.
很多車子因為安全氣囊有問題，而被廠商召回。 

harm n. 傷害、壞處  
physical or mental damage or injury : something that causes someone or something to be hurt, broken, made less valuable or successful, etc.
- Steward was just trying to play a joke, but it caused a lot of harm to other people.
Steward 只想開個玩笑，卻造成很多人的傷害。
- The dog is guarding the sheep, keeping them from harm.
狗守護著羊群，並保護牠們不遭受傷害。
harm v. 傷害
to cause hurt, injury, or damage to (someone or something) : to cause harm to (someone or something)
- I know the kids want to play with the kitten, but they’re actually harming it.
我知道小朋友想跟小貓玩，但是他們其實在傷害小貓。
- Animal rights activists want to make sure animals aren’t harmed when they’re used in movies.
動保人士要確認動物在拍戲過程中，不會被傷害到。 

cram v. 塞滿  
to fill (something) so that there is no room for anything else : to fill (something) completely
- Julie was able to cram all her clothes into one carry-on bag.
Julie 能夠把她所有的衣服都塞進一個隨身行李箱裡。
- How is Maya going to cram everything into her small bedroom? 
Maya 要如何把她所有的東西塞進她的小臥房呢?
cram v.  在考試前趕緊地死背 
to prepare for a test, exam, etc., by learning a lot of information quickly — usually + for
- Greg never pays attention in class, but he’s very good at cramming before a test.
Greg 上課都不專心，但是他在考試前努力死背就很行。
- This test allows students to prove what they have learned and not what they have crammed.
這個考試能夠讓學生證明他們所學到的，而不是他們臨時死背的。 

run into [phrasal verb] 無意間碰見某個人   
to meet (someone) by chance
- Carol was taking her kids to school when she ran into an old classmate from high school. 
Carol 帶小孩去上學時，偶然碰到她高中同學。
- Rene ran into her neighbor while she was shopping in the store.
Rene 在店裡買東西時，恰巧碰到她的鄰舍。
run into [phrasal verb] 碰到狀況
to experience (something that is unpleasant or difficult) : encounter
- Jeremy and his friends were having fun together, but then they ran into a problem.
Jeremy 跟他的朋友在一起玩耍，結果他們碰到了一些問題。
run into [phrasal verb] 撞到   
to move into (someone or something) in a sudden or forceful way
- While Max was skiing, he ran into a tree and really hurt himself.
Max 滑雪時，撞到了一棵樹而受傷了。

BINDI IRWIN, A NATURAL TALENT (2)

Bindi continued to make TV appearances. At the age of 10, she won an Emmy Award for her outstanding performance in a children's series. She also appeared in a number of movies for children.

In 2015, Bindi competed on the popular American TV show Dancing With the Stars. Her high energy, precise footwork and beautiful smile wowed the audience. She and her partner dazzled the judges and won the competition!

More than just a celebrity or performer, Bindi works hard to help wildlife. She supports Wildlife Warriors, which protects animals that are in danger. In 2014, the Australian Geographic Society named her Young Conservationist of the Year. 

In March of 2020, Bindi married American Chandler Powell. The two met in 2015 at the Australia Zoo, the huge wildlife reserve founded by Bindi's grandfather. Very appropriately, the wedding took place at the zoo. However, only family attended because of the coronavirus. Afterward Bindi wrote, "Right now we're encouraging the world to hold onto hope and love, which will carry us forward during this profound time in history."

Info Cloud

Write your own story 鼓勵人們要努力活出燦爛的人生

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I'd like to start off today's lesson by asking Rex an interesting question. Have you ever been told to write your own story? 

Yeah, but not from another person. I told myself all the time to write my own story as I was growing up. 

Really? Why is that? 

Well, my father was a very successful businessman. I was always compared with my dad growing up. But I did not want to follow my dad's footsteps. I decided to become a professional singer instead. 

I'm glad you made that decision. When someone writes their own story, it means that they are not trying to be someone else or imitate another's lifestyle. Instead, they are trying to live out a life that's unique, not following the path that others have walked on. 

Since every person is different, we're all living an unique life whether we know it or not. When someone says, "Write your own story," it serves as an encouragement for you to work hard and live your life to the fullest. 

每個人的生命故事都不太一樣，今天要分享一句相當勵志的流行用語 Write your own story 寫下你專屬的人生故事，意思就是要鼓勵人們不要盲目地跟從別人的腳步，要走出一條屬於自己的人生道路。例如，很多人活在家人的期待中，或是企圖去模仿自己很崇拜的人，這個時候很可能會聽到有人說: Write your own story，其實每個人的生活一定會不一樣，這句話的目的是在鼓勵人們要努力活出燦爛的人生，讓自己的潛能盡量發揮出來。

Language Lab

number n. 數字、數目  
a word or symbol (such as “five” or “16”) that represents a specific amount or quantity
number n. 幾個
the total amount of people or things
- I don’t have time to go see a movie; there are a number of things I must do today.
我沒有時間去看電影，我今天要辦幾件事情。
- Beatrice went to the store and bought a number of things.
Beatrice 到店裡買了幾樣東西。
number  v. 編號碼 
to give a number to (someone or something in a series) : to label or identify (people or things in a series) with a number
- The secretary spent about an hour numbering all the files.
秘書花了大約一個小時給所有的檔案編號。
number  v. 數量共計有多少
used to indicate a total amount
- The survivors of the Titanic numbered 706.
鐵達尼號的生還者共計有706位。 

dazzle v. 讓人感到刺眼 (因為看到閃亮亮的東西或是發光的東西)
of a bright light : to cause (someone) to be unable to see for a short time
- We were dazzled by the light reflecting off the surface of the water.
從水面反射的光讓我們感到刺眼。
dazzle v. 讓人非常欣賞、讓人傾倒
to greatly impress or surprise (someone) by being very attractive or exciting 
- The beautiful movie star dazzled everyone when she stepped onto the red carpet.
美麗的影星一踏上紅毯時，就讓眾人為之傾倒。
dazzling adj. 很炫的  
The concert was very cool, but the dazzling lights gave me a headache.
演唱會是很酷，但是炫目的燈光看了讓我頭很痛。
dazzling adj. 非常迷人的 
We often see actors with dazzling smiles on toothpaste commercials.
- 我們常常在牙膏廣告裡看到有燦爛笑容的演員。 

warrior n. 武士
a person who fights in battles and is known for having courage and skill
- These swords were carried by warriors a long time ago.
這把劍在好久以前是由武士們配戴。
- The chief sent out the warriors to go fight against their enemies.
酋長派出他們的武士們去攻打他們的敵人。
warrior n. 勇士、在辛苦的狀況中奮發圖強的人
- The coach called his players warriors because they had worked very hard to win the tournament.
教練稱每位球員為勇士，因為他們勇於爭奪比賽冠軍。
- Gilbert is preparing for a triathlon; he is quite the warrior when he is in training.
Gilbert 要準備參加鐵人三項，他在訓練體能時，像一位勇士一樣。 

profound adj. 深遠的、廣大的 
having or showing great knowledge or understanding
- No one could have predicted the scientist’s invention would have such a profound effect on society.
沒有人預料到那位科學家的發明，會給社會帶來這麼深遠的影響。
profound adj. 很深、極度的
very great
- Ivan lost his mother when he was very young, and he experienced profound sadness.
Ivan 很小的時候就失去母親，他為此感受到極度的憂傷。
profound adj. 深奧的 
difficult to understand : requiring deep thought or wisdom
- It’s interesting to chat with Pinky; she always has very profound things to say.
跟 Pinky 聊天很有意思，他都會說一些很深奧的話。