Valjean keeps his promise to Myriel. He leaves his hate-felled life behind and dedicates himself to helping others. He moves to another town, takes a new name and works to help the town prosper, later becoming their mayor. But in doing so, he breaks parole. This prompts Javert, an angry, vengeful police officer, to pursue Valjean in order to return him to prison.
The novel and the musical
The musical is based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Miserables. It is set in 19th-century France during a time of major protests. Throughout the story, Valjean assists many individuals, in particular an orphan named Cosette.
He had promised her dying mother he would take care of her child, so Valjean raises Cosette as his daughter. He also rescues the young student rebel Marius, who eventually marries Cosette. Every person Valjean encounters is impacted by his love, including Javert, who can't understand or accept it.
The musical first opened in Paris in 1980 and on Broadway in 1987. As of today, the award-winning musical has been performed in 44 countries and enjoyed in 22 different languages.
Info Cloud
To err is human. 犯錯是人性，或是人都會犯錯。
Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Anne Marie, I have something to tell you. During the last break, I accidentally dropped your bag on the floor. I think I heard something break inside.
Oh! Hmm. Well, that's OK, Rex. To err is human. I can forgive you.
Thank you. That's a relief. I really like that quote you just said. It's from a poem by Alexander Pope written in the 18th century.
That's right. "To err is human" is a way to say everyone makes mistakes or we all do wrong things at one point or another.
But that's not the end of this phase. The full quotation goes: To err is human; to forgive, divine. Can you explain that to our students?
Sure. The word divine in the sentence is referring to God. He is the one who can forgive us when we do wrong. This quote is saying when someone does something to hurt you, we should forgive them, just like God.
I see. Well, I'm glad you weren't too upset about your bag. Don't worry, Rex. I believe to err is human, and to forgive, divine.
中國有一句成語「人非聖賢，孰能無過」，英文也有類似的說法: To err is human. 犯錯是人性，或是人都會犯錯。這是由十八世紀英國詩人 Alexander Pope 所寫下的詩詞，人們常常用這句話來安慰犯錯的人。Don’t worry about breaking the glass. To err is human. 別擔心你打破玻璃杯，人都會出錯的。其實這句詩詞比較完整的說法是: To err is human; to forgive, divine. 犯錯是人性，寬恕是神聖的。除了安慰犯錯的人，還鼓勵人們要試著原諒別人，真的是很棒的一句經典名言。
Language Lab
prosper v. 變得很繁榮、發展得很成功(經濟、金錢方面)
/ˈprɑːspɚ/
to become very successful usually by making a lot of money;
to become very active, healthy, or strong
- That state did not prosper under the governor’s economic plan.
那一州沒有因為他們州長的經濟計畫而變得繁榮。
- The land prospered whenever there was enough rain in the winter season.
如果冬季雨水夠多，大地會變得繁榮。
prosperous adj. 繁榮的
having success usually by making a lot of money
- Hundreds of years ago, the ancient city was prosperous and many traders would travel from faraway lands to do business in the city.
好幾百年前，那座古城相當繁榮，有很多商人會從遙遠的地方到城裡做生意。
- The town grew prosperous thanks to the millions of tourists that visit every year.
那座小鎮變得繁榮，因為每年有上萬個人來觀光。
prompt v. 引起、造成
to cause (someone) to do something
- I know you’ve had this problem with Abe for a long time, but what finally prompted you to talk to him?
我知道你跟Abe 之間的問題已經很久了，但是是什麼讓你終於去找他談談呢?
- Most people in the office are afraid to go speak to the manager, but what prompted you to go see him?
辦公室裡大部分的人都不敢跟經理談話，但是是什麼事情促使你找他呢?
prompt adj. 速度快、準時
done or given without delay
- Mr. Johnson’s secretary is always very prompt and organized.
Johnson先生的秘書做事快又有條不紊。
- We have a big meeting tomorrow morning, and I need everyone to be prompt.
我們明天早上有很大的會議要開，我需要大家準時報到。
rebel n. 反抗者、反叛軍
a person who opposes or fights against a government
- The government knew the rebels were hiding in the mountains, but no one knew the exact location. 政府知道反叛軍躲在山裡，但是沒有人知道詳細地點在哪裡。
- The doctor was arrested because he had been helping the rebels.
那位醫生被逮捕，因為他有再支援反叛軍。
rebel n. 叛逆的人
a person who opposes a person or group in authority
- Mrs. Klein is worried about her daughter’s boyfriend because he is a rebel at school.
Klein 女士很擔心她女兒的男朋友，因為她在學校很叛逆。
rebel v. 反抗、反叛
to oppose or fight against a government
- The people in the colonies wanted to rebel against the king.
殖民地的人想要群起反抗國王。
impact v. 對某人或事物有影響到
to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone) : affect
- Maggie never realized her broken marriage would impact the lives of her children and her grandchildren.
Maggie 從未想到她的破碎婚姻會影響到她的孩子及孫子們。
- The company is worried that the increase of cost in manufacturing their products might impact their revenue.
公司再擔心產品製作成本提高，可能會影響到他們的收入。
impact n. 非常大的影響
a powerful or major influence or effect
- Although the plan itself sounds good and is easy to carry out, we need to consider whether it might have a negative impact on the environment.
那個計畫雖然聽起來還不錯，而且不難執行，但是我們必須考慮到它是否會給環境帶來不良影響。
impact n.衝擊力、撞擊力
the act or force of one thing hitting another
- When the dog jumped on Ron, the impact knocked Ron off his feet.
狗跳到Ron身上的時候，衝擊力大到把Ron給撞倒了。
👀watch video
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Les Misérables (1)
A powerful story of love, mercy and forgiveness
悲慘世界 一部充滿慈愛、憐憫、寬恕的經典巨著
"They have me a number and murdered Valjean when they chained me and left me for dead. Just for stealing a mouthful of bread."
The main character, Jean Valjean sings these painful words in the musical Les Miserables. He is describing what he endured during his 19 years in prison for stealing bread and for trying to escape. Upon his release, Valjean is given a document indicating that he is on parole. For this reason, everyone rejects him, making it impossible for him to buy food or find a place to stay.
The first person to show him any kindness is a priest named Myriel. He invites Valjean into his home, feeds him and gives him a warm bed to sleep in. Sadly, Valjean repays the priest by stealing his silver. As Valjean runs away, he's caught and returned to Myriel. The priest then does something incredible! He states that he gave Valjean the silver; no theft was committed. Valjean doesn't understand why Myriel helps him, but it transforms his life forever. Before Valjean leaves, the priest makes him promise to become an honest and upright citizen.
Info Cloud
pay your dues
Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. Today I'd like to talk about what it means when someone says that they've paid their dues.
Generally, this means that someone has done a lot of work or gone through a lot of hardship and now deserves the rewards of their work.
Dues are also another word for membership fees. So if you want to be a member of a professional group, for example, you pay your membership.
If the payment is on a regular basis, those payments are called dues. So when you pay your dues, you get the benefits from your membership.
Now let's say you are working your way up in a company. You start at a low level, and you get a lot of boring work that has to be done.
You can also refer to that as paying your dues. You are doing a lot of work you don't enjoy. The benefit is that one day you will get a promotion.
There is one last way we use this phrase. It's for when you make a mistake and you have to pay your dues.
That means that you work hard to make up for what you did wrong.
And if you pay your dues, that also means that you make up for what you did, and now you deserve the benefit of being forgiven.
當我們收到帳單時，第一個看的就是這個月的應繳金額，英文是due，因此 pay your dues 就是支付你的應繳款項，通常是指每個月必須支付的會費，像是俱樂部或是社團等等。
不過，pay your dues也有另外一種意思，那就是一個人在奮鬥過程中，付出的代價。You need to pay your dues to work your way up. 為了一步一步往上爬，你必須努力付出代價。通常是做一些很辛苦的雜事，希望有一天可以看到成果。
pay your dues 也可以用來形容一個人做錯事情，現在正在努力地彌補自己所犯下的錯誤。I was lazy, and now, I am paying my dues. 我之前太懶惰了，現在要努力地補救。
Language Lab
endure v. 忍受
to continue to exist in the same state or condition
- Charles practices his saxophone every day, and his wife has to endure the noise.
Charles 每天都會練習吹薩克斯風，而他的妻子必須忍受噪音。
- We had to endure the heat because the A/C was broken.
我們必須忍受熱，因為冷氣機壞了。
endure v. 持久、保持
a : to experience (pain or suffering) for a long time;
b : to deal with or accept (something unpleasant)
- Dinah started a weight-loss plan in January, and endured until September.
Dinah 一月開始實施瘦身計畫，並維持到九月。
- When the company first started, it did well and was able to endure for several years before it was bought over by a bigger company.
那家公司剛開始做的很好，而且維持了好幾年，直到它被一家大公司買去。
document n. 文件
an official paper that gives information about something or that is used as proof of something
- The secretary keeps all the important documents in this drawer.
秘書把所有的重要文件都放在這個抽屜裡。
- The documents were on the manager’s desk, but now they are gone!
文件本來都在經理的辦公桌上，但是現在不見了。
document v. 記載、記錄
to create a record of (something) through writing, film, photography, etc.
- It was our little boy’s first time seeing a dolphin, and we were able to document the moment with this little video.
我們家小朋友第一次看到海豚的時候，我們能夠錄下小影片來記錄那一刻。
- Many of the town’s past events were documented in these old books, and now the town historian would like these books to be protected.
鎮裡以前所發生的一些事情都有被記載在這些舊書卷裡，而鎮上的歷史家西望這些書卷可以好好被保存。
repay v. 報答
to do or give something in return for (something);
to do something for (someone) in return for what that person has done for you
- After all the wonderful things Edmond has done for you, and this is how you’re repaying him?
Edmond 為你做了那麼多好事，而你竟然是這樣報答他?
- Sara wanted to repay the stranger for his kindness, but the man just walked away.
Sara 想要報答那位陌生人的好心幫忙，但是那個人就走掉了。
repay v. 還錢
to pay back (money that you have borrowed)
- Fiona borrowed some money from Glen, and now she needs to repay him.
Fiona 跟Glen借了一些錢，她現在得還他錢。
- Hilary has finally graduated from college, but now she has to work on repaying her school loan.
Hilary 終於大學畢業了，她現在得開始專心還她的學貸。
transform v. 完全地改變、從裡到外地改變
to change (something) completely and usually in a good way
- After the snow storm, the whole valley was transformed into a world of ice.
暴風雪過後，山谷就變成了冰天雪地。
- My neighbor wants to lose weight and is looking for an easy way to transform herself into a skinny person.
我的鄰居想要減重，而且他再找一個輕鬆可以變苗條的方法。
transformation n. 大改變、很大的變化
a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc.
- Irene used to be very casual, but now she has to dress up all the time for her job, and the transformation is huge!
Irene 以前衣著都很隨便，但是她現在必須為了工作天天打扮，整個人變得完全不一樣。
- In the movie, a scientist transforms a dog into a human being, but the transformation isn’t complete, and the scientist has to fix the problem.
在影片裡，有一位科學家把一隻狗變成一個人，但是改變過程並非完全成功，而那位科學家必須想辦法解決問題。
👀watch video
悲慘世界 一部充滿慈愛、憐憫、寬恕的經典巨著
"They have me a number and murdered Valjean when they chained me and left me for dead. Just for stealing a mouthful of bread."
The main character, Jean Valjean sings these painful words in the musical Les Miserables. He is describing what he endured during his 19 years in prison for stealing bread and for trying to escape. Upon his release, Valjean is given a document indicating that he is on parole. For this reason, everyone rejects him, making it impossible for him to buy food or find a place to stay.
The first person to show him any kindness is a priest named Myriel. He invites Valjean into his home, feeds him and gives him a warm bed to sleep in. Sadly, Valjean repays the priest by stealing his silver. As Valjean runs away, he's caught and returned to Myriel. The priest then does something incredible! He states that he gave Valjean the silver; no theft was committed. Valjean doesn't understand why Myriel helps him, but it transforms his life forever. Before Valjean leaves, the priest makes him promise to become an honest and upright citizen.
Info Cloud
pay your dues
Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. Today I'd like to talk about what it means when someone says that they've paid their dues.
Generally, this means that someone has done a lot of work or gone through a lot of hardship and now deserves the rewards of their work.
Dues are also another word for membership fees. So if you want to be a member of a professional group, for example, you pay your membership.
If the payment is on a regular basis, those payments are called dues. So when you pay your dues, you get the benefits from your membership.
Now let's say you are working your way up in a company. You start at a low level, and you get a lot of boring work that has to be done.
You can also refer to that as paying your dues. You are doing a lot of work you don't enjoy. The benefit is that one day you will get a promotion.
There is one last way we use this phrase. It's for when you make a mistake and you have to pay your dues.
That means that you work hard to make up for what you did wrong.
And if you pay your dues, that also means that you make up for what you did, and now you deserve the benefit of being forgiven.
當我們收到帳單時，第一個看的就是這個月的應繳金額，英文是due，因此 pay your dues 就是支付你的應繳款項，通常是指每個月必須支付的會費，像是俱樂部或是社團等等。
不過，pay your dues也有另外一種意思，那就是一個人在奮鬥過程中，付出的代價。You need to pay your dues to work your way up. 為了一步一步往上爬，你必須努力付出代價。通常是做一些很辛苦的雜事，希望有一天可以看到成果。
pay your dues 也可以用來形容一個人做錯事情，現在正在努力地彌補自己所犯下的錯誤。I was lazy, and now, I am paying my dues. 我之前太懶惰了，現在要努力地補救。
Language Lab
endure v. 忍受
to continue to exist in the same state or condition
- Charles practices his saxophone every day, and his wife has to endure the noise.
Charles 每天都會練習吹薩克斯風，而他的妻子必須忍受噪音。
- We had to endure the heat because the A/C was broken.
我們必須忍受熱，因為冷氣機壞了。
endure v. 持久、保持
a : to experience (pain or suffering) for a long time;
b : to deal with or accept (something unpleasant)
- Dinah started a weight-loss plan in January, and endured until September.
Dinah 一月開始實施瘦身計畫，並維持到九月。
- When the company first started, it did well and was able to endure for several years before it was bought over by a bigger company.
那家公司剛開始做的很好，而且維持了好幾年，直到它被一家大公司買去。
document n. 文件
an official paper that gives information about something or that is used as proof of something
- The secretary keeps all the important documents in this drawer.
秘書把所有的重要文件都放在這個抽屜裡。
- The documents were on the manager’s desk, but now they are gone!
文件本來都在經理的辦公桌上，但是現在不見了。
document v. 記載、記錄
to create a record of (something) through writing, film, photography, etc.
- It was our little boy’s first time seeing a dolphin, and we were able to document the moment with this little video.
我們家小朋友第一次看到海豚的時候，我們能夠錄下小影片來記錄那一刻。
- Many of the town’s past events were documented in these old books, and now the town historian would like these books to be protected.
鎮裡以前所發生的一些事情都有被記載在這些舊書卷裡，而鎮上的歷史家西望這些書卷可以好好被保存。
repay v. 報答
to do or give something in return for (something);
to do something for (someone) in return for what that person has done for you
- After all the wonderful things Edmond has done for you, and this is how you’re repaying him?
Edmond 為你做了那麼多好事，而你竟然是這樣報答他?
- Sara wanted to repay the stranger for his kindness, but the man just walked away.
Sara 想要報答那位陌生人的好心幫忙，但是那個人就走掉了。
repay v. 還錢
to pay back (money that you have borrowed)
- Fiona borrowed some money from Glen, and now she needs to repay him.
Fiona 跟Glen借了一些錢，她現在得還他錢。
- Hilary has finally graduated from college, but now she has to work on repaying her school loan.
Hilary 終於大學畢業了，她現在得開始專心還她的學貸。
transform v. 完全地改變、從裡到外地改變
to change (something) completely and usually in a good way
- After the snow storm, the whole valley was transformed into a world of ice.
暴風雪過後，山谷就變成了冰天雪地。
- My neighbor wants to lose weight and is looking for an easy way to transform herself into a skinny person.
我的鄰居想要減重，而且他再找一個輕鬆可以變苗條的方法。
transformation n. 大改變、很大的變化
a complete or major change in someone's or something's appearance, form, etc.
- Irene used to be very casual, but now she has to dress up all the time for her job, and the transformation is huge!
Irene 以前衣著都很隨便，但是她現在必須為了工作天天打扮，整個人變得完全不一樣。
- In the movie, a scientist transforms a dog into a human being, but the transformation isn’t complete, and the scientist has to fix the problem.
在影片裡，有一位科學家把一隻狗變成一個人，但是改變過程並非完全成功，而那位科學家必須想辦法解決問題。
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Saturday, June 27, 2020
Mini Karaoke Booth
Mini Karaoke Booth Private karaoke
迷你KTV 一個人的卡拉OK
Do you like singing along with your favorite songs? If you're like me, you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower. But at karaoke, it's a different story!
Well, now there is a fun choice for shy singers. It's the mini karaoke booth. A booth holds 1-2 people and has glass walls. They can be found in shopping malls, theaters and other public places in Asia. A booth is rented by scanning a QR code. A booth can be rented by the song or by a specific amount of time.
People have mixed feelings about the mini karaoke booth. Some people still feel self-conscious because the booth is made out of glass. Also, renting a booth is a little more expensive than a traditional karaoke bar. However, they are conveniently located and are really great if you want to sing some songs by yourself.
I'd like to give the mini karaoke booth a try! How about you?
Info Cloud
belt it out 把自己的想法大聲地說出來
Thanks for joining us on Info Cloud. Have you ever had a class where the teacher didn't want students to raise their hands to answer questions?
I always like to call on my students to answer questions. But have you ever been in a class where you are just supposed to belt out the answers?
I have. Now when you just belt something out, you say it all of a sudden in a loud voice or maybe you sing something loudly.
I also feel the expression has the sense of doing something unexpectedly like belting out the answers to questions in a class.
Yes. When you belt something out, it is both loud and maybe a bit unexpected. But I love it when people aren't afraid to belt out their favorite song.
Sometimes I do that when I'm alone around the house. I don't mind singing loudly, but I don't always want people listening to me.
I love the idea of Anne Marie belting out her favorite songs around the house. But if you ever want to work on your singing, let me know.
Thanks, Rex. And for all of my students out there, if I ask a question in class, don't be afraid to belt out the answer.
在歌唱教學裡，有一種吶喊式的唱法，英文的專業術語是: belt。這種belt的唱歌方式在高音的時候不會換成假音，而是堅持用真聲唱到底，音量非常大，音色也很厚實，Sarah sang the high note by belting it out. Sarah用吶喊式的唱法，把那個高音唱出來。
不過除了唱歌之外，在日常生活中，你也可以belt it out，把自己的想法大聲地說出來。If you know the answer, just belt it out! 如果你知道答案的話，大聲地說出來。
Language Lab
at the top of one’s lungs ph. 非常大聲地
as loudly as possible
- While Carl was hiding, he could hear his mother calling his name at the top of her lungs.
Carl 躲起來的時候可以聽到他的母親大聲叫他的名字。
- Grandma might have trouble hearing, but there’s no need for you to be shouting at the top of your lungs to get her attention.
外婆也許聽力比較弱，但是你沒有必要為了引起她的注意，而吼得那麼大聲。
at the top of one’s voice ph. 大聲地
as loudly as possible
- When the microphone stopped working, the speaker had to shout at the top of his voice to finish his speech.
麥克風突然沒聲音，講員只得大聲地把他的演講給說完。
- The protester was holding a sign and shouting at the top of his voice. 抗議者拿著告示牌，大聲地喊話。
mall n. 購物商場、購物中心
a large building or group of buildings containing stores of many different kinds and sizes
- With online shopping becoming more popular, it seems like there are fewer people going to shopping malls now.
由於網購已變得非常受歡迎，到購物商場的人數感覺就變少。
- In the US, one can see a lot of people in the malls during the Christmas season every year.
在美國，每年聖誕節期間可以在購物商場裡看到很多人。
mall rat ph. 常常與朋友在購物商場裡遊蕩玩樂的年輕人
a person who spends a lot of time in a specified place
- Darren had a summer job, but whenever he had free time, he was happy being a mall rat.
Darren 暑期有工作，但是一有空，就會跟朋友跑到購物商場玩。
- Irene didn’t have any plans for the summer, but she didn’t want to become a mall rat like her friends.
Irene 暑假雖然沒有計畫什麼，但是她不想跟她的朋友們那樣在整天泡在購物商場裡。
self-conscious adj. 因為太在意他人的看法而感到不自在
uncomfortably nervous about or embarrassed by what other people think about you
- Sally is feeling self-conscious because she is the only one in her class who is unable to afford new clothes for the new school year.
Sally 感到非常不自在，因為她是班上唯一新學期無法買新衣的人。
- Since Edgar doesn’t know how to use chopsticks, he always feels self-conscious when eating in a Chinese restaurant.
Edgar 不會使用筷子，因此在中式餐廳用餐都會讓他感到不自在。
self-conscious adj. 太在意自己的形象外表的
- You can tell Lily is very self-conscious because she is always looking at herself in a mirror and fixing her make-up or hair.
你可以看得出Lily非常在意她的形象，因為她老是在照鏡子、整理儀容。
- It is hard to imagine Kim being a very confident person because she is rather self-conscious and seems to focus on herself a lot.
很難想像Kim 會是一位很有自信的人，因為她很在意形象，而且似乎只關注自己。
conveniently adv. 方便地
allowing you to do something easily or without trouble
- Extra umbrellas are conveniently placed by the door for anyone who needs to make a quick trip out in the rain.
門邊的愛心傘是為了方便在雨天時，需要臨時出門的人。
- How towels were conveniently provided for all the guests to use in the restaurant.
餐廳提供熱毛巾，好方便每一位客人使用。
conveniently adv. 位置很方便、某一個地點很容易到達
located in a place that is nearby and easy to get to
- When one travels through large Asian cities, it seems like there is a convenience store conveniently located on every street corner.
在亞洲大都市旅遊的時候，可能會覺得好像每個角落都那麼方便地找得到便利商店。
- A customer service counter can be conveniently found on every floor right by the elevators.
每一樓層的電梯旁可以很方便地找到客服櫃台。
👀watch video
迷你KTV 一個人的卡拉OK
Do you like singing along with your favorite songs? If you're like me, you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower. But at karaoke, it's a different story!
Well, now there is a fun choice for shy singers. It's the mini karaoke booth. A booth holds 1-2 people and has glass walls. They can be found in shopping malls, theaters and other public places in Asia. A booth is rented by scanning a QR code. A booth can be rented by the song or by a specific amount of time.
People have mixed feelings about the mini karaoke booth. Some people still feel self-conscious because the booth is made out of glass. Also, renting a booth is a little more expensive than a traditional karaoke bar. However, they are conveniently located and are really great if you want to sing some songs by yourself.
I'd like to give the mini karaoke booth a try! How about you?
Info Cloud
belt it out 把自己的想法大聲地說出來
Thanks for joining us on Info Cloud. Have you ever had a class where the teacher didn't want students to raise their hands to answer questions?
I always like to call on my students to answer questions. But have you ever been in a class where you are just supposed to belt out the answers?
I have. Now when you just belt something out, you say it all of a sudden in a loud voice or maybe you sing something loudly.
I also feel the expression has the sense of doing something unexpectedly like belting out the answers to questions in a class.
Yes. When you belt something out, it is both loud and maybe a bit unexpected. But I love it when people aren't afraid to belt out their favorite song.
Sometimes I do that when I'm alone around the house. I don't mind singing loudly, but I don't always want people listening to me.
I love the idea of Anne Marie belting out her favorite songs around the house. But if you ever want to work on your singing, let me know.
Thanks, Rex. And for all of my students out there, if I ask a question in class, don't be afraid to belt out the answer.
在歌唱教學裡，有一種吶喊式的唱法，英文的專業術語是: belt。這種belt的唱歌方式在高音的時候不會換成假音，而是堅持用真聲唱到底，音量非常大，音色也很厚實，Sarah sang the high note by belting it out. Sarah用吶喊式的唱法，把那個高音唱出來。
不過除了唱歌之外，在日常生活中，你也可以belt it out，把自己的想法大聲地說出來。If you know the answer, just belt it out! 如果你知道答案的話，大聲地說出來。
Language Lab
at the top of one’s lungs ph. 非常大聲地
as loudly as possible
- While Carl was hiding, he could hear his mother calling his name at the top of her lungs.
Carl 躲起來的時候可以聽到他的母親大聲叫他的名字。
- Grandma might have trouble hearing, but there’s no need for you to be shouting at the top of your lungs to get her attention.
外婆也許聽力比較弱，但是你沒有必要為了引起她的注意，而吼得那麼大聲。
at the top of one’s voice ph. 大聲地
as loudly as possible
- When the microphone stopped working, the speaker had to shout at the top of his voice to finish his speech.
麥克風突然沒聲音，講員只得大聲地把他的演講給說完。
- The protester was holding a sign and shouting at the top of his voice. 抗議者拿著告示牌，大聲地喊話。
mall n. 購物商場、購物中心
a large building or group of buildings containing stores of many different kinds and sizes
- With online shopping becoming more popular, it seems like there are fewer people going to shopping malls now.
由於網購已變得非常受歡迎，到購物商場的人數感覺就變少。
- In the US, one can see a lot of people in the malls during the Christmas season every year.
在美國，每年聖誕節期間可以在購物商場裡看到很多人。
mall rat ph. 常常與朋友在購物商場裡遊蕩玩樂的年輕人
a person who spends a lot of time in a specified place
- Darren had a summer job, but whenever he had free time, he was happy being a mall rat.
Darren 暑期有工作，但是一有空，就會跟朋友跑到購物商場玩。
- Irene didn’t have any plans for the summer, but she didn’t want to become a mall rat like her friends.
Irene 暑假雖然沒有計畫什麼，但是她不想跟她的朋友們那樣在整天泡在購物商場裡。
self-conscious adj. 因為太在意他人的看法而感到不自在
uncomfortably nervous about or embarrassed by what other people think about you
- Sally is feeling self-conscious because she is the only one in her class who is unable to afford new clothes for the new school year.
Sally 感到非常不自在，因為她是班上唯一新學期無法買新衣的人。
- Since Edgar doesn’t know how to use chopsticks, he always feels self-conscious when eating in a Chinese restaurant.
Edgar 不會使用筷子，因此在中式餐廳用餐都會讓他感到不自在。
self-conscious adj. 太在意自己的形象外表的
- You can tell Lily is very self-conscious because she is always looking at herself in a mirror and fixing her make-up or hair.
你可以看得出Lily非常在意她的形象，因為她老是在照鏡子、整理儀容。
- It is hard to imagine Kim being a very confident person because she is rather self-conscious and seems to focus on herself a lot.
很難想像Kim 會是一位很有自信的人，因為她很在意形象，而且似乎只關注自己。
conveniently adv. 方便地
allowing you to do something easily or without trouble
- Extra umbrellas are conveniently placed by the door for anyone who needs to make a quick trip out in the rain.
門邊的愛心傘是為了方便在雨天時，需要臨時出門的人。
- How towels were conveniently provided for all the guests to use in the restaurant.
餐廳提供熱毛巾，好方便每一位客人使用。
conveniently adv. 位置很方便、某一個地點很容易到達
located in a place that is nearby and easy to get to
- When one travels through large Asian cities, it seems like there is a convenience store conveniently located on every street corner.
在亞洲大都市旅遊的時候，可能會覺得好像每個角落都那麼方便地找得到便利商店。
- A customer service counter can be conveniently found on every floor right by the elevators.
每一樓層的電梯旁可以很方便地找到客服櫃台。
👀watch video
Friday, June 26, 2020
Fear of Missing Out (2)
It's important to remember that what people choose to post on social media does not necessarily reflect their life overall. People tend to pick and choose the things they share, so we only ever know a small part of anyone else's life.
It's also important to be humble and acknowledge your limitations. You cannot be everywhere and do everything that might be interesting or productive, and that's OK.
It might even be necessary to turn off your phone or log out of social media for a while. Get rid of the constant reminders of everything that's happening in the world.
You can even set particular times in your day to check email and social media. By stepping away for a time, you can help keep other people's lives in perspective.
Finally, focus on the things in front of you. Relish them, and do them well and let everything else go. When you fully engage with life, you'll worry less about what you're not doing.
Don't let the fear of missing out cause you to miss out on the good things you have in life. Relax, enjoy what you do and let other people enjoy their lives without envying them.
Info Cloud
clickbait 誘餌式的標題或連結
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. We have talked a lot about the Internet culture. Today we are going to talk about something we all encounter every day, clickbait.
You know, we are constantly looking at so much clickbait on the Internet every day, it's becoming a problem now.
Clickbait is a link you see on a web page that contains a very provocative title such as "you won't believe this happened!" or "I can't believe this works so well!" that makes you curious and want to click on it to find out more.
There's nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that the title is often misleading and does not contain the content it is hinting to deliver after you click.
Oftentimes you are led to a sales page that prompts you into buying something and spending money that you regret later.
Since most of us are on the Internet every day, clickbait is definitely something we should all watch out for.
今天要分享一個跟所有人都息息相關的生字，那就是clickbait，click是點選連結，bait是誘餌，所以 clickbait 可以說是誘餌式的標題或連結，通常clickbait的字眼都是很聳動或是引起人們好奇心的，像是: 「他天天使用這個產品，沒想到...」之類的廣告詞，讓你很想要去點那個連結。
clickbait 字面上有負面的涵義，因為你通常點進去之後，內容並不如標題精彩，或是根本沒有關係。最慘的是，你點進去的網頁，有可能讓你掏錢買東西，因此，我們在上網的時候，必須對這些clickbait 提高警覺心，以免遭受不必要的損失。
Language Lab
overall adv. 整體來說
as a whole : in general
- I know Jordan and I have had our differences, but overall it has been a good partnership.
我知道Jordan 跟我有些不同的看法，但是整體來說我們的合夥關係還算很好。
- It rained every day while we were in Hawaii, but our trip was still very nice overall.
我們在夏威夷的時候每天都下雨，但是整體來說，那趟旅行還算不錯。
overall adj. 整體的
viewed as a whole or in general
- The professor’s overall impression of the student’s presentation wasn’t very positive.
教授對於學生的報告，整體印象不是很正面。
- Although Kylie did forget some of her dance steps, her overall performance was rather entertaining. Kylie 雖然忘了幾個舞步，但是她整個表演還算有娛樂效果。
acknowledge v. 承認
to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) : admit
- The manager acknowledged his mistakes to the customers and promised to make things right.
經理向客戶承諾過失，也承諾他會把問題處理好。
- Dennis realized he was wrong, but he refused to acknowledge the truth.
Dennis 知道他錯了，但是他不肯承認事實。
acknowledge v. 表揚
to regard or describe (someone or something) as having or deserving a particular status
- The school would like to acknowledge all the wonderful things Mrs. Wilson has done for the students.
學校想要表揚Wilson 女士為學生所做的好事。
- Before the speaker gave his presentation, he took the time to acknowledge all the hard work the students put in to prepare the auditorium.
演講者在他演說之前，特別表揚學生們為了準備好表演廳所做付出的辛勞。
perspective n. 看法、想法
a way of thinking about and understanding something (such as a particular issue or life in general)
keep other people’s lives in perspective
keep something in perspective ph.
保持正確或理性的觀念
- It’s been hard for Joanne to lose weight, and she’s trying to be patient with herself and to keep things in perspective.
減重對Joanne 很難，但是她要對自己有耐心，而且要保持正確的看法。
- Business hasn’t been very good, but we need to keep things in perspective and not give up.
最近生意難做，但是我們要用正確的看法來對待，而且不能放棄。
perspective n. 看法、想法
a way of thinking about and understanding something (such as a particular issue or life in general)
- I think Sandy’s problem is a serious one, but what is your perspective?
我認為Sandy的問題很嚴重，但是你的看法如何呢?
perspective n. 看事情的角度
the angle or direction that a person uses to look at an object
- Jill is mad at her brother, and it is hard for her to see the situation from his perspective.
Jill 在生她哥哥的氣，要她從她哥哥的角度看待事情是很難的。
relish v. 享用、享受
/ˈrɛlɪʃ/
to enjoy or take pleasure in (something)
- When Ron saw the beautiful sunset, he sat down to relish the moment.
Ron 看到美麗的夕陽時，就坐下來享受那一刻。
- James is so happy to have a home-cooked meal, and he relishes every bite.
James 很高興能夠吃到家常菜，而且每一口對他來說都是很享受的。
relish v. 期待、期盼
- Jerry relishes the chance of being able to travel around the world.
Jerry對他環遊世界的機會，感到特別期待。
- Mike relishes the opportunity to beat Bill in a game of basketball.
Mike 很期待能夠在籃球場上打敗Bill。
👀watch video
It's also important to be humble and acknowledge your limitations. You cannot be everywhere and do everything that might be interesting or productive, and that's OK.
It might even be necessary to turn off your phone or log out of social media for a while. Get rid of the constant reminders of everything that's happening in the world.
You can even set particular times in your day to check email and social media. By stepping away for a time, you can help keep other people's lives in perspective.
Finally, focus on the things in front of you. Relish them, and do them well and let everything else go. When you fully engage with life, you'll worry less about what you're not doing.
Don't let the fear of missing out cause you to miss out on the good things you have in life. Relax, enjoy what you do and let other people enjoy their lives without envying them.
Info Cloud
clickbait 誘餌式的標題或連結
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. We have talked a lot about the Internet culture. Today we are going to talk about something we all encounter every day, clickbait.
You know, we are constantly looking at so much clickbait on the Internet every day, it's becoming a problem now.
Clickbait is a link you see on a web page that contains a very provocative title such as "you won't believe this happened!" or "I can't believe this works so well!" that makes you curious and want to click on it to find out more.
There's nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that the title is often misleading and does not contain the content it is hinting to deliver after you click.
Oftentimes you are led to a sales page that prompts you into buying something and spending money that you regret later.
Since most of us are on the Internet every day, clickbait is definitely something we should all watch out for.
今天要分享一個跟所有人都息息相關的生字，那就是clickbait，click是點選連結，bait是誘餌，所以 clickbait 可以說是誘餌式的標題或連結，通常clickbait的字眼都是很聳動或是引起人們好奇心的，像是: 「他天天使用這個產品，沒想到...」之類的廣告詞，讓你很想要去點那個連結。
clickbait 字面上有負面的涵義，因為你通常點進去之後，內容並不如標題精彩，或是根本沒有關係。最慘的是，你點進去的網頁，有可能讓你掏錢買東西，因此，我們在上網的時候，必須對這些clickbait 提高警覺心，以免遭受不必要的損失。
Language Lab
overall adv. 整體來說
as a whole : in general
- I know Jordan and I have had our differences, but overall it has been a good partnership.
我知道Jordan 跟我有些不同的看法，但是整體來說我們的合夥關係還算很好。
- It rained every day while we were in Hawaii, but our trip was still very nice overall.
我們在夏威夷的時候每天都下雨，但是整體來說，那趟旅行還算不錯。
overall adj. 整體的
viewed as a whole or in general
- The professor’s overall impression of the student’s presentation wasn’t very positive.
教授對於學生的報告，整體印象不是很正面。
- Although Kylie did forget some of her dance steps, her overall performance was rather entertaining. Kylie 雖然忘了幾個舞步，但是她整個表演還算有娛樂效果。
acknowledge v. 承認
to say that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something) : admit
- The manager acknowledged his mistakes to the customers and promised to make things right.
經理向客戶承諾過失，也承諾他會把問題處理好。
- Dennis realized he was wrong, but he refused to acknowledge the truth.
Dennis 知道他錯了，但是他不肯承認事實。
acknowledge v. 表揚
to regard or describe (someone or something) as having or deserving a particular status
- The school would like to acknowledge all the wonderful things Mrs. Wilson has done for the students.
學校想要表揚Wilson 女士為學生所做的好事。
- Before the speaker gave his presentation, he took the time to acknowledge all the hard work the students put in to prepare the auditorium.
演講者在他演說之前，特別表揚學生們為了準備好表演廳所做付出的辛勞。
perspective n. 看法、想法
a way of thinking about and understanding something (such as a particular issue or life in general)
keep other people’s lives in perspective
keep something in perspective ph.
保持正確或理性的觀念
- It’s been hard for Joanne to lose weight, and she’s trying to be patient with herself and to keep things in perspective.
減重對Joanne 很難，但是她要對自己有耐心，而且要保持正確的看法。
- Business hasn’t been very good, but we need to keep things in perspective and not give up.
最近生意難做，但是我們要用正確的看法來對待，而且不能放棄。
perspective n. 看法、想法
a way of thinking about and understanding something (such as a particular issue or life in general)
- I think Sandy’s problem is a serious one, but what is your perspective?
我認為Sandy的問題很嚴重，但是你的看法如何呢?
perspective n. 看事情的角度
the angle or direction that a person uses to look at an object
- Jill is mad at her brother, and it is hard for her to see the situation from his perspective.
Jill 在生她哥哥的氣，要她從她哥哥的角度看待事情是很難的。
relish v. 享用、享受
/ˈrɛlɪʃ/
to enjoy or take pleasure in (something)
- When Ron saw the beautiful sunset, he sat down to relish the moment.
Ron 看到美麗的夕陽時，就坐下來享受那一刻。
- James is so happy to have a home-cooked meal, and he relishes every bite.
James 很高興能夠吃到家常菜，而且每一口對他來說都是很享受的。
relish v. 期待、期盼
- Jerry relishes the chance of being able to travel around the world.
Jerry對他環遊世界的機會，感到特別期待。
- Mike relishes the opportunity to beat Bill in a game of basketball.
Mike 很期待能夠在籃球場上打敗Bill。
👀watch video
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Fear of Missing Out (1)
Don’t let thoughts of what you could be doing steal your happiness
錯失恐懼症 別讓「害怕錯過的恐懼」偷走你的快樂
It’s a common experience: You’re scrolling through a social media page, and you see pictures of friends traveling or going to parties. Suddenly you start to wonder why you’re not doing those things. Are you missing out on something fun and exciting because you’re locked into everyday life? This experience has come to be known as the fear of missing out, sometimes abbreviated FOMO. To some extent, people have always worried about missing out on things. But with the rise of social media, FOMO is becoming much more common.
Wanting to be in on the fun when exciting things are happening is completely normal. But for some people, it can lead to an obsession with checking their phones to find out what other people are doing. Even while doing things that are fun or necessary, people can feel like there’s something better going on elsewhere. This urge to connect can ironically lead them to disconnect from the people they are actually with. It prevents them from being satisfied with the good things in their lives. It can even be dangerous; some people try to check messages while driving.
Info Cloud
GIF的正確發音，/gɪf/ or /dʒɪf/?
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Rex, today we have a very controversial lesson.
Oh, no. You're not going to talk about politics, are you?
No, no, no .... I'm going to talk about GIFs /gɪfs/.
Wow, those little moving pictures we send over Line or Facebook? I think you mean GIFs /dʒɪfs/.
See? There's where the controversy comes in. It seems that no one can really agree on how to pronounce this word.
This argument has been going on for so long that earlier this year even Time magazine published an article about it.
GIF /gɪf/ stands for Graphics Interchange Format, which is pronounced with the hard G sound, /g/.
But the inventor of the GIF/dʒɪf/ has announced many times over the years that GIF /dʒɪf/ should be pronounced J-I-F, JIF, like the peanut butter brand.
Exactly. However, here's where the debate gets interesting. A survey was done by a digital marketing company back in 2014. And it turns out more Americans pronounce it with a hard G rather than a soft one.
But if you look GIF /dʒɪf/ up in a dictionary, you'll find both pronunciations are listed as correct. I think I'll stay to pronouncing it with a J sound.
That's fine by me. Anyways, regardless of how you say GIF /gɪf/, /gɪf/ or JIF/dʒɪf/, you'll always find someone to tell you you're saying it wrong.
我們經常會在社群媒體上看到一些會動的圖片，但是它又不是影片，而是一種叫做GIF的動態圖。GIF的完整名稱是 Graphics Interchange Format 圖像互換格式。
其實部份的人都有在網路上看到過，但是關於GIF的正確發音，引起了不少爭議，到底要念 /gɪf/ 還是 /dʒɪf/? 眾說紛紜，因為英文字母 G 有兩種發音，可能你會覺得沒什麼大不了，只是發音的問題而已嘛，但是爭議卻來自於美國白宮和英國牛津辭典都正式地在平台上表示可以唸/gɪf/，但是發明GIF的人卻公開地糾正那是錯誤的，正確的發音是/dʒɪf/，引起外界的熱烈討論。
Language Lab
miss out [phrasal verb] 錯過好機會
to lose an opportunity : to be unable to have or enjoy something
- Chad missed out on all the excitement because he was busy talking on the phone.
Chad 錯過所有精采的部分，因為他忙著講電話。
[很多人都在參加某個生日派對，唯一有一個人還沒出現，你可以跟那個人說]:
- Why are you still at home, you’re missing out on all the fun at the birthday party!
你怎麼還在家? 你這樣會錯過生日派對所有好玩的。
[假設你想說服一個人，希望他也能夠跟大家一起打球，你可以說]:
- Everyone else is playing ball, are you sure you want to stay inside and miss out on all the action?
大家都在打球，你確定你要待在室內，錯過這個充滿刺激的機會嗎?
abbreviate v. 縮寫 (重音在第二音節)
/əˈbriːviˌeɪt/
to make (something) shorter
- While taking notes, Clara had to abbreviate a lot of the words because she had to write things down fast.
Clara 在寫筆記的時候，縮寫了很多字，因為她得把該寫的東西快速寫下來。
- I got a handwritten message from the secretary, but I can’t understand it because she had abbreviated a lot of words.
我從秘書那邊收到一張紙條，但是我看不懂，因為秘書把很多字都縮寫了。
abbreviation n. 縮寫的字或簡稱 (重音在第四音節)
/əˌbriːviˈeɪʃən/
a shortened form of a word or name that is used in place of the full word or name
- Mr. is an abbreviation for mister.
Mr. 是英文字mister的縮寫。
- The abbreviation for without is w/o.
英文字without的縮寫是w/o。
obsession n. 一個會讓人一直去想或是忘不掉的人事物
a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal
- What started out as a simple curiosity for Diana has now become an obsession.
Diana 一開始只是感到好奇而已，但是現在她已經很癡迷了。
- Ralph enjoys collecting stamps and has some very rare ones, but his stamps collection is just a hobby and not an obsession.
Ralph 喜歡收集郵票，而且有幾張非常稀有的，但是他對郵票不是很入迷，只是一個嗜好而已。
obsess v. 一直想或是忘不掉
to be the only person or thing that someone thinks or talks about
- Stop obsessing about the problem, there’s nothing you can do to change the situation.
不要一直去想那個問題，你無法改變現實狀況。
- Nobody wants to work with Maria because she is such a perfectionist and obsesses over little things.
沒有人想跟Maria合作，因為她是一位完美主義者，而且會為小事情放不開。
ironically adv. 出乎意料地、諷刺地
/aɪˈrɑːnɪkli/
using words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny;
strange or funny because something (such as a situation) is different from what you expected
- A lot of people joined this business to get rich, but ironically most of them end up bankrupt.
很多人加入這一行是為了賺大錢，但是諷刺的是，他們大部分後來都破產了。
- Ironically, this kind of plant grows better in an environment with very little water.
很諷刺的是，這種植物要在一個水很少的環境才會好好生長。
ironic adj. (形容事情很) 諷刺的、出乎意料的
using words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny;
strange or funny because something (such as a situation) is different from what you expected
- Don’t you think it’s ironic that the richest man in the group is the one who drives the oldest and ugliest car?
你會不會覺得很諷刺，我們當中最有錢的人，竟然是開最老舊又最醜的車呢。
- Isn’t it ironic how we have the technology to help us save time but we find ourselves busier than before?
我們擁有可以幫助我們節省時間的科技，但是卻比以前更忙，這不是很諷刺嗎?
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錯失恐懼症 別讓「害怕錯過的恐懼」偷走你的快樂
It’s a common experience: You’re scrolling through a social media page, and you see pictures of friends traveling or going to parties. Suddenly you start to wonder why you’re not doing those things. Are you missing out on something fun and exciting because you’re locked into everyday life? This experience has come to be known as the fear of missing out, sometimes abbreviated FOMO. To some extent, people have always worried about missing out on things. But with the rise of social media, FOMO is becoming much more common.
Wanting to be in on the fun when exciting things are happening is completely normal. But for some people, it can lead to an obsession with checking their phones to find out what other people are doing. Even while doing things that are fun or necessary, people can feel like there’s something better going on elsewhere. This urge to connect can ironically lead them to disconnect from the people they are actually with. It prevents them from being satisfied with the good things in their lives. It can even be dangerous; some people try to check messages while driving.
Info Cloud
GIF的正確發音，/gɪf/ or /dʒɪf/?
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Rex, today we have a very controversial lesson.
Oh, no. You're not going to talk about politics, are you?
No, no, no .... I'm going to talk about GIFs /gɪfs/.
Wow, those little moving pictures we send over Line or Facebook? I think you mean GIFs /dʒɪfs/.
See? There's where the controversy comes in. It seems that no one can really agree on how to pronounce this word.
This argument has been going on for so long that earlier this year even Time magazine published an article about it.
GIF /gɪf/ stands for Graphics Interchange Format, which is pronounced with the hard G sound, /g/.
But the inventor of the GIF/dʒɪf/ has announced many times over the years that GIF /dʒɪf/ should be pronounced J-I-F, JIF, like the peanut butter brand.
Exactly. However, here's where the debate gets interesting. A survey was done by a digital marketing company back in 2014. And it turns out more Americans pronounce it with a hard G rather than a soft one.
But if you look GIF /dʒɪf/ up in a dictionary, you'll find both pronunciations are listed as correct. I think I'll stay to pronouncing it with a J sound.
That's fine by me. Anyways, regardless of how you say GIF /gɪf/, /gɪf/ or JIF/dʒɪf/, you'll always find someone to tell you you're saying it wrong.
我們經常會在社群媒體上看到一些會動的圖片，但是它又不是影片，而是一種叫做GIF的動態圖。GIF的完整名稱是 Graphics Interchange Format 圖像互換格式。
其實部份的人都有在網路上看到過，但是關於GIF的正確發音，引起了不少爭議，到底要念 /gɪf/ 還是 /dʒɪf/? 眾說紛紜，因為英文字母 G 有兩種發音，可能你會覺得沒什麼大不了，只是發音的問題而已嘛，但是爭議卻來自於美國白宮和英國牛津辭典都正式地在平台上表示可以唸/gɪf/，但是發明GIF的人卻公開地糾正那是錯誤的，正確的發音是/dʒɪf/，引起外界的熱烈討論。
Language Lab
miss out [phrasal verb] 錯過好機會
to lose an opportunity : to be unable to have or enjoy something
- Chad missed out on all the excitement because he was busy talking on the phone.
Chad 錯過所有精采的部分，因為他忙著講電話。
[很多人都在參加某個生日派對，唯一有一個人還沒出現，你可以跟那個人說]:
- Why are you still at home, you’re missing out on all the fun at the birthday party!
你怎麼還在家? 你這樣會錯過生日派對所有好玩的。
[假設你想說服一個人，希望他也能夠跟大家一起打球，你可以說]:
- Everyone else is playing ball, are you sure you want to stay inside and miss out on all the action?
大家都在打球，你確定你要待在室內，錯過這個充滿刺激的機會嗎?
abbreviate v. 縮寫 (重音在第二音節)
/əˈbriːviˌeɪt/
to make (something) shorter
- While taking notes, Clara had to abbreviate a lot of the words because she had to write things down fast.
Clara 在寫筆記的時候，縮寫了很多字，因為她得把該寫的東西快速寫下來。
- I got a handwritten message from the secretary, but I can’t understand it because she had abbreviated a lot of words.
我從秘書那邊收到一張紙條，但是我看不懂，因為秘書把很多字都縮寫了。
abbreviation n. 縮寫的字或簡稱 (重音在第四音節)
/əˌbriːviˈeɪʃən/
a shortened form of a word or name that is used in place of the full word or name
- Mr. is an abbreviation for mister.
Mr. 是英文字mister的縮寫。
- The abbreviation for without is w/o.
英文字without的縮寫是w/o。
obsession n. 一個會讓人一直去想或是忘不掉的人事物
a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal
- What started out as a simple curiosity for Diana has now become an obsession.
Diana 一開始只是感到好奇而已，但是現在她已經很癡迷了。
- Ralph enjoys collecting stamps and has some very rare ones, but his stamps collection is just a hobby and not an obsession.
Ralph 喜歡收集郵票，而且有幾張非常稀有的，但是他對郵票不是很入迷，只是一個嗜好而已。
obsess v. 一直想或是忘不掉
to be the only person or thing that someone thinks or talks about
- Stop obsessing about the problem, there’s nothing you can do to change the situation.
不要一直去想那個問題，你無法改變現實狀況。
- Nobody wants to work with Maria because she is such a perfectionist and obsesses over little things.
沒有人想跟Maria合作，因為她是一位完美主義者，而且會為小事情放不開。
ironically adv. 出乎意料地、諷刺地
/aɪˈrɑːnɪkli/
using words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny;
strange or funny because something (such as a situation) is different from what you expected
- A lot of people joined this business to get rich, but ironically most of them end up bankrupt.
很多人加入這一行是為了賺大錢，但是諷刺的是，他們大部分後來都破產了。
- Ironically, this kind of plant grows better in an environment with very little water.
很諷刺的是，這種植物要在一個水很少的環境才會好好生長。
ironic adj. (形容事情很) 諷刺的、出乎意料的
using words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially in order to be funny;
strange or funny because something (such as a situation) is different from what you expected
- Don’t you think it’s ironic that the richest man in the group is the one who drives the oldest and ugliest car?
你會不會覺得很諷刺，我們當中最有錢的人，竟然是開最老舊又最醜的車呢。
- Isn’t it ironic how we have the technology to help us save time but we find ourselves busier than before?
我們擁有可以幫助我們節省時間的科技，但是卻比以前更忙，這不是很諷刺嗎?
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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
A Little Latin Flavor
The meaning behind the words we use
源起拉丁 一些尋常字詞背後的含意
Latin is a dead language because no one speaks it much anymore. But many of its words and phrases are still frequently used in English. Let's take a look at a couple of them.
Et cetera
Have you ever seen "etc." at the end of a partial list? This is the shortened form of the phrase et cetera. Et translates to "and" and cetera means "the rest." You use it for things (not people) to mean "and so on." You use it when you begin a list that you don't complete. It shows that there can be other items on your list in addition to the ones you've mentioned.
Vice versa
"Vice versa" conveys the idea that the reverse of what was said is also true. "Vice versa" comes from the two Latin words vicis and versus. When put together, the translation of the phrase means "a position turned" or "the other way around." For example, humans can get diseases from animals and vice versa. That means humans can get diseases from animals, and animals can get diseases from humans.
Info Cloud
Latin 拉丁語跟Latin-America 拉丁美洲之間有什麼樣的關係
Welcome to Info Cloud. Today we are going to talk about Latin and how much influence it has.
I love Latin-influenced food, music, culture. Of course, I could go on and on about the food, but I love Latin-influenced rhythms like Latin jazz.
Actually, Rex, I was thinking about Latin, the language. It was spoken by the ancient Romans. It also heavily influenced many European languages.
Those languages are referred to as Romance languages. And that is why I was confused because I thought we were talking about Latin-American culture.
Latin America is a group of countries in Central and South America. They are mainly Spanish-speaking countries, but also French and Portuguese.
Those are all Romance languages, which come from Latin. And that's where the word Latin-America came from.
Rex is right. Latin America has rich cultural traditions. And those traditions do influence a lot of things, from food to music to art.
We don't have enough time to get into all of the great Latin influences, but want to mention salsa. It's a sauce, a dance and a type of music.
That's right. Latin-American culture has had a big influence. And don't confuse it with Latin, an ancient language spoken by the Romans.
不曉得朋友們知不知道 Latin 拉丁語跟Latin-America 拉丁美洲之間有什麼樣的關係，Latin 是古羅馬帝國所使用的語言，雖然現在已經沒有人在使用了，但是從拉丁語發展而來的羅曼語系，像是西班牙語、法語和葡萄牙語，都是中南美洲人所使用的語言，因此，中南美洲才會被稱為Latin-America 拉丁美洲。
雖然Latin-America的文化相當有魅力，很多人有對它相當著迷，但是我們要知道拉丁美洲人並不會講 Latin，那是以前的羅馬人才會說的語言。
Language Lab
frequently adv. 頻繁地、經常地
happening often
- My neighbor’s kids are frequently seen at the park.
我經常在公園看到鄰居的小孩。
- Amy flies to Chicago frequently.
Amy 經常飛到芝加哥。
frequent adj. 常常發生的、經常發生的
- If you’re taking a test, making frequent trips to the bathroom would make you look suspicious.
考試中，如果一直跑廁所，會讓你看起來很可疑。
- Brent’s frequent visits to his grandmother’s house was the best part of his summer.
能夠經常探訪祖母對Brent而言是他暑期最棒的事。
partial adj. 部分的
/ˈpɑɚʃəl/
not complete or total
- Cynthia wasn’t very willing to talk, but she did at least give us a partial explanation of what had happened.
Cynthia 不願意多說，但是他至少有為發生的事解釋了一部分。
- The sales team’s partial success in their job performance this season has given its team members a bit of hope for the next season.
業務團隊因為這一季的部份成功表現，讓隊裡的成員對下一季感到有希望。
partial adj. 偏袒、偏向
tending to treat one person, group, or thing better than another
- I’m guessing Sara will pick the purple dress because she is partial to the color purple.
我猜Sara會挑選紫色的洋裝，因為她偏愛紫色。
- The referee claims he was being fair, but we all think he was partial to the other team.
裁判自稱他很公平，但是我們認為他偏袒另外一隊。
convey v. 表達
to make (something) known to someone
- It might be easier for you to convey your ideas if you use simpler vocabulary words.
你用簡單一點的生字，也許會讓你比較容易表達你的想法。
- I can tell Donna is feeling very emotional, but I have no clue what she is trying to convey.
我看得出Donna現在很情緒化，但是我對他想要表達的完全無頭緒。
convey v. 運送、傳送
to take or carry (someone or something) from one place to another : transport
- In the movie, a team of spies sneak into an enemy fortress to rescue a man before he gets conveyed to another location.
在影片裡，有一群特務潛進敵方的堡壘，要在某人被運送到另外一個地點之前，將他救出。
- The queen had her maid convey a message to her sister.
皇后命令她的女僕傳口信給她的皇妹。
translation n. 翻譯 (文字、書面)
words that have been changed from one language into a different language : words that have been translated
- I got a copy of that book in Spanish, but I think the translation is not as good as the English original.
那本書我有一本西班牙語版本，但是我認為那個翻譯不如英文的版本。
- We need someone who is not only bilingual but who can also do translation work quickly.
我們不但需要一位雙語人才，而且是一個很快就可以完成翻譯工作的人。
- It’s important to translate everything word for word.
把所有內容都逐字地翻譯出來是很重要的。
translate v.
to change words from one language into another language
- Greg doesn’t like to translate from English to Chinese.
Greg 不喜歡把英文翻譯成中文。
- Mr. Emmerson asked his secretary to translate the letter from English to French.
Emmerson 先生請他的秘書，幫他把信件從英文翻成法文。
👀watch video
源起拉丁 一些尋常字詞背後的含意
Latin is a dead language because no one speaks it much anymore. But many of its words and phrases are still frequently used in English. Let's take a look at a couple of them.
Et cetera
Have you ever seen "etc." at the end of a partial list? This is the shortened form of the phrase et cetera. Et translates to "and" and cetera means "the rest." You use it for things (not people) to mean "and so on." You use it when you begin a list that you don't complete. It shows that there can be other items on your list in addition to the ones you've mentioned.
Vice versa
"Vice versa" conveys the idea that the reverse of what was said is also true. "Vice versa" comes from the two Latin words vicis and versus. When put together, the translation of the phrase means "a position turned" or "the other way around." For example, humans can get diseases from animals and vice versa. That means humans can get diseases from animals, and animals can get diseases from humans.
Info Cloud
Latin 拉丁語跟Latin-America 拉丁美洲之間有什麼樣的關係
Welcome to Info Cloud. Today we are going to talk about Latin and how much influence it has.
I love Latin-influenced food, music, culture. Of course, I could go on and on about the food, but I love Latin-influenced rhythms like Latin jazz.
Actually, Rex, I was thinking about Latin, the language. It was spoken by the ancient Romans. It also heavily influenced many European languages.
Those languages are referred to as Romance languages. And that is why I was confused because I thought we were talking about Latin-American culture.
Latin America is a group of countries in Central and South America. They are mainly Spanish-speaking countries, but also French and Portuguese.
Those are all Romance languages, which come from Latin. And that's where the word Latin-America came from.
Rex is right. Latin America has rich cultural traditions. And those traditions do influence a lot of things, from food to music to art.
We don't have enough time to get into all of the great Latin influences, but want to mention salsa. It's a sauce, a dance and a type of music.
That's right. Latin-American culture has had a big influence. And don't confuse it with Latin, an ancient language spoken by the Romans.
不曉得朋友們知不知道 Latin 拉丁語跟Latin-America 拉丁美洲之間有什麼樣的關係，Latin 是古羅馬帝國所使用的語言，雖然現在已經沒有人在使用了，但是從拉丁語發展而來的羅曼語系，像是西班牙語、法語和葡萄牙語，都是中南美洲人所使用的語言，因此，中南美洲才會被稱為Latin-America 拉丁美洲。
雖然Latin-America的文化相當有魅力，很多人有對它相當著迷，但是我們要知道拉丁美洲人並不會講 Latin，那是以前的羅馬人才會說的語言。
Language Lab
frequently adv. 頻繁地、經常地
happening often
- My neighbor’s kids are frequently seen at the park.
我經常在公園看到鄰居的小孩。
- Amy flies to Chicago frequently.
Amy 經常飛到芝加哥。
frequent adj. 常常發生的、經常發生的
- If you’re taking a test, making frequent trips to the bathroom would make you look suspicious.
考試中，如果一直跑廁所，會讓你看起來很可疑。
- Brent’s frequent visits to his grandmother’s house was the best part of his summer.
能夠經常探訪祖母對Brent而言是他暑期最棒的事。
partial adj. 部分的
/ˈpɑɚʃəl/
not complete or total
- Cynthia wasn’t very willing to talk, but she did at least give us a partial explanation of what had happened.
Cynthia 不願意多說，但是他至少有為發生的事解釋了一部分。
- The sales team’s partial success in their job performance this season has given its team members a bit of hope for the next season.
業務團隊因為這一季的部份成功表現，讓隊裡的成員對下一季感到有希望。
partial adj. 偏袒、偏向
tending to treat one person, group, or thing better than another
- I’m guessing Sara will pick the purple dress because she is partial to the color purple.
我猜Sara會挑選紫色的洋裝，因為她偏愛紫色。
- The referee claims he was being fair, but we all think he was partial to the other team.
裁判自稱他很公平，但是我們認為他偏袒另外一隊。
convey v. 表達
to make (something) known to someone
- It might be easier for you to convey your ideas if you use simpler vocabulary words.
你用簡單一點的生字，也許會讓你比較容易表達你的想法。
- I can tell Donna is feeling very emotional, but I have no clue what she is trying to convey.
我看得出Donna現在很情緒化，但是我對他想要表達的完全無頭緒。
convey v. 運送、傳送
to take or carry (someone or something) from one place to another : transport
- In the movie, a team of spies sneak into an enemy fortress to rescue a man before he gets conveyed to another location.
在影片裡，有一群特務潛進敵方的堡壘，要在某人被運送到另外一個地點之前，將他救出。
- The queen had her maid convey a message to her sister.
皇后命令她的女僕傳口信給她的皇妹。
translation n. 翻譯 (文字、書面)
words that have been changed from one language into a different language : words that have been translated
- I got a copy of that book in Spanish, but I think the translation is not as good as the English original.
那本書我有一本西班牙語版本，但是我認為那個翻譯不如英文的版本。
- We need someone who is not only bilingual but who can also do translation work quickly.
我們不但需要一位雙語人才，而且是一個很快就可以完成翻譯工作的人。
- It’s important to translate everything word for word.
把所有內容都逐字地翻譯出來是很重要的。
translate v.
to change words from one language into another language
- Greg doesn’t like to translate from English to Chinese.
Greg 不喜歡把英文翻譯成中文。
- Mr. Emmerson asked his secretary to translate the letter from English to French.
Emmerson 先生請他的秘書，幫他把信件從英文翻成法文。
👀watch video
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Student Summer Jobs (2)
Why? Won't your parents help with your university expenses?
They'll contribute, of course. But they told me they won't pay for everything.
Why not? They make an adequate amount of money don't they?
Yes, but they said I should learn to pay my own way.
They're right, I guess. And if you focus on your studies, you'll be able to do that!
They also say a summer job provides more than just money.
Like what?
Like work experience and the chance to develop important skills.
Important skills? Making hamburgers or cutting grass?
Hey, there's nothing wrong with jobs like those. They teach you to get along in the workplace and to be dependable. And they show that you can take responsibility.
Maybe. But my parents just want me to get top grades. That's my "job."
And that's fine if they can afford to pay for your education.
Hey, they can't afford not to if they want me to have a good career. Which they do.
Well, let's get in touch again in ten years and compare outcomes.
Sounds good. Well, have a great summer!
Info Cloud
inside job指內賊所犯下的案件
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I love watching movies, and I heard that Rex is a movie lover, too. What kind of movies do you like, Rex?
I like crime movies, especially the stories that have a criminal committing an inside job. And you're trying to figure out who it is. In the end, you're always very surprised when you finally know who the real criminal is.
Nice. Maybe we should explain what an inside job is. It is a very interesting expression.
Inside job refers to a crime committed by someone who is very closely related to the victim or the crime scene.
You can say that an inside job is committed by someone who is a traitor. The bank robbery was an inside job. The bank teller did it.
Here's another example. The information leak was an inside job. Someone from his company did it.
We do have to be very careful when we assume something to be an inside job. It could easily break trust and hurt people's feelings.
在一些犯罪電影中，我們經常會看到內賊犯案的故事情節，讓氣氛相當地懸疑刺激，英文可以用 inside job來形容這種罪行，inside 就是內部的、job是工作，但也可以用來形容犯罪行為。inside job 就是指內賊所犯下的案件，The bank robbery is an inside job. The bank teller did it. 這起銀行搶案是一起銀行行員所犯下的內賊案件。
Language Lab
contribute v. 捐獻 (金錢)
to give (something, such as money, goods, or time) to help a person, group, cause, or organization — usually + to or toward
- When everyone heard about Jeremy’s huge medical bill, they all decided to contribute some money to help him.
大家聽到Jeremy的龐大醫療費用的時候，大家就決定要捐一些錢來幫助他。
contribute v. 投稿
to write (something, such as a story, poem, or essay) for a magazine
- The writer occasionally contributes to the local newspaper.
那位作家偶爾會給當地的一家報社投稿。
contributor n. 捐錢的人、投稿的人
- We want to thank all our contributors for their generosity, this event would not have been possible without their support.
我們要謝謝所有的捐款者的慷慨捐獻，因為沒有他們的支持，這場活動是根本辦不了的。
contribution n. 捐獻、貢獻
something that is contributed: such as a : something that is given to help a person, a cause, etc.
b : something that is done to cause something to happen
- The scientist received an award for all this contributions to society.
那位科學家因為對社會的貢獻而獲得獎項。
adequate adj. 足夠的
enough for some need or requirement
- You might be watching your diet and getting a lot of exercise but you also need adequate rest.
你也許有在注意飲食，而且有在做運，但是你也需要足夠的睡眠。
- The office assistant did an adequate job preparing the meeting room.
辦公室助理為會議室所做的準備是足夠的。
adequately adv. (動作)合格的
- The family members of the patient are angry because they do not think the patient is adequately cared for by the hospital.
病患家屬很生氣，因為他們認為病患沒有得到醫院的妥善照顧。
- This movie does not adequately show what life was like in the concentration camp.
這部電影沒有完善地呈現出集中營裡的生活。
dependable adj. 可靠的
able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed : able to be depended on
- I would not take my car to that mechanic because he is not a dependable guy.
我不會把我的車交給那個修理廠的技術員，因為他人不可靠。
- These appliances are rather old, but they are still very dependable.
這些家電也許老舊，但是他還是很可靠。
dependent n. 需要依靠別人的人 (如: 需要別人的救濟或撫養) adj. 需要照顧
a person (such as a child) whose food, clothing, etc., you are responsible for providing
- Mr. Larson is working long hours because he needs a lot of money to support his dependents.
Larson 先生每天工作好幾個小時，因為他需要很多錢來撫養家人。
dependent adj. 需要照顧
needing someone or something else for support, help, etc.
- Mark doesn’t like to work with Nelly because she is unable to get anything done and is always dependent on him.
Mark 不喜歡跟Nelly工作，因為她無法完成任何事，而且非常依賴他。
outcome n. 後果、結果
something that happens as a result of an activity or process : result
- I just started reading the book, so please don’t tell me the outcome of the story!
我才剛開始讀那本書，請不要告訴我故試結果。
- No matter which card you pick, the magician still controls the outcome.
不管你選那張撲克牌，結果如何還是在魔術師的掌控下。
- The choice is not hard to make, you just need to decide which outcome works better for you.
要做決定其實不難，你只要知道清楚知道哪一個結果對你比較有利。
👀watch video
They'll contribute, of course. But they told me they won't pay for everything.
Why not? They make an adequate amount of money don't they?
Yes, but they said I should learn to pay my own way.
They're right, I guess. And if you focus on your studies, you'll be able to do that!
They also say a summer job provides more than just money.
Like what?
Like work experience and the chance to develop important skills.
Important skills? Making hamburgers or cutting grass?
Hey, there's nothing wrong with jobs like those. They teach you to get along in the workplace and to be dependable. And they show that you can take responsibility.
Maybe. But my parents just want me to get top grades. That's my "job."
And that's fine if they can afford to pay for your education.
Hey, they can't afford not to if they want me to have a good career. Which they do.
Well, let's get in touch again in ten years and compare outcomes.
Sounds good. Well, have a great summer!
Info Cloud
inside job指內賊所犯下的案件
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I love watching movies, and I heard that Rex is a movie lover, too. What kind of movies do you like, Rex?
I like crime movies, especially the stories that have a criminal committing an inside job. And you're trying to figure out who it is. In the end, you're always very surprised when you finally know who the real criminal is.
Nice. Maybe we should explain what an inside job is. It is a very interesting expression.
Inside job refers to a crime committed by someone who is very closely related to the victim or the crime scene.
You can say that an inside job is committed by someone who is a traitor. The bank robbery was an inside job. The bank teller did it.
Here's another example. The information leak was an inside job. Someone from his company did it.
We do have to be very careful when we assume something to be an inside job. It could easily break trust and hurt people's feelings.
在一些犯罪電影中，我們經常會看到內賊犯案的故事情節，讓氣氛相當地懸疑刺激，英文可以用 inside job來形容這種罪行，inside 就是內部的、job是工作，但也可以用來形容犯罪行為。inside job 就是指內賊所犯下的案件，The bank robbery is an inside job. The bank teller did it. 這起銀行搶案是一起銀行行員所犯下的內賊案件。
Language Lab
contribute v. 捐獻 (金錢)
to give (something, such as money, goods, or time) to help a person, group, cause, or organization — usually + to or toward
- When everyone heard about Jeremy’s huge medical bill, they all decided to contribute some money to help him.
大家聽到Jeremy的龐大醫療費用的時候，大家就決定要捐一些錢來幫助他。
contribute v. 投稿
to write (something, such as a story, poem, or essay) for a magazine
- The writer occasionally contributes to the local newspaper.
那位作家偶爾會給當地的一家報社投稿。
contributor n. 捐錢的人、投稿的人
- We want to thank all our contributors for their generosity, this event would not have been possible without their support.
我們要謝謝所有的捐款者的慷慨捐獻，因為沒有他們的支持，這場活動是根本辦不了的。
contribution n. 捐獻、貢獻
something that is contributed: such as a : something that is given to help a person, a cause, etc.
b : something that is done to cause something to happen
- The scientist received an award for all this contributions to society.
那位科學家因為對社會的貢獻而獲得獎項。
adequate adj. 足夠的
enough for some need or requirement
- You might be watching your diet and getting a lot of exercise but you also need adequate rest.
你也許有在注意飲食，而且有在做運，但是你也需要足夠的睡眠。
- The office assistant did an adequate job preparing the meeting room.
辦公室助理為會議室所做的準備是足夠的。
adequately adv. (動作)合格的
- The family members of the patient are angry because they do not think the patient is adequately cared for by the hospital.
病患家屬很生氣，因為他們認為病患沒有得到醫院的妥善照顧。
- This movie does not adequately show what life was like in the concentration camp.
這部電影沒有完善地呈現出集中營裡的生活。
dependable adj. 可靠的
able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed : able to be depended on
- I would not take my car to that mechanic because he is not a dependable guy.
我不會把我的車交給那個修理廠的技術員，因為他人不可靠。
- These appliances are rather old, but they are still very dependable.
這些家電也許老舊，但是他還是很可靠。
dependent n. 需要依靠別人的人 (如: 需要別人的救濟或撫養) adj. 需要照顧
a person (such as a child) whose food, clothing, etc., you are responsible for providing
- Mr. Larson is working long hours because he needs a lot of money to support his dependents.
Larson 先生每天工作好幾個小時，因為他需要很多錢來撫養家人。
dependent adj. 需要照顧
needing someone or something else for support, help, etc.
- Mark doesn’t like to work with Nelly because she is unable to get anything done and is always dependent on him.
Mark 不喜歡跟Nelly工作，因為她無法完成任何事，而且非常依賴他。
outcome n. 後果、結果
something that happens as a result of an activity or process : result
- I just started reading the book, so please don’t tell me the outcome of the story!
我才剛開始讀那本書，請不要告訴我故試結果。
- No matter which card you pick, the magician still controls the outcome.
不管你選那張撲克牌，結果如何還是在魔術師的掌控下。
- The choice is not hard to make, you just need to decide which outcome works better for you.
要做決定其實不難，你只要知道清楚知道哪一個結果對你比較有利。
👀watch video
Monday, June 22, 2020
Student Summer Jobs (1)
To work or not to work this summer?
暑期工作 今年暑假要不要打工呢？
Years ago, more than half of American teenagers had summer jobs. Since 2000, however, that number has gone down to about a quarter. The main reason for this is rising academic pressure. Many students are studying harder than ever, including through the summer. According to The Atlantic magazine, "Summer classes are the new summer job." That said, plenty of students still need summer work. The high cost of university education forces them into it. And there are a number of upsides if you have a summer job. So, to work or not to work this summer?
High school student's Leah and Terry discuss summer plans and future earnings.
What are you going to do after final exams, Leah?
I expect I'll be working. I'm looking for a summer job that pays well. How about you?
I'll be too busy to work. I'm taking a couple of language courses this summer.
Well, I'm taking a math course in the evening. But that won't stop me from getting a job.
Don't you want to have a good rest before your senior year?
I'd love to, but I can't afford it. If I can't save money from my summer job, I won't be able to attend university after high school.
Info Cloud
SAT(Scholastic Achievement Test) 學術能力測驗
ACT(American College Testing 美國大學測驗
Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. How many of you are stressed out about getting into a good school? Let's talk about that today.
When I think of getting into a good school in the U.S., I think about letters, the SAT or the ACT and your GPA.
The SAT stands for Scholastic Achievement Test. ACT stands for American College Testing. They are standard tests for college admissions.
GPA is Grade Point Average. It's the average point score for all of your grades. And you need to have good grades to get into a good school.
A perfect GPA looks great on a college application. But not all schools are the same. Some schools are much more difficult than others.
So that's why they have standardized tests. Standardized means the same test taken the same way by everyone.
Your SAT or ACT scores are very important as admissions to universities in the U.S. are highly influenced by your score.
If you don't get a good test score, you can take the test again. But it looks bad if your score is worse. So taking the test is very stressful.
在華人傳統社會中，曾經有過科舉制度，或是近代的高中或大學聯考。在美國，雖然沒有大學聯考，每一位高中生還是需要進行正規的大學入學測驗，像是SAT(Scholastic Achievement Test) 學術能力測驗，和ACT(American College Testing 美國大學測驗，測驗出來的分數就可以拿去申請大學，因此SAT跟ACT對於想要在美國讀書的學生來說，是非常重要的考試。
另外，在校期間，每個學生的GPA也是申請大學的主要評量項目之一。GPA就是Grade Point Average 學術成績的平均積點，也就是你所有科目加總起來的平均成績。如果要在申請美國的大學，SAT、ACT和GPA都是主要的評量項目。
Language Lab
academic adj. 形容一個人很聰明又很會唸書
of or relating to schools and education
academy n. 學院
a school that provides training in special subjects or skills
- Amelia’s parents sent her to a music academy.
Amelia的父母把她送到一所音樂學院。
academic adj. 跟學院/學校有關的
of or relating to schools and education
- Bobby’s academic life was making him depressed, so he decided to take a year off.
Bobby得學院生活讓他抑鬱不堪，因此他決定要休息一年。
- The teachers haven’t received the newest academic calendar and they are wondering what is going on.
老師們都還沒有收到最新的學校行事曆，所以開始懷疑發生了什麼事。
academic adj. 形容一個人很聰明又很會唸書
good at studying and at passing exams : good at academics
- If you want me to describe the kind of person Collin is, I would say he is very academic.
如果要我形容Collin是一個什麼樣的人，我會說他很會唸書。
upside n. 好處、優點
a part of something that is good or desirable : an advantage or benefit
- Things have been hard for Denise ever since she moved into the city, and she has to keep reminding herself the upsides to being in her new neighborhood.
Denise 搬到都市裡後，一直很難適應，而且得常常提醒自己住在新公寓的優點。
- There are many upsides to working for that company, and that is why a lot of people are looking for a job there.
在那家公司上班，有很多優點，因此有很多人會想在那裡工作。
downside n. 缺點、不利的因素
a part of something that you do not want or like : a drawback or disadvantage
- This job pays really well, but the downside is I have to work on weekends.
這個工作薪水很高，但是缺點是週末要上班。
- I like living in this neighborhood, but the downside is all the apartments here are very small.
我喜歡住在這個社區裡，但是住在這裡的缺點是所有的公寓都很小。
earnings n. 收入、薪資; 公司的利潤
money received as wages or gained as profit
- Gregory worked very hard all summer, but his earnings were not enough to pay all his bills. Gregory 辛苦工作了一整個夏天，但是他賺到的錢還是無法付掉所有的帳單。
- Investors were shocked to hear how low the company’s reported earnings were.
那家公司所報告的利潤非常低，讓投資客相當地驚訝。
earn v. 賺
to get (money, a salary, etc.) for work that you have done
- Henry wants to get a job, so he can earn some money and help his family.
Henry 想要找工作，為了賺錢好幫忙承擔家計。
earn v. 得到、獲得
to deserve or get (something) because of something you have done
- Mr. Irving has earned a reputation as a strict manager.
Irving 先生有非常嚴格的經理的名譽。
afford v. 做得到、承擔得起
to be able to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
- Emily really wants to take a family trip, but she can’t afford the time.
Emily 很想跟家人出外旅遊，但是她沒有時間。
- Mr. Fredickson is always very honest to his customers because he can’t afford to lose any of them.
Fredickson 都很誠實對待顧客，因為他承擔不起流失任何一位。
afford v. 買得起、付得起
to be able to pay for (something)
- I would love to but a new car, but I can’t afford it right now.
我很想買一部新車，但是我現在買不起。
afford v. 提供 (較正式)
to supply or provide (something needed or wanted) to someone
- This park affords some of the best hiking trails in the county.
這座公園提供縣裡面一些最好的步道。
👀watch video
暑期工作 今年暑假要不要打工呢？
Years ago, more than half of American teenagers had summer jobs. Since 2000, however, that number has gone down to about a quarter. The main reason for this is rising academic pressure. Many students are studying harder than ever, including through the summer. According to The Atlantic magazine, "Summer classes are the new summer job." That said, plenty of students still need summer work. The high cost of university education forces them into it. And there are a number of upsides if you have a summer job. So, to work or not to work this summer?
High school student's Leah and Terry discuss summer plans and future earnings.
What are you going to do after final exams, Leah?
I expect I'll be working. I'm looking for a summer job that pays well. How about you?
I'll be too busy to work. I'm taking a couple of language courses this summer.
Well, I'm taking a math course in the evening. But that won't stop me from getting a job.
Don't you want to have a good rest before your senior year?
I'd love to, but I can't afford it. If I can't save money from my summer job, I won't be able to attend university after high school.
Info Cloud
SAT(Scholastic Achievement Test) 學術能力測驗
ACT(American College Testing 美國大學測驗
Welcome to Info Cloud, everyone. How many of you are stressed out about getting into a good school? Let's talk about that today.
When I think of getting into a good school in the U.S., I think about letters, the SAT or the ACT and your GPA.
The SAT stands for Scholastic Achievement Test. ACT stands for American College Testing. They are standard tests for college admissions.
GPA is Grade Point Average. It's the average point score for all of your grades. And you need to have good grades to get into a good school.
A perfect GPA looks great on a college application. But not all schools are the same. Some schools are much more difficult than others.
So that's why they have standardized tests. Standardized means the same test taken the same way by everyone.
Your SAT or ACT scores are very important as admissions to universities in the U.S. are highly influenced by your score.
If you don't get a good test score, you can take the test again. But it looks bad if your score is worse. So taking the test is very stressful.
在華人傳統社會中，曾經有過科舉制度，或是近代的高中或大學聯考。在美國，雖然沒有大學聯考，每一位高中生還是需要進行正規的大學入學測驗，像是SAT(Scholastic Achievement Test) 學術能力測驗，和ACT(American College Testing 美國大學測驗，測驗出來的分數就可以拿去申請大學，因此SAT跟ACT對於想要在美國讀書的學生來說，是非常重要的考試。
另外，在校期間，每個學生的GPA也是申請大學的主要評量項目之一。GPA就是Grade Point Average 學術成績的平均積點，也就是你所有科目加總起來的平均成績。如果要在申請美國的大學，SAT、ACT和GPA都是主要的評量項目。
Language Lab
academic adj. 形容一個人很聰明又很會唸書
of or relating to schools and education
academy n. 學院
a school that provides training in special subjects or skills
- Amelia’s parents sent her to a music academy.
Amelia的父母把她送到一所音樂學院。
academic adj. 跟學院/學校有關的
of or relating to schools and education
- Bobby’s academic life was making him depressed, so he decided to take a year off.
Bobby得學院生活讓他抑鬱不堪，因此他決定要休息一年。
- The teachers haven’t received the newest academic calendar and they are wondering what is going on.
老師們都還沒有收到最新的學校行事曆，所以開始懷疑發生了什麼事。
academic adj. 形容一個人很聰明又很會唸書
good at studying and at passing exams : good at academics
- If you want me to describe the kind of person Collin is, I would say he is very academic.
如果要我形容Collin是一個什麼樣的人，我會說他很會唸書。
upside n. 好處、優點
a part of something that is good or desirable : an advantage or benefit
- Things have been hard for Denise ever since she moved into the city, and she has to keep reminding herself the upsides to being in her new neighborhood.
Denise 搬到都市裡後，一直很難適應，而且得常常提醒自己住在新公寓的優點。
- There are many upsides to working for that company, and that is why a lot of people are looking for a job there.
在那家公司上班，有很多優點，因此有很多人會想在那裡工作。
downside n. 缺點、不利的因素
a part of something that you do not want or like : a drawback or disadvantage
- This job pays really well, but the downside is I have to work on weekends.
這個工作薪水很高，但是缺點是週末要上班。
- I like living in this neighborhood, but the downside is all the apartments here are very small.
我喜歡住在這個社區裡，但是住在這裡的缺點是所有的公寓都很小。
earnings n. 收入、薪資; 公司的利潤
money received as wages or gained as profit
- Gregory worked very hard all summer, but his earnings were not enough to pay all his bills. Gregory 辛苦工作了一整個夏天，但是他賺到的錢還是無法付掉所有的帳單。
- Investors were shocked to hear how low the company’s reported earnings were.
那家公司所報告的利潤非常低，讓投資客相當地驚訝。
earn v. 賺
to get (money, a salary, etc.) for work that you have done
- Henry wants to get a job, so he can earn some money and help his family.
Henry 想要找工作，為了賺錢好幫忙承擔家計。
earn v. 得到、獲得
to deserve or get (something) because of something you have done
- Mr. Irving has earned a reputation as a strict manager.
Irving 先生有非常嚴格的經理的名譽。
afford v. 做得到、承擔得起
to be able to do (something) without having problems or being seriously harmed
- Emily really wants to take a family trip, but she can’t afford the time.
Emily 很想跟家人出外旅遊，但是她沒有時間。
- Mr. Fredickson is always very honest to his customers because he can’t afford to lose any of them.
Fredickson 都很誠實對待顧客，因為他承擔不起流失任何一位。
afford v. 買得起、付得起
to be able to pay for (something)
- I would love to but a new car, but I can’t afford it right now.
我很想買一部新車，但是我現在買不起。
afford v. 提供 (較正式)
to supply or provide (something needed or wanted) to someone
- This park affords some of the best hiking trails in the county.
這座公園提供縣裡面一些最好的步道。
👀watch video
Saturday, June 20, 2020
60-Second Habits for Personal Growth (2)
3. How you feel is not how things are
Growth stalls when you're not in the mood to invest in it. I tell myself when I'm in a bad mood that it's just a bad mood, and it reminds me that I don't actually have bigger problems. I have to power through and stay open to learn something new.
4. Be interested, not interesting
Before engaging in your next conversation, remind yourself to be interested in what the other person has to say, not focused on what you could say next.
5. Listen to understand, not to convince
When we're arguing for our point of view, we're often listening the least. We focus on trying to find flaws in the other's argument and statements to refute rather than keeping an open mind and trying to learn something from the other's perspective.
6. Start your week with three "What's"
Before you start work on Mondays, ask yourself three "What" questions and quickly answer them:"What do I need to learn this week to advance my business/professional goals? What do I want to learn to advance my cause? What am I interested to learn to feed my curiosity?" In one minute, you've prioritized your learning goals for the week.
A moment is all it takes spur on doses of personal growth.
Info Cloud
You learn something new every day. 你每天都會學到新的東西。
Never stop learning. 永遠不要停止學習。
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Anne Marie, why are you reading that Chinese dictionary on your phone?
Oh. I'm trying to improve my Chinese vocabulary. I remember when I was a little girl, my grandma used to say to me: You learn something new every day. So I try to learn a new Chinese word every day.
That's a great life lesson. And it goes right along with the phrase we want to talk about today : Never stop learning.
Some of you may have graduated high school or college recently. Even though you have a degree in your hand, remember that learning doesn't just happen in the classroom.
Whether you're working a job, enjoying a hobby or learning something new, there's always something you haven't learned yet.
Like learning a language. I've heard it said before that no one can ever be 100 percent fluent in their second language. That's why it's important to never stop learning.
I know I learn new things about the English language all the time.
And that's one way we hope to help all of our students here on Info Cloud. No matter where you are in your English journey, it's important that you never stop learning.
學習英文是很漫長的路，今天要跟大家分享兩個有關學習的正確觀念，第一個是 You learn something new every day. 你每天都會學到新的東西。有些人會覺得生活一成不變，好像沒什麼好學的，其實如果仔細地觀察你身旁的微小細節，你就能夠 learn something new every day.
第二個要跟大家分享的學習觀念是 Never stop learning. 永遠不要停止學習。很多人年紀大了就會開始害怕接觸新的事物，尤其是科技類的產品，但是活到老、學到老是非常重要的態度和觀念。另一方面，也有很多年輕人因為對自己沒有信心，而放棄學習，這也是非常可惜的。因此今天就用這兩句英文 You learn something new every day. 還有 Never stop learning. 來鼓勵大家。
Language Lab
power through ph v. 持續地堅持、堅定到底
to continue in a strong and determined way until the end of something, even when this is difficult
- It has been a tough semester for Isabel, but she is telling herself to just power through and not give up.
這個學期對 Isabel 很辛苦的，但是她有跟自己說要堅定到底，而且不要放棄。
- Mr. Jackson was able to encourage everyone in his company to work together and power through the economic slump.
Jackson 先生鼓勵公司的每一位員工要團結，並堅定到底，度過經濟蕭條的時期。
- Kloe had been sick and working two jobs, but she still managed to power through and complete her studies.
Kloe 雖然生了病又兼了兩份工作，但是他還是堅定到底，完成他的學業。
engage v. 參予
engage in (something) : to do (something)
- The two rival professors have agreed to engage in a discussion.
兩位互相競爭的教授同意要參予討論。
engaged adj. 訂婚
promised to be married
- Lucy is engaged to a rich banker.
Lucy 跟一位很有錢的銀行家訂了婚。
engage v. 抓住注意力
to get and keep (someone's attention, interest, etc.)
- This is the perfect game for your kids, because it will engage them.
這個遊戲最適合你的孩子們，因為他們可以抓住他們的注意力。
engage v. 雇用、聘用
to hire (someone) to perform a particular service
- We engaged a lawyer to help us understand what our legal options are.
我們請一位律師來幫助我們瞭解我們在法律上有哪些選擇。
flaw n. 錯誤
/ˈflɑː/
a small fault or weakness
- Marcus is preparing a very fancy presentation, but his arguments are full of flaws.
Marcus 再準備一個很炫的演說，但是他的論點有很多錯誤。
flaw n. 瑕疵
a small physical problem (such as a crack) that makes something less valuable : defect
- The vase looks beautiful on this side, but if you look on the other side, you will see a flaw.
這個花瓶看起來很美，但是從另一面看，可以看到瑕疵。
flaw n. 缺點
a small fault or weakness
- No one is perfect, and we all have our flaws.
沒有人是完美的，我們每一位都有我們的缺點。
flawed adj. 使某個東西變得有瑕疵或有缺點
/ˈflɑːd/
having a mistake, fault, or weakness
- The professor’s research was flawed by his use of inaccurate measurements.
教授的研究出現錯誤，因為他用了不正確的測量方式。
spur on [ph v] 鼓勵
/ˈspɚ/
to encourage (someone) to do or achieve something
- It was hard for Victor to finish the race, but he was glad he had his friends and family to spur him on.
對Victor 而言，要完成比賽是很不容易的事，但是他很感謝他的朋友及家人為他打氣。
- After working out for a whole month at the gym, Xavier’s weight loss has spurred him on.
經過一個月在健身房的鍛鍊，Xavier的成功的減重讓他獲得更多的激勵。
spur n. 馬刺
a sharp pointed object that is attached to the heel of a horse rider's boot and that is pressed into the horse's side to make the horse go faster
- A horse rider uses spurs to direct the horse.
騎士會用馬刺來控制馬匹。
spur v. 用馬刺來控制一匹馬
to urge (a horse) to go faster by pushing spurs into its sides
- The horse was spurred by his rider and it started to go faster.
馬被牠騎士的馬刺激後，就開始快跑。
👀watch video
Growth stalls when you're not in the mood to invest in it. I tell myself when I'm in a bad mood that it's just a bad mood, and it reminds me that I don't actually have bigger problems. I have to power through and stay open to learn something new.
4. Be interested, not interesting
Before engaging in your next conversation, remind yourself to be interested in what the other person has to say, not focused on what you could say next.
5. Listen to understand, not to convince
When we're arguing for our point of view, we're often listening the least. We focus on trying to find flaws in the other's argument and statements to refute rather than keeping an open mind and trying to learn something from the other's perspective.
6. Start your week with three "What's"
Before you start work on Mondays, ask yourself three "What" questions and quickly answer them:"What do I need to learn this week to advance my business/professional goals? What do I want to learn to advance my cause? What am I interested to learn to feed my curiosity?" In one minute, you've prioritized your learning goals for the week.
A moment is all it takes spur on doses of personal growth.
Info Cloud
You learn something new every day. 你每天都會學到新的東西。
Never stop learning. 永遠不要停止學習。
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Anne Marie, why are you reading that Chinese dictionary on your phone?
Oh. I'm trying to improve my Chinese vocabulary. I remember when I was a little girl, my grandma used to say to me: You learn something new every day. So I try to learn a new Chinese word every day.
That's a great life lesson. And it goes right along with the phrase we want to talk about today : Never stop learning.
Some of you may have graduated high school or college recently. Even though you have a degree in your hand, remember that learning doesn't just happen in the classroom.
Whether you're working a job, enjoying a hobby or learning something new, there's always something you haven't learned yet.
Like learning a language. I've heard it said before that no one can ever be 100 percent fluent in their second language. That's why it's important to never stop learning.
I know I learn new things about the English language all the time.
And that's one way we hope to help all of our students here on Info Cloud. No matter where you are in your English journey, it's important that you never stop learning.
學習英文是很漫長的路，今天要跟大家分享兩個有關學習的正確觀念，第一個是 You learn something new every day. 你每天都會學到新的東西。有些人會覺得生活一成不變，好像沒什麼好學的，其實如果仔細地觀察你身旁的微小細節，你就能夠 learn something new every day.
第二個要跟大家分享的學習觀念是 Never stop learning. 永遠不要停止學習。很多人年紀大了就會開始害怕接觸新的事物，尤其是科技類的產品，但是活到老、學到老是非常重要的態度和觀念。另一方面，也有很多年輕人因為對自己沒有信心，而放棄學習，這也是非常可惜的。因此今天就用這兩句英文 You learn something new every day. 還有 Never stop learning. 來鼓勵大家。
Language Lab
power through ph v. 持續地堅持、堅定到底
to continue in a strong and determined way until the end of something, even when this is difficult
- It has been a tough semester for Isabel, but she is telling herself to just power through and not give up.
這個學期對 Isabel 很辛苦的，但是她有跟自己說要堅定到底，而且不要放棄。
- Mr. Jackson was able to encourage everyone in his company to work together and power through the economic slump.
Jackson 先生鼓勵公司的每一位員工要團結，並堅定到底，度過經濟蕭條的時期。
- Kloe had been sick and working two jobs, but she still managed to power through and complete her studies.
Kloe 雖然生了病又兼了兩份工作，但是他還是堅定到底，完成他的學業。
engage v. 參予
engage in (something) : to do (something)
- The two rival professors have agreed to engage in a discussion.
兩位互相競爭的教授同意要參予討論。
engaged adj. 訂婚
promised to be married
- Lucy is engaged to a rich banker.
Lucy 跟一位很有錢的銀行家訂了婚。
engage v. 抓住注意力
to get and keep (someone's attention, interest, etc.)
- This is the perfect game for your kids, because it will engage them.
這個遊戲最適合你的孩子們，因為他們可以抓住他們的注意力。
engage v. 雇用、聘用
to hire (someone) to perform a particular service
- We engaged a lawyer to help us understand what our legal options are.
我們請一位律師來幫助我們瞭解我們在法律上有哪些選擇。
flaw n. 錯誤
/ˈflɑː/
a small fault or weakness
- Marcus is preparing a very fancy presentation, but his arguments are full of flaws.
Marcus 再準備一個很炫的演說，但是他的論點有很多錯誤。
flaw n. 瑕疵
a small physical problem (such as a crack) that makes something less valuable : defect
- The vase looks beautiful on this side, but if you look on the other side, you will see a flaw.
這個花瓶看起來很美，但是從另一面看，可以看到瑕疵。
flaw n. 缺點
a small fault or weakness
- No one is perfect, and we all have our flaws.
沒有人是完美的，我們每一位都有我們的缺點。
flawed adj. 使某個東西變得有瑕疵或有缺點
/ˈflɑːd/
having a mistake, fault, or weakness
- The professor’s research was flawed by his use of inaccurate measurements.
教授的研究出現錯誤，因為他用了不正確的測量方式。
spur on [ph v] 鼓勵
/ˈspɚ/
to encourage (someone) to do or achieve something
- It was hard for Victor to finish the race, but he was glad he had his friends and family to spur him on.
對Victor 而言，要完成比賽是很不容易的事，但是他很感謝他的朋友及家人為他打氣。
- After working out for a whole month at the gym, Xavier’s weight loss has spurred him on.
經過一個月在健身房的鍛鍊，Xavier的成功的減重讓他獲得更多的激勵。
spur n. 馬刺
a sharp pointed object that is attached to the heel of a horse rider's boot and that is pressed into the horse's side to make the horse go faster
- A horse rider uses spurs to direct the horse.
騎士會用馬刺來控制馬匹。
spur v. 用馬刺來控制一匹馬
to urge (a horse) to go faster by pushing spurs into its sides
- The horse was spurred by his rider and it started to go faster.
馬被牠騎士的馬刺激後，就開始快跑。
👀watch video
Friday, June 19, 2020
60-Second Habits for Personal Growth (1)
Six quick ways of amping up personal growth
60秒成長法 六個快速促進個人 成長的方法
Anyone working in a business can benefit from personal growth. There's much to learn when you start your own thing and often there's so little feedback. Personal growth includes growth as a leader and businessperson because it means you're expanding your overall capacity for learning, adapting and fostering change.
Not all personal growth has to be lengthy processes. Sometimes quick strike efforts suffice. I reconnected with personal growth once I left my corporate job and dove into my own entrepreneurial venture.
Combining this experience [with] coaching people like me who left corporate to become an entrepreneur, I can share six quick hacks for enabling personal growth.
1. What good and great looks like
Before engaging in an important project or task, take 60 seconds to ask a mentor or boss to clarify the difference between good and great.
If the definition of great is such that it requires you learning new things, you just built yourself a mini-learning plan. Growth will follow.
2. Emphasize assets
The next time you find yourself about to face a daunting challenge, remind yourself of all the assets you have, like your strengths and your experience. Resist the temptation to focus on the things you don't have.
Growth happens when we build up from a place of possibility, not tear down from a place of pessimism.
Info Cloud
build up 形容建造人的信心
build up 表達炒作的行為
tear down 拆毀，通常是用來形容一個人的信心被拆毀了
Hello. And welcome to Info Cloud. Today we'd like to talk about how you can build someone up.
If you build up something, you slowly increase something like your vocabulary or strengthen. It also means to encourage or say good things about something.
You know, everyone really built up how good the last Star Wars movie was, but I really didn't enjoy it so much.
Anne Marie just gave a good example of how sometimes things get built up but are then actually a disappointment.
When people are feeling discouraged, you can try to build them up by talking about how good they are at something.
When I coach people for performing in public, everyone has to overcome their fear. I try to build up my students with encouragement.
Now the opposite of building someone up is tearing someone down. This is usually a very terrible experience for people.
If someone you admire - like a teacher or a parent or friend - tears you down , it can be an awful experience.
The only way that it could be good for you is if they are trying to tear you down before they build you up.
That's the practice of making your bad habits really obvious so that you can replace them with good ones.
But I think it's better to teach people with encouragements.
今天要跟大家分享兩個很簡單明瞭的用語，第一個是 build up，字面上是建造。build up 通常是用來形容建造人的信心，像是說一些正面的話來鼓勵一些人，I try to build up my students with encouragement. 我試著鼓勵我的學生們建造他們的信心。
另外，build up 也可以用來表達炒作的行為，像是 People built up how good this movie was. 很多人都說這部電影有多棒、有多好，把它評價的很高，言下之意就是: 這部電影其實沒有那麼好。
除了build up之外，第二個要介紹的是 tear down 拆毀，通常是用來形容一個人的信心被拆毀了。When a teacher tears you down, it’s very painful. 當一位老師把你批評地體無完膚，這是很痛苦的經歷。因此，我們要多跟人說正面鼓勵的話。
Language Lab
foster v. 培養、促進
to help (something) grow or develop
- The science museum provides an environment that fosters learning.
科學博物館提供一個會促進學習的環境。
- The government is pushing for policies that foster economic opportunities.
政府在推動一個可以促進經濟發展的政策。
foster v. 收養、代養
to provide the care that a parent usually gives to a child : to be or become the foster parent of a child
- Since Anita doesn’t have any children, she has decided to foster one.
Anita 因為沒有她自己的小孩，所以決定要收養一位。
foster adj. 跟代養、寄養有關的
— used to describe a situation in which for a period of time a child lives with and is cared for by people who are not the child's parents
- Brent was eventually adopted by his foster parents.
Brent 最後是被他的養父養母領養。
venture n. 有風險的商業活動或是商業機會
/ˈvɛntʃɚ/
a new activity, project, business, etc., that typically involves risk
- Ever since Cedric heard about business venture, he has wondered if it is time for him to try something different.
自從 Cedric 聽到那個商業機會，他就不停地思考是否該嘗試不一樣的工作。
- Don joined the business venture last year, and now he is trying to find a way to get out of it.
Don 去年加入這個商業機會，現在正試著找個方法退出。
venture v. 冒險去做一件事
/ˈvɛntʃɚ/
always followed by an adverb or preposition, [no object] : to go somewhere that is unknown, dangerous, etc.
- After being sick in bed for a very long time, Ethan is finally well enough to venture outside.
Ethan 臥病在床很久，但他終於有好一點，可以外出去看看。
venture v. 冒昧地說
to do, say, or offer something (such as a guess or an opinion) even though you are not sure about it
- The intern did not venture to ask his supervisor any questions but chose to stay quiet through the whole meeting.
實習生不敢問他主管任何問題，而選擇在會議中靜靜地坐著。
asset n. 優點、長處
/ˈæˌsɛt/
- Before looking for a job, think about your assets and what you’re really good at.
在找工作之前，想想你有什麼優點，還有你擅於什麼方面的工作。
- Know yourself and use your assets, don’t copy someone else.
認識自己並善用自己的長處，不要模仿別人。
asset n. 一位有用的人或寶貴的人才
a valuable person or thing
- Freddy has been a major asset to this company, and we are sorry to hear that he is leaving us.
Freddy 是我們公司寶貴的人才，而聽到消息說他要離開，真的讓人很難過。
asset n. 資產
something that is owned by a person, company, etc. — usually plural
- The silver mine is probably the little town’s greatest asset.
那座小鎮最大的資產，大概就是他們的銀礦。
pessimism n. 悲觀的情緒或悲觀的看法
/ˈpɛsəˌmɪzəm/
a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future : a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
- It is hard to motivate the team when everyone is trapped in pessimism.
當每一個人都陷於悲觀情緒時，是很難激勵整個團隊的。
- George has refused to give in to pessimism and continues to see things in a positive way.
George 拒絕與悲觀妥協，而繼續以正面的角度看待事情。
pessimistic adj. 悲觀的
/ˌpɛsəˈmɪstɪk/
having or showing a lack of hope for the future : expecting bad things to happen
- I know our team is not doing well in the game right now, but let’s not be so pessimistic!
我知道我們的球隊現在在這場比賽還表現不理想，但是我們沒必要那麼悲觀。
pessimist n.悲觀的人
/ˈpɛsəmɪst/
a person who usually expects bad things to happen
- Nobody wants to work with Herbert because he is such a pessimist who says very depressing things.
沒有人想跟Herbert合作， 因為他很悲觀又會講非常令人沮喪的話。
👀watch video
60秒成長法 六個快速促進個人 成長的方法
Anyone working in a business can benefit from personal growth. There's much to learn when you start your own thing and often there's so little feedback. Personal growth includes growth as a leader and businessperson because it means you're expanding your overall capacity for learning, adapting and fostering change.
Not all personal growth has to be lengthy processes. Sometimes quick strike efforts suffice. I reconnected with personal growth once I left my corporate job and dove into my own entrepreneurial venture.
Combining this experience [with] coaching people like me who left corporate to become an entrepreneur, I can share six quick hacks for enabling personal growth.
1. What good and great looks like
Before engaging in an important project or task, take 60 seconds to ask a mentor or boss to clarify the difference between good and great.
If the definition of great is such that it requires you learning new things, you just built yourself a mini-learning plan. Growth will follow.
2. Emphasize assets
The next time you find yourself about to face a daunting challenge, remind yourself of all the assets you have, like your strengths and your experience. Resist the temptation to focus on the things you don't have.
Growth happens when we build up from a place of possibility, not tear down from a place of pessimism.
Info Cloud
build up 形容建造人的信心
build up 表達炒作的行為
tear down 拆毀，通常是用來形容一個人的信心被拆毀了
Hello. And welcome to Info Cloud. Today we'd like to talk about how you can build someone up.
If you build up something, you slowly increase something like your vocabulary or strengthen. It also means to encourage or say good things about something.
You know, everyone really built up how good the last Star Wars movie was, but I really didn't enjoy it so much.
Anne Marie just gave a good example of how sometimes things get built up but are then actually a disappointment.
When people are feeling discouraged, you can try to build them up by talking about how good they are at something.
When I coach people for performing in public, everyone has to overcome their fear. I try to build up my students with encouragement.
Now the opposite of building someone up is tearing someone down. This is usually a very terrible experience for people.
If someone you admire - like a teacher or a parent or friend - tears you down , it can be an awful experience.
The only way that it could be good for you is if they are trying to tear you down before they build you up.
That's the practice of making your bad habits really obvious so that you can replace them with good ones.
But I think it's better to teach people with encouragements.
今天要跟大家分享兩個很簡單明瞭的用語，第一個是 build up，字面上是建造。build up 通常是用來形容建造人的信心，像是說一些正面的話來鼓勵一些人，I try to build up my students with encouragement. 我試著鼓勵我的學生們建造他們的信心。
另外，build up 也可以用來表達炒作的行為，像是 People built up how good this movie was. 很多人都說這部電影有多棒、有多好，把它評價的很高，言下之意就是: 這部電影其實沒有那麼好。
除了build up之外，第二個要介紹的是 tear down 拆毀，通常是用來形容一個人的信心被拆毀了。When a teacher tears you down, it’s very painful. 當一位老師把你批評地體無完膚，這是很痛苦的經歷。因此，我們要多跟人說正面鼓勵的話。
Language Lab
foster v. 培養、促進
to help (something) grow or develop
- The science museum provides an environment that fosters learning.
科學博物館提供一個會促進學習的環境。
- The government is pushing for policies that foster economic opportunities.
政府在推動一個可以促進經濟發展的政策。
foster v. 收養、代養
to provide the care that a parent usually gives to a child : to be or become the foster parent of a child
- Since Anita doesn’t have any children, she has decided to foster one.
Anita 因為沒有她自己的小孩，所以決定要收養一位。
foster adj. 跟代養、寄養有關的
— used to describe a situation in which for a period of time a child lives with and is cared for by people who are not the child's parents
- Brent was eventually adopted by his foster parents.
Brent 最後是被他的養父養母領養。
venture n. 有風險的商業活動或是商業機會
/ˈvɛntʃɚ/
a new activity, project, business, etc., that typically involves risk
- Ever since Cedric heard about business venture, he has wondered if it is time for him to try something different.
自從 Cedric 聽到那個商業機會，他就不停地思考是否該嘗試不一樣的工作。
- Don joined the business venture last year, and now he is trying to find a way to get out of it.
Don 去年加入這個商業機會，現在正試著找個方法退出。
venture v. 冒險去做一件事
/ˈvɛntʃɚ/
always followed by an adverb or preposition, [no object] : to go somewhere that is unknown, dangerous, etc.
- After being sick in bed for a very long time, Ethan is finally well enough to venture outside.
Ethan 臥病在床很久，但他終於有好一點，可以外出去看看。
venture v. 冒昧地說
to do, say, or offer something (such as a guess or an opinion) even though you are not sure about it
- The intern did not venture to ask his supervisor any questions but chose to stay quiet through the whole meeting.
實習生不敢問他主管任何問題，而選擇在會議中靜靜地坐著。
asset n. 優點、長處
/ˈæˌsɛt/
- Before looking for a job, think about your assets and what you’re really good at.
在找工作之前，想想你有什麼優點，還有你擅於什麼方面的工作。
- Know yourself and use your assets, don’t copy someone else.
認識自己並善用自己的長處，不要模仿別人。
asset n. 一位有用的人或寶貴的人才
a valuable person or thing
- Freddy has been a major asset to this company, and we are sorry to hear that he is leaving us.
Freddy 是我們公司寶貴的人才，而聽到消息說他要離開，真的讓人很難過。
asset n. 資產
something that is owned by a person, company, etc. — usually plural
- The silver mine is probably the little town’s greatest asset.
那座小鎮最大的資產，大概就是他們的銀礦。
pessimism n. 悲觀的情緒或悲觀的看法
/ˈpɛsəˌmɪzəm/
a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future : a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
- It is hard to motivate the team when everyone is trapped in pessimism.
當每一個人都陷於悲觀情緒時，是很難激勵整個團隊的。
- George has refused to give in to pessimism and continues to see things in a positive way.
George 拒絕與悲觀妥協，而繼續以正面的角度看待事情。
pessimistic adj. 悲觀的
/ˌpɛsəˈmɪstɪk/
having or showing a lack of hope for the future : expecting bad things to happen
- I know our team is not doing well in the game right now, but let’s not be so pessimistic!
我知道我們的球隊現在在這場比賽還表現不理想，但是我們沒必要那麼悲觀。
pessimist n.悲觀的人
/ˈpɛsəmɪst/
a person who usually expects bad things to happen
- Nobody wants to work with Herbert because he is such a pessimist who says very depressing things.
沒有人想跟Herbert合作， 因為他很悲觀又會講非常令人沮喪的話。
👀watch video
Thursday, June 18, 2020
John Legend (2)
After college Stephens worked as a business consultant during the day. At night he played music, meeting many big-name musicians along the way. When he met and began writing music with Kanye West in 2001, a music career suddenly possible. During this same time period, someone told Stephens that he sang "like one of the [musical] legends." Shortly afterward, he adopted the performing name "John Legend."
In 2004 he released his first album and won his first Grammy Award! Since then he has collected nine more.
In 2018 Legend became one of the youngest people - and the first African-American man - to complete an EGOT.
Legend has used his fame to help those in need and to promote school reform. Today he is involved in a large number of charitable organizations.
Despite all of Legend's accomplishments, he seems to have remained humble. On his album, Darkness and Light, he sang, "Legend is just a name; I know better than to be so proud." In reality, though, the accomplished musician has lived up to his name and become a legend in his own time.
Info Cloud
bragging rights 自誇的權利
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Today we want to teach the phrase, bragging rights.
To brag means to be so proud of something that you tell others about it. Bragging is seen in a negative light.
A person can even be called a brag if they are usually going around bragging about things they have or stuff they've done.
However, when someone has bragging rights, it means they have informal permission to be proud of an accomplishment. They're free to feel good about it or even brag about it.
For example, Susie has been training for that marathon all year. She won the race fair and square. She gets bragging rights until the next one.
Here's another one. Simon's essay was selected to be printed in the newspaper. Now he has the bragging rights of being the only one from our class to have their work in print.
Winning first prize, being the best at something or working hard to achieve your goals are all reasons someone could have bragging rights.
我們對喜歡自誇自擂的人，都有一種負面的印象，但是如果這個人有了 bragging rights 自誇的權利，那就不一樣了。雖然我們不喜歡聽到有人炫耀，但是一個人如果有 bragging rights，那就代表他曾經做出一些努力，讓他有權利驕傲一下。Susie worked hard, and she has bragging rights for her success. Susie 很努力，她有權利誇耀一下自己的成功。雖然 bragging 自誇有種負面的涵義，但是如果說一個人有 bragging rights，其實有種肯定他的意味。
Language Lab
consultant n. 顧問
a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee
- The company hired a financial consultant to help them with their money problems.
公司請來了一位財政顧問，來幫忙處理他們的財務問題。
- Mr. Franklin not only teaches English at the university but is also the English consultant for a local company.
Franklin 先生不但在大學裡教英文，也是當地的一家公司的英文顧問。
consult v. 請教、詢問
to go to (someone, such as a doctor or lawyer) for advice : to ask for the professional opinion of (someone)
- Please consult your doctor before you start taking these vitamins.
在你開始服用這些維他命之前，請詢問你的醫生。
consultation n. 協商、諮詢
a meeting in which someone (such as a doctor or lawyer) talks to a person about a problem, question, etc.
- After Greg’s consultation with his lawyers, he has a better understanding of his rights.
Greg跟律師協商後，就比較瞭解他的權利範圍。
big-name adj. 有名的 (較不正式)
a very famous person
- Even though Harvey’s brothers all went to big-name universities, Harvey chose to go to a small college instead.
Harvey的哥哥們都去讀有名的大學，但是Harvey 卻選擇去讀一所小學院。
- Ian hopes a big-name company will be interested in his invention.
Ian 希望會有一家有名的大公司對他所發明的東西有興趣。
big name n ph. 重量級人物或名人
- If there are no big names at the party, then Jason won’t go.
如果宴會沒有名人參加，那麼Jason 就會不想去。
- This event is supported by several big names in the fashion industry.
這場活動有幾位時裝業名人的支持。
reform n. 一個系統的改進或改革
the improvement of something by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.
- The governor’s promise of reform brought hope to the people.
州長承諾會改革，讓人們感到有希望。
- Although the king tried to bring social reform, he did not have the support of his officials.
國王雖然試著帶來社會改革，但是他卻沒有官員們的支持。
reform v. 一個系統的改進或改革
to improve (someone or something) by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.
- The boss has hired a new manager to reform the structure of the company.
老闆請了一位新的經理，來改進公司的制度。
- Although the principal had big plans to change the academy, she failed to reform its academic structure.
校長雖然有計畫要大大地改變學院，但是他終究還是無法改進學院的學制。
accomplished adj. 非常熟練的、技術高超的
very skillful : having or showing the skill of an expert
- Everyone in the company was surprised to find out that their boss was actually an accomplished pianist.
公司所有的員工得知他們的老闆，是一位非常有才藝的鋼琴師的時候，都感到很驚訝。
- It is our honor to have such an accomplished scientist come and give us a presentation this morning.
今早能夠有這麼傑出的科學家來到我們這裡做演講，是我們的榮幸。
accomplish v. 完成
to succeed in doing (something)
- Kendra is frustrated because she has accomplished nothing today.
Kendra 感到氣餒，因為她今天沒有完成任何一件事。
accomplishment n. 成就
something done, achieved, or accomplished successfully
- The university gave the professor a special award for all his accomplishments.
那所大學因為教授的種種成就而頒贈他一個特別的獎項。
👀watch video
In 2004 he released his first album and won his first Grammy Award! Since then he has collected nine more.
In 2018 Legend became one of the youngest people - and the first African-American man - to complete an EGOT.
Legend has used his fame to help those in need and to promote school reform. Today he is involved in a large number of charitable organizations.
Despite all of Legend's accomplishments, he seems to have remained humble. On his album, Darkness and Light, he sang, "Legend is just a name; I know better than to be so proud." In reality, though, the accomplished musician has lived up to his name and become a legend in his own time.
Info Cloud
bragging rights 自誇的權利
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Today we want to teach the phrase, bragging rights.
To brag means to be so proud of something that you tell others about it. Bragging is seen in a negative light.
A person can even be called a brag if they are usually going around bragging about things they have or stuff they've done.
However, when someone has bragging rights, it means they have informal permission to be proud of an accomplishment. They're free to feel good about it or even brag about it.
For example, Susie has been training for that marathon all year. She won the race fair and square. She gets bragging rights until the next one.
Here's another one. Simon's essay was selected to be printed in the newspaper. Now he has the bragging rights of being the only one from our class to have their work in print.
Winning first prize, being the best at something or working hard to achieve your goals are all reasons someone could have bragging rights.
我們對喜歡自誇自擂的人，都有一種負面的印象，但是如果這個人有了 bragging rights 自誇的權利，那就不一樣了。雖然我們不喜歡聽到有人炫耀，但是一個人如果有 bragging rights，那就代表他曾經做出一些努力，讓他有權利驕傲一下。Susie worked hard, and she has bragging rights for her success. Susie 很努力，她有權利誇耀一下自己的成功。雖然 bragging 自誇有種負面的涵義，但是如果說一個人有 bragging rights，其實有種肯定他的意味。
Language Lab
consultant n. 顧問
a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee
- The company hired a financial consultant to help them with their money problems.
公司請來了一位財政顧問，來幫忙處理他們的財務問題。
- Mr. Franklin not only teaches English at the university but is also the English consultant for a local company.
Franklin 先生不但在大學裡教英文，也是當地的一家公司的英文顧問。
consult v. 請教、詢問
to go to (someone, such as a doctor or lawyer) for advice : to ask for the professional opinion of (someone)
- Please consult your doctor before you start taking these vitamins.
在你開始服用這些維他命之前，請詢問你的醫生。
consultation n. 協商、諮詢
a meeting in which someone (such as a doctor or lawyer) talks to a person about a problem, question, etc.
- After Greg’s consultation with his lawyers, he has a better understanding of his rights.
Greg跟律師協商後，就比較瞭解他的權利範圍。
big-name adj. 有名的 (較不正式)
a very famous person
- Even though Harvey’s brothers all went to big-name universities, Harvey chose to go to a small college instead.
Harvey的哥哥們都去讀有名的大學，但是Harvey 卻選擇去讀一所小學院。
- Ian hopes a big-name company will be interested in his invention.
Ian 希望會有一家有名的大公司對他所發明的東西有興趣。
big name n ph. 重量級人物或名人
- If there are no big names at the party, then Jason won’t go.
如果宴會沒有名人參加，那麼Jason 就會不想去。
- This event is supported by several big names in the fashion industry.
這場活動有幾位時裝業名人的支持。
reform n. 一個系統的改進或改革
the improvement of something by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.
- The governor’s promise of reform brought hope to the people.
州長承諾會改革，讓人們感到有希望。
- Although the king tried to bring social reform, he did not have the support of his officials.
國王雖然試著帶來社會改革，但是他卻沒有官員們的支持。
reform v. 一個系統的改進或改革
to improve (someone or something) by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.
- The boss has hired a new manager to reform the structure of the company.
老闆請了一位新的經理，來改進公司的制度。
- Although the principal had big plans to change the academy, she failed to reform its academic structure.
校長雖然有計畫要大大地改變學院，但是他終究還是無法改進學院的學制。
accomplished adj. 非常熟練的、技術高超的
very skillful : having or showing the skill of an expert
- Everyone in the company was surprised to find out that their boss was actually an accomplished pianist.
公司所有的員工得知他們的老闆，是一位非常有才藝的鋼琴師的時候，都感到很驚訝。
- It is our honor to have such an accomplished scientist come and give us a presentation this morning.
今早能夠有這麼傑出的科學家來到我們這裡做演講，是我們的榮幸。
accomplish v. 完成
to succeed in doing (something)
- Kendra is frustrated because she has accomplished nothing today.
Kendra 感到氣餒，因為她今天沒有完成任何一件事。
accomplishment n. 成就
something done, achieved, or accomplished successfully
- The university gave the professor a special award for all his accomplishments.
那所大學因為教授的種種成就而頒贈他一個特別的獎項。
👀watch video
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
John Legend (1)
His amazing success has enabled him to help those in need
約翰?傳奇 斐然成就使他得以幫助貧困的人
From child prodigy to entertainment all-star, award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend makes success look easy. His background provides plenty of reasons for his musical abilities.
He was born John Stephens on December 28, 1978, into a very musical family, all active participants in the church. John's grandmother played the organ, his mother directed the church choir and his father and brother played the drums.
During John's boyhood, his dad worked in a factory, and John's mother taught him at home for a few years. His grandmother discovered the child's musical genius when he was 4 and began to give him piano lessons. By age 6, he was singing in the church choir. According to John, "I knew from a pretty early age that I wanted to keep [making music]."
In addition to his love of music, he had a tremendous desire to learn. He excelled at school, skipped two grades and entered high school at age 12. And at the age of 16, he graduated second in his class. Stephens received offers from Harvard and scholarships from Georgetown University. But he chose to study English at the University of Pennsylvania.
Info Cloud
preach to the choir: phrase. If you say that someone is preaching to the choir, you mean that they are presenting an argument or opinion to people who already agree with it.
Hello, everyone. And welcome to Info Cloud. Have you ever been inside a church?
Going to church on Sundays is a big part of American culture. And we have several English idioms that come from this experience.
I know one. It's preaching to the choir. That means you're sharing an opinion with people who already agree with you.
Let's talk about some of the words in this phrase. First of all, in church, there is a lot of singing.
Many churches have a choir or a group that sings during the worship service. They often stand on stage and may even wear matching robes.
Have you ever sung in a choir before, Rex? Yes, I have. Another important word in the phrase "preaching to the choir" is preach.
Usually a pastor in a church will share a message about the Bible called a sermon. The verb we use with this is preach, to preached a sermon.
We can use this word to describe someone speaking about something they are passionate about.
Maybe you are trying to convince others to follow your ideas.
But if you are trying to convince people who already agree with you, you are preaching to the choir.
Since the choir is already in the church listening to the sermon, they probably already agree with the message.
美國社會受到基督教信仰的影響，有許多流行用語都是跟教會有關，像是 preach to the choir，字面上的意思是: 對教會的詩班講一篇道。由於詩班是配合牧師，每個星期天在教會裡面幫忙唱詩歌，因此他們對牧師要講的信息已經聽過無數遍了。
因此，日常對話中 preach to the choir，指的是你對一群已經同意你立場的觀眾，鼓吹自己的主張，根本是多此一舉。We already know it’s important to wash your hands. You’re preaching to the choir. 我們已經知道洗手的重要性了，你不必再說了，我們都知道了。
Language Lab
participant n. 參與者
a person who is involved in an activity or event : a person who participates in an activity or event — often + in
- The tournament was a success, and many of the participants did really well.
錦標賽辦得很成功，很多參與者表現非常優異。
- The professor did an experiment, and most of the participants in the experiment were university students.
教授做了一個實驗，而參與實驗的人大部分都是大學學生。
participate v. 參與
to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others
- Although Vince was sitting in the meeting room with all his coworkers, he didn’t want to participate in the discussion.
Vince雖然跟同事們一起坐在會議室裡，但是他卻不想參與討論。
participation n. 參與或參加的動作
The political candidate thanked his supporters’ participation at the political event.
那位候選人感謝他的支持者，在政治活動裡的參與。
choir n. 合唱團、在教堂裡的詩班
/ˈkwajɚ/
a group of singers especially in a church
- The children’s choir will be singing a special song on Mother’s Day.
兒童詩班將會在母親節當天表演一首特別的歌曲。
- Wendy has been busy with school work this semester and hasn’t had time to practice with the women’s choir.
Wendy 這個學期課業很重，所以沒有時間跟婦女合唱團練歌。
choirmaster n. 指揮合唱團
the director of a choir
- Adam is the choirmaster at his church, and he practices with the choir every Wednesday evening.
Adam 是他的教會詩班指揮，每個星期三傍晚會跟詩班一起練習。
- If you’re interested in joining the choir, you can talk to the choirmaster.
如果你有興趣加入合唱團，可以跟合唱團指揮談一下。
genius n. 天賦
a very smart or talented person : a person who has a level of talent or intelligence that is very rare or remarkable
- When Billy started showing signs of artistic genius, his parents sent him to an art academy.
Billy 開始展現藝術天賦時，他的父母就把他送進一所藝術學院。
- Charles may not have any talent or genius, but he does have a good learning attitude.
Charles 也許沒有任何才藝或者是天賦，但是他有很好的學習態度。
genius n. 天才
great natural ability : remarkable talent or intelligence
- This invention is amazing and is definitely the work of a genius.
這個發明太神奇了，而且絕對是一位天才的傑作。
- David might seem like a quiet ordinary guy, but he is an absolute genius if you let him work with math.
David 也許看起來只是一個安靜的普通人，但是如果讓他做數學計算，他可是一位天才。
tremendous adj. 巨大的、極大的
very large or great
- The tremendous anger of the people led to the protest in front of the city hall.
人們極大的憤怒引發了市政府前的示威。
- After exercising at the gym, Eddie had a tremendous appetite and ate five hamburgers.
Eddie 在健身房運動完之後，胃口大開，吃了五個漢堡。
tremendous adj. 特別好的 (用於讚美)
/trɪˈmɛndəs/
very good or excellent : wonderful
- The new secretary did a tremendous job organizing all the files.
新的秘書把檔案整理得特別好。
- Everyone was happy when they heard the tremendous news.
大家一聽到那個好消息就變得非常高興。
prodigy n.
/ˈprɑːdəʤi/
a young person who is unusually talented in some way
- child prodigies
👀watch video
約翰?傳奇 斐然成就使他得以幫助貧困的人
From child prodigy to entertainment all-star, award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend makes success look easy. His background provides plenty of reasons for his musical abilities.
He was born John Stephens on December 28, 1978, into a very musical family, all active participants in the church. John's grandmother played the organ, his mother directed the church choir and his father and brother played the drums.
During John's boyhood, his dad worked in a factory, and John's mother taught him at home for a few years. His grandmother discovered the child's musical genius when he was 4 and began to give him piano lessons. By age 6, he was singing in the church choir. According to John, "I knew from a pretty early age that I wanted to keep [making music]."
In addition to his love of music, he had a tremendous desire to learn. He excelled at school, skipped two grades and entered high school at age 12. And at the age of 16, he graduated second in his class. Stephens received offers from Harvard and scholarships from Georgetown University. But he chose to study English at the University of Pennsylvania.
Info Cloud
preach to the choir: phrase. If you say that someone is preaching to the choir, you mean that they are presenting an argument or opinion to people who already agree with it.
Hello, everyone. And welcome to Info Cloud. Have you ever been inside a church?
Going to church on Sundays is a big part of American culture. And we have several English idioms that come from this experience.
I know one. It's preaching to the choir. That means you're sharing an opinion with people who already agree with you.
Let's talk about some of the words in this phrase. First of all, in church, there is a lot of singing.
Many churches have a choir or a group that sings during the worship service. They often stand on stage and may even wear matching robes.
Have you ever sung in a choir before, Rex? Yes, I have. Another important word in the phrase "preaching to the choir" is preach.
Usually a pastor in a church will share a message about the Bible called a sermon. The verb we use with this is preach, to preached a sermon.
We can use this word to describe someone speaking about something they are passionate about.
Maybe you are trying to convince others to follow your ideas.
But if you are trying to convince people who already agree with you, you are preaching to the choir.
Since the choir is already in the church listening to the sermon, they probably already agree with the message.
美國社會受到基督教信仰的影響，有許多流行用語都是跟教會有關，像是 preach to the choir，字面上的意思是: 對教會的詩班講一篇道。由於詩班是配合牧師，每個星期天在教會裡面幫忙唱詩歌，因此他們對牧師要講的信息已經聽過無數遍了。
因此，日常對話中 preach to the choir，指的是你對一群已經同意你立場的觀眾，鼓吹自己的主張，根本是多此一舉。We already know it’s important to wash your hands. You’re preaching to the choir. 我們已經知道洗手的重要性了，你不必再說了，我們都知道了。
Language Lab
participant n. 參與者
a person who is involved in an activity or event : a person who participates in an activity or event — often + in
- The tournament was a success, and many of the participants did really well.
錦標賽辦得很成功，很多參與者表現非常優異。
- The professor did an experiment, and most of the participants in the experiment were university students.
教授做了一個實驗，而參與實驗的人大部分都是大學學生。
participate v. 參與
to be involved with others in doing something : to take part in an activity or event with others
- Although Vince was sitting in the meeting room with all his coworkers, he didn’t want to participate in the discussion.
Vince雖然跟同事們一起坐在會議室裡，但是他卻不想參與討論。
participation n. 參與或參加的動作
The political candidate thanked his supporters’ participation at the political event.
那位候選人感謝他的支持者，在政治活動裡的參與。
choir n. 合唱團、在教堂裡的詩班
/ˈkwajɚ/
a group of singers especially in a church
- The children’s choir will be singing a special song on Mother’s Day.
兒童詩班將會在母親節當天表演一首特別的歌曲。
- Wendy has been busy with school work this semester and hasn’t had time to practice with the women’s choir.
Wendy 這個學期課業很重，所以沒有時間跟婦女合唱團練歌。
choirmaster n. 指揮合唱團
the director of a choir
- Adam is the choirmaster at his church, and he practices with the choir every Wednesday evening.
Adam 是他的教會詩班指揮，每個星期三傍晚會跟詩班一起練習。
- If you’re interested in joining the choir, you can talk to the choirmaster.
如果你有興趣加入合唱團，可以跟合唱團指揮談一下。
genius n. 天賦
a very smart or talented person : a person who has a level of talent or intelligence that is very rare or remarkable
- When Billy started showing signs of artistic genius, his parents sent him to an art academy.
Billy 開始展現藝術天賦時，他的父母就把他送進一所藝術學院。
- Charles may not have any talent or genius, but he does have a good learning attitude.
Charles 也許沒有任何才藝或者是天賦，但是他有很好的學習態度。
genius n. 天才
great natural ability : remarkable talent or intelligence
- This invention is amazing and is definitely the work of a genius.
這個發明太神奇了，而且絕對是一位天才的傑作。
- David might seem like a quiet ordinary guy, but he is an absolute genius if you let him work with math.
David 也許看起來只是一個安靜的普通人，但是如果讓他做數學計算，他可是一位天才。
tremendous adj. 巨大的、極大的
very large or great
- The tremendous anger of the people led to the protest in front of the city hall.
人們極大的憤怒引發了市政府前的示威。
- After exercising at the gym, Eddie had a tremendous appetite and ate five hamburgers.
Eddie 在健身房運動完之後，胃口大開，吃了五個漢堡。
tremendous adj. 特別好的 (用於讚美)
/trɪˈmɛndəs/
very good or excellent : wonderful
- The new secretary did a tremendous job organizing all the files.
新的秘書把檔案整理得特別好。
- Everyone was happy when they heard the tremendous news.
大家一聽到那個好消息就變得非常高興。
prodigy n.
/ˈprɑːdəʤi/
a young person who is unusually talented in some way
- child prodigies
👀watch video
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Camping in Style (2)
There are many reasons why you should consider glamping for your next vacation. One of them is that glamping gives you access to some wonderful places. You don't have to sacrifice beauty for comfort! And don't worry about the cost. Nowadays, glamping can be less expensive than staying in a hotel. And services like hairdryers and free toiletries art still provided!
Another reason to go glamping is that it's good for the environment. Glampsites often make generous use of sustainable materials and avoid using much plastic. So, there is less waste, and the area stays beautiful.
No mater what kind of experience you're looking for, a glampsite exists for you. From Three Camel Lodge in Mongolia to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Canada, adventure awaits you. Sites can include a spa, a swimming pool and dinner under the stars. Activities can include exploring on horseback or camel and sightings of elephants, mountain sheep or tigers. A wide variety of glamping experiences are available all over the world. Why not give glamping a try?
Info Cloud
white elephant 交換禮物的遊戲
Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Anne Marie, have you ever heard of the game "white elephant?"
I know that game. We often play it at parties during Christmastime. Everyone brings a gift, something funny, unusual, special or sometimes ridiculous. Then we play a game to decide who gets what gift.
But did you know that there is a really interesting legend as to why the game "white elephant" got its name?
Tell us about it.
The story goes that long ago, there was a king in Thailand who had a very special punishment for people who he didn't like.
He would give them a gift of a white elephant.
How is giving a gift punishment?
Well, apparently, white elephants are very difficult to take care of. It costs a lot of money and time to keep them healthy. According to the legend, people who received the white elephants as gifts eventually went broke.
Oh. Well, that explains why white elephant gifts in our Christmas game are often things that nobody wants to keep.
If someone ever invites you to a white elephant gift exchange, it means you can take an unusual or funny gift.
It also means that you will probably take home something weird or even something you might not want.
在美國人的派對中，有一些很特別的遊戲，像是今天介紹的white elephant，這是一個交換禮物的遊戲，每一個人都要帶一個非常好笑又荒謬的禮物，有可能是破鞋或破襪子之類的，然後大家會透過遊戲來決定你會拿到什麼樣的禮物。
你可能會問，這個遊戲為什麼會叫 white elephant 白象呢? 據說在泰國，曾經有一位國王想出一個很特別的懲罰方式，那就是送一隻白象給他要懲罰的人，由於白象照顧起來非常困難，花費龐大，通常會讓人傾家蕩產，所以 white elephant 就代表沒有人想要收到的禮物。
Language Lab
access n. 讓人能接近某個地方的通道或機會
a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone
- The new freeway gives people an easy access to the village in the mountains.
新的高速公路讓人有更方便的通道前往山中的小村莊。
- The trail gives you access to some very incredible views.
這條山路讓人有機會看到一些非常美的景色。
access n. 使用權
a way of being able to use or get something
- Not all the gym members have access to the swimming pool.
不是每一位健身房會員都有游泳池的使用權。
- Someone had stolen a file from the manager's desk, but since everyone in the office had access to the manager's office, it was hard to figure out who the thief was.
有人從經理的辦公桌上偷走了一份檔案，但因為公司每一個人都可以進入經理的辦公室，因此很難確認竊賊是誰。
sustainable adj. 可以長期的維持下去
/səˈsteɪnəbəl/
able to last or continue for a long time
- Although Nancy did enjoy growing coffee beans in her backyard, she knew it would not be a sustainable business.
Nancy 雖然很喜歡在她的後院裡種咖啡豆，但是她很清楚要當成可以長期維持下去的生意是不可能的。
- Opening a tourist center in the middle of the mountains is a bad idea because it wouldn’t be sustainable.
在深山裡開觀光中心不是一個好主意，因為那是無法長期維持的。
sustainable adj. 因為不會造成環境的壓力而可以繼續維持的
able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed;
involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources
- The students are giving a report on sustainable energy.
學生們要進行可持續能源議題的報告。
- The government is encouraging farmers to switch from traditional farming to sustainable agriculture.
政府鼓勵農民要從傳統農業轉成永續農業。
await v. 等待 [較正式] (=wait for)
to wait for (someone or something);
to be ready or waiting for (someone or something)
- I will wait for your response. = I will await your response.
我會等待你的回覆。
- The soldiers are awaiting the general’s orders.
士兵們在等待將軍的命令。
- After the plane disappeared, the family members of the passengers gathered at the airport to await news.
飛機消失後，機上乘客的家屬聚集在機場，等候消息。
sighting n. 目擊 (看到比較稀有或罕見的人事物)
/ˈsaɪtɪŋ/
an act of seeing something or someone that is rarely seen or difficult to see — often + of
sight n. 視力
the sense through which a person or animal becomes aware of light, color, etc., by using the eyes : the ability to see
- Terence lost his sight when he was a child.
Terence 小時候就失明了。
sight n. 看得到的東西或景像
someone or something that is strange, funny, messy, etc.
- The two kids playing with their mother’s make-up was a funny sight.
那兩位小朋友偷抹他們母親的化妝品，真的是一個好笑的景像。
- There was a black bear sighting in our neighborhood yesterday.
昨天在我們的社區裡，有人目擊黑熊。
- The police received a lot of phone calls from people claiming UFO sightings.
警方接到很多聲稱目擊幽浮的電話。
👀watch video
Another reason to go glamping is that it's good for the environment. Glampsites often make generous use of sustainable materials and avoid using much plastic. So, there is less waste, and the area stays beautiful.
No mater what kind of experience you're looking for, a glampsite exists for you. From Three Camel Lodge in Mongolia to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Canada, adventure awaits you. Sites can include a spa, a swimming pool and dinner under the stars. Activities can include exploring on horseback or camel and sightings of elephants, mountain sheep or tigers. A wide variety of glamping experiences are available all over the world. Why not give glamping a try?
Info Cloud
white elephant 交換禮物的遊戲
Welcome back to Info Cloud, friends. Anne Marie, have you ever heard of the game "white elephant?"
I know that game. We often play it at parties during Christmastime. Everyone brings a gift, something funny, unusual, special or sometimes ridiculous. Then we play a game to decide who gets what gift.
But did you know that there is a really interesting legend as to why the game "white elephant" got its name?
Tell us about it.
The story goes that long ago, there was a king in Thailand who had a very special punishment for people who he didn't like.
He would give them a gift of a white elephant.
How is giving a gift punishment?
Well, apparently, white elephants are very difficult to take care of. It costs a lot of money and time to keep them healthy. According to the legend, people who received the white elephants as gifts eventually went broke.
Oh. Well, that explains why white elephant gifts in our Christmas game are often things that nobody wants to keep.
If someone ever invites you to a white elephant gift exchange, it means you can take an unusual or funny gift.
It also means that you will probably take home something weird or even something you might not want.
在美國人的派對中，有一些很特別的遊戲，像是今天介紹的white elephant，這是一個交換禮物的遊戲，每一個人都要帶一個非常好笑又荒謬的禮物，有可能是破鞋或破襪子之類的，然後大家會透過遊戲來決定你會拿到什麼樣的禮物。
你可能會問，這個遊戲為什麼會叫 white elephant 白象呢? 據說在泰國，曾經有一位國王想出一個很特別的懲罰方式，那就是送一隻白象給他要懲罰的人，由於白象照顧起來非常困難，花費龐大，通常會讓人傾家蕩產，所以 white elephant 就代表沒有人想要收到的禮物。
Language Lab
access n. 讓人能接近某個地方的通道或機會
a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone
- The new freeway gives people an easy access to the village in the mountains.
新的高速公路讓人有更方便的通道前往山中的小村莊。
- The trail gives you access to some very incredible views.
這條山路讓人有機會看到一些非常美的景色。
access n. 使用權
a way of being able to use or get something
- Not all the gym members have access to the swimming pool.
不是每一位健身房會員都有游泳池的使用權。
- Someone had stolen a file from the manager's desk, but since everyone in the office had access to the manager's office, it was hard to figure out who the thief was.
有人從經理的辦公桌上偷走了一份檔案，但因為公司每一個人都可以進入經理的辦公室，因此很難確認竊賊是誰。
sustainable adj. 可以長期的維持下去
/səˈsteɪnəbəl/
able to last or continue for a long time
- Although Nancy did enjoy growing coffee beans in her backyard, she knew it would not be a sustainable business.
Nancy 雖然很喜歡在她的後院裡種咖啡豆，但是她很清楚要當成可以長期維持下去的生意是不可能的。
- Opening a tourist center in the middle of the mountains is a bad idea because it wouldn’t be sustainable.
在深山裡開觀光中心不是一個好主意，因為那是無法長期維持的。
sustainable adj. 因為不會造成環境的壓力而可以繼續維持的
able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed;
involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources
- The students are giving a report on sustainable energy.
學生們要進行可持續能源議題的報告。
- The government is encouraging farmers to switch from traditional farming to sustainable agriculture.
政府鼓勵農民要從傳統農業轉成永續農業。
await v. 等待 [較正式] (=wait for)
to wait for (someone or something);
to be ready or waiting for (someone or something)
- I will wait for your response. = I will await your response.
我會等待你的回覆。
- The soldiers are awaiting the general’s orders.
士兵們在等待將軍的命令。
- After the plane disappeared, the family members of the passengers gathered at the airport to await news.
飛機消失後，機上乘客的家屬聚集在機場，等候消息。
sighting n. 目擊 (看到比較稀有或罕見的人事物)
/ˈsaɪtɪŋ/
an act of seeing something or someone that is rarely seen or difficult to see — often + of
sight n. 視力
the sense through which a person or animal becomes aware of light, color, etc., by using the eyes : the ability to see
- Terence lost his sight when he was a child.
Terence 小時候就失明了。
sight n. 看得到的東西或景像
someone or something that is strange, funny, messy, etc.
- The two kids playing with their mother’s make-up was a funny sight.
那兩位小朋友偷抹他們母親的化妝品，真的是一個好笑的景像。
- There was a black bear sighting in our neighborhood yesterday.
昨天在我們的社區裡，有人目擊黑熊。
- The police received a lot of phone calls from people claiming UFO sightings.
警方接到很多聲稱目擊幽浮的電話。
👀watch video
Monday, June 15, 2020
Camping in Style (1)
Have an outdoor adventure while staying comfortable!
露營也能很奢華 兼具舒適及野趣 的露營新模式
Camping is a great way to enjoy nature. You can breathe fresh air, cook over a campfire and sleep under the stars. However, camping also means dealing with bugs, bad weather and few, if any, toilets. These issues can discourage people from ever trying camping. But there is a way to enjoy the natural world without giving up the comforts of home. It's called glamping, and interest in it has been growing since 2007!
Glamping, a combination of the words glamorous and camping, basically means luxury camping. It's a fairly new word, but it describes an activity that people have been doing for ages. Nomadic Mongolians have enjoyed the benefits of glamping since around 600 B.C. They spent their lives in yurts, which were larger and more comfortable than regular tents. So comfortable in fact that they inspired the design of modern glamping tents! They are cool in summer, warm in winter and have plenty of room for furniture.
Info Cloud
"the course of nature" 在生命當中，有很多事情是必然發生的。
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, we're teaching Info Cloud now. Why are you wearing a mask?
Sorry. There has been a flu going on, and a lot of people got sick. I've been really paranoid and scared of catching the flu.
These kinds of flu come and go all the time in the course of nature. There's no need to be so worried.
Well, I guess you're right. Well, let's explain what "the course of nature" means to all of our students. The course of nature is the natural or normal process things go through all the time. It doesn't necessarily have to do with things in nature, just things that happen in life, generally speaking.
Let me think of an example. Challenges and hardship are part of the course of nature in life, meaning they happen all the time.
When we say something is in the course of nature, we are just trying to say that there are certain things or processes that happen naturally. We don't have to be so surprised about those things.
在生命當中，有很多事情是必然發生的，你可以用今天分享的用語 course of nature 來形容這些事情。course 是進程或是過程，nature是大自然，course of nature 就是自然的過程。
The flu comes and goes in the course of nature. 流行性感冒會來來去去的，這是自然的過程。特別要告訴大家，course of nature 並不一定是指大自然的事情，在生活中的一些大大小小的過程，也可以說是 course of nature，例如: Challenges are part of the course of nature in life. 生命中會面對許多挑戰，是很自然的事情。
Language Lab
breathe v. 呼吸
/ˈbriːð/
to move air into and out of your lungs : to inhale and exhale
- It is hard to breathe when the air quality is so bad.
空氣品質很差時，讓人很難呼吸。
- Gail was feeling nervous, so she tried to breathe deeply.
Gail 感到緊張，所以她就試著深呼吸。
breath n. 呼吸時的那一口氣
/ˈbrɛθ/
the air that you take into your lungs and send out from your lungs when you breathe : air that is inhaled and exhaled in breathing
- Please close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to relax.
請閉上眼睛，深深吸一口氣，然後試著放輕鬆。
- I need a piece of gum because my breath smells really bad.
我需要一片口香糖，因為我嘴巴裡的味道很不好。
discourage v. 阻擾
to make (something) less likely to happen
- Although I personally don’t like going to that department store, I wouldn’t discourage other people from going.
我個人雖然不喜歡去那一家百貨公司，但是我不會阻止別人去。
- The animal rights organization is trying to discourage people from hunting.
這個動物權益的組織正在努力阻止人們狩獵。
discourage v. 讓人沮喪/感到氣餒
to make (someone) less determined, hopeful, or confident
- Although Janice was trying to encourage her husband, her choice of words actually discouraged him.
Janice 雖然是想要鼓勵她的先生，但是她的用詞卻讓他感到沮喪。
- I know you’ve heard a lot of complaints, but don’t let that discourage you.
我知道你聽到很多抱怨，但是不要因為那些負面的言語而感到洩氣。
glamorous adj. 華麗的
/ˈglæmərəs/
very exciting and attractive : full of glamour
- Katherine wants to have a glamorous wedding banquet.
Katherine 想要一個華麗的婚宴。
- Whenever Laura dresses up, she looks like a glamorous movie star.
每當Laura 打扮起來，就會像華麗的電影明星。
glamor n. 魅力、因為很華麗而有吸引力
/ˈglæmɚ/
a very exciting and attractive quality
The designer’s fashion shows are always full of glamor.
那位設計師的時裝秀都是相當華麗的。
- Martha thought being an actress would bring her a life full of glamor, but then she realized she didn’t enjoy acting.
Martha 以為當影星可以讓她過著華麗的生活，但是她後來發覺她其實不愛演戲。
benefit n. 益處、優點
a good or helpful result or effect
- Becoming a member of this club can give you a lot of benefits.
成為這個俱樂部的會員可以給你帶來很多益處。
benefit n. (員工) 福利
something extra (such as vacation time or health insurance) that is given by an employer to workers in addition to their regular pay : fringe benefit
- Although Nathan’s job doesn’t pay him a lot, the benefits are very good.
Nathan的工作雖然薪水不高，但是福利很好。
benefit v. to be useful or helpful to (someone or something) 受益
- I hear money is being collected to help the poor, but who is really benefiting from it? 我聽說有募款幫助貧困的人的活動，但是真正受益的是誰呢?
beneficial adj. 有益的
producing good or helpful results or effects : producing benefits
- Parker was glad he attended the class, because it was very beneficial to him.
Parker 很高興他有參與那堂課，讓他受益很多。
👀watch video
露營也能很奢華 兼具舒適及野趣 的露營新模式
Camping is a great way to enjoy nature. You can breathe fresh air, cook over a campfire and sleep under the stars. However, camping also means dealing with bugs, bad weather and few, if any, toilets. These issues can discourage people from ever trying camping. But there is a way to enjoy the natural world without giving up the comforts of home. It's called glamping, and interest in it has been growing since 2007!
Glamping, a combination of the words glamorous and camping, basically means luxury camping. It's a fairly new word, but it describes an activity that people have been doing for ages. Nomadic Mongolians have enjoyed the benefits of glamping since around 600 B.C. They spent their lives in yurts, which were larger and more comfortable than regular tents. So comfortable in fact that they inspired the design of modern glamping tents! They are cool in summer, warm in winter and have plenty of room for furniture.
Info Cloud
"the course of nature" 在生命當中，有很多事情是必然發生的。
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, we're teaching Info Cloud now. Why are you wearing a mask?
Sorry. There has been a flu going on, and a lot of people got sick. I've been really paranoid and scared of catching the flu.
These kinds of flu come and go all the time in the course of nature. There's no need to be so worried.
Well, I guess you're right. Well, let's explain what "the course of nature" means to all of our students. The course of nature is the natural or normal process things go through all the time. It doesn't necessarily have to do with things in nature, just things that happen in life, generally speaking.
Let me think of an example. Challenges and hardship are part of the course of nature in life, meaning they happen all the time.
When we say something is in the course of nature, we are just trying to say that there are certain things or processes that happen naturally. We don't have to be so surprised about those things.
在生命當中，有很多事情是必然發生的，你可以用今天分享的用語 course of nature 來形容這些事情。course 是進程或是過程，nature是大自然，course of nature 就是自然的過程。
The flu comes and goes in the course of nature. 流行性感冒會來來去去的，這是自然的過程。特別要告訴大家，course of nature 並不一定是指大自然的事情，在生活中的一些大大小小的過程，也可以說是 course of nature，例如: Challenges are part of the course of nature in life. 生命中會面對許多挑戰，是很自然的事情。
Language Lab
breathe v. 呼吸
/ˈbriːð/
to move air into and out of your lungs : to inhale and exhale
- It is hard to breathe when the air quality is so bad.
空氣品質很差時，讓人很難呼吸。
- Gail was feeling nervous, so she tried to breathe deeply.
Gail 感到緊張，所以她就試著深呼吸。
breath n. 呼吸時的那一口氣
/ˈbrɛθ/
the air that you take into your lungs and send out from your lungs when you breathe : air that is inhaled and exhaled in breathing
- Please close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to relax.
請閉上眼睛，深深吸一口氣，然後試著放輕鬆。
- I need a piece of gum because my breath smells really bad.
我需要一片口香糖，因為我嘴巴裡的味道很不好。
discourage v. 阻擾
to make (something) less likely to happen
- Although I personally don’t like going to that department store, I wouldn’t discourage other people from going.
我個人雖然不喜歡去那一家百貨公司，但是我不會阻止別人去。
- The animal rights organization is trying to discourage people from hunting.
這個動物權益的組織正在努力阻止人們狩獵。
discourage v. 讓人沮喪/感到氣餒
to make (someone) less determined, hopeful, or confident
- Although Janice was trying to encourage her husband, her choice of words actually discouraged him.
Janice 雖然是想要鼓勵她的先生，但是她的用詞卻讓他感到沮喪。
- I know you’ve heard a lot of complaints, but don’t let that discourage you.
我知道你聽到很多抱怨，但是不要因為那些負面的言語而感到洩氣。
glamorous adj. 華麗的
/ˈglæmərəs/
very exciting and attractive : full of glamour
- Katherine wants to have a glamorous wedding banquet.
Katherine 想要一個華麗的婚宴。
- Whenever Laura dresses up, she looks like a glamorous movie star.
每當Laura 打扮起來，就會像華麗的電影明星。
glamor n. 魅力、因為很華麗而有吸引力
/ˈglæmɚ/
a very exciting and attractive quality
The designer’s fashion shows are always full of glamor.
那位設計師的時裝秀都是相當華麗的。
- Martha thought being an actress would bring her a life full of glamor, but then she realized she didn’t enjoy acting.
Martha 以為當影星可以讓她過著華麗的生活，但是她後來發覺她其實不愛演戲。
benefit n. 益處、優點
a good or helpful result or effect
- Becoming a member of this club can give you a lot of benefits.
成為這個俱樂部的會員可以給你帶來很多益處。
benefit n. (員工) 福利
something extra (such as vacation time or health insurance) that is given by an employer to workers in addition to their regular pay : fringe benefit
- Although Nathan’s job doesn’t pay him a lot, the benefits are very good.
Nathan的工作雖然薪水不高，但是福利很好。
benefit v. to be useful or helpful to (someone or something) 受益
- I hear money is being collected to help the poor, but who is really benefiting from it? 我聽說有募款幫助貧困的人的活動，但是真正受益的是誰呢?
beneficial adj. 有益的
producing good or helpful results or effects : producing benefits
- Parker was glad he attended the class, because it was very beneficial to him.
Parker 很高興他有參與那堂課，讓他受益很多。
👀watch video
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Jailbreak! (2)
Cydia is the alternative app store for jailbroken iOS devices. It offers apps that allow you to change almost anything on your iPhone. At one point Cydia was very popular because it was the only way to change certain iOS settings. Developers at Apple took notice and incorporated some of the popular changes into new versions of iOS. Jailbreaking is discouraged by Apple, however, and it voids your warranty, so if something goes wrong, Apple won't fix it.
People have been modifying jailbroken iPhones for a long time, and there is a lot of information about it online.
If you "brick" your phone somehow, meaning something goes so wrong that it won't even turn on, there are also guides online to help you fix it. Whatever you do, remember to save a backup of your device. It will help if you ever decide to go back to the official Apple iOS.
Jailbreaking isn't just for iPhones. You can jailbreak a Nintendo Switch so that it can run any app from Google's app store, for example. The process is different from jailbreaking an iPhone, and so are the dangers. Regardless of the risk, some people just can't resist unlocking their device's potential.
Info Cloud
null and void
Welcome to Info Cloud. Today I have an interesting legal term to share with you.
Oh, English use in legal situations can get complicated.
You're right. And there's actually a reason for that, which I will tell you later. But today's term is null and void.
Null and void? Like if something is canceled?
Yes. We might see this term on a contract. If both parties don't follow the contract, it will be null and void.
Both of these words mean the same thing, don't they? So why repeat them?
Some say the repetition is on purpose. In law cases, even the smallest detail can change the outcome of a case.
That's true. It's a lawyer's job to find any loopholes in a contract.
And to make that more difficult, many legal documents will have similar repetition.
Are there any other examples?
Sure. The full name of the document that explains what happens to a person's property after they die is called a "last will and testament." Will and testament both mean the same thing - someone's wishes.
So the document may be called a will. But if you see the actual legal paper, it will say "last will and testament."
Yes. And if a document such as a will is not signed and witnessed, then it's null and void.
今天要跟大家介紹幾個跟法律文件有關的用語，第一個是 null and void，當一個合約因著某些原因已經失效，通常會用 null and void 做出正式的聲明。null 和 void 是無效的意思。null and void 就是重複兩次的聲明無效，這樣就沒有人可以鑽合約上的loophole 漏洞。
另外還有一個很特別的用語用來代表一個人財產分配的遺屬，那就是 last will and testament。一般來說，will 就已經代表遺囑，last will and testament 聽起來非常的正式和嚴肅。last will是最後的遺囑，testament就是遺言。通常在正式的法律文件上會出現 last will and testament，因為 will 聽起來有點太簡單、不夠權威。
Language Lab
alternative adj. 另外的、另類的、可以當代替的
offering or expressing a choice
- When Arthur realized his idea was a bad one, he tried to come up with an alternative plan.
當Arthur 發覺他的構想很不好的時候，他就試著想出另一個計畫。
- Since all flights are cancelled, travelers have to find an alternative form of transportation.
因為所有航班都被取消，所以旅客們得找另外的交通工具。
alternative n. 替代品、選擇
something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option
- There is no need to feel discouraged if things don’t work out. There are plenty of alternatives.
如果這個辦法行不同，不要灰心，因為還有其他的選擇。
- This is the only way to solve the problem, and there are no alternatives.
這是唯一可以解決問題的方法，別無選擇。
void v. 使無效
to make (something) invalid : to say that (something) is no longer in effect
- The department of motor vehicles voided Becky’s old license when she received her new one.
機動車輛管理局給了Becky 一張新的駕駛執照，而她舊的駕照就作廢了。
void adj. 某個東西無效或是不合法
law : having no legal force or effect
- Craig’s country club membership was voided when it was discovered that he had been a criminal.
Craig的鄉村俱樂部會籍被取消，因為他以前的犯罪行為被發現。
- Since the contract was never renewed, the agreement between the two parties is void.
既然合約沒有更新，雙方之間的協議現在無效。
void n. 有空洞或空虛
a large empty space
- After David retired, he sensed a void and tried to fill it with all kinds of activities.
David 退休後就忙著做很多事情，為了填補空虛。
backup n. 備份
a person or thing that can be used to replace or support another person or thing
- Although Diane lost all of her computer files, it wasn’t a big loss because she kept a backup.
雖然Diane 的電腦檔案都不見了，但沒有造成嚴重損失，因為她有存了備份。
- After you’ve created your own file, it is important to save a backup.
當你開了自己的檔案後，要記得存下備份。
backup n. 候補的人/物品
help or support provided by additional people or things
- We need more help in the store. Can someone call the office for backup?
店裡需要更多人員的幫忙，有誰可以聯絡辦公室，請他們派更多人來支援嗎?
- Emily is serving cake at the party, but if there isn’t enough, she has some boxes of cookies as backup.
Emily 在聚會裡提供蛋糕給大家吃，但是如果蛋糕不夠的話，她還有準備幾盒餅乾當備用。
regardless adv. 無論如何
in spite of difficulty, trouble, etc. : without being stopped by difficulty, trouble, etc.
- The concert will begin on time, regardless of the number of people sitting in the audience.
無論來聽演奏會的人有多少，演奏會還是會準時開始。
- The king has decided to carry out his plan regardless of what his officials think.
國王不顧官員們的看法，就決定要執行他們的計畫。
- Regardless of whether there is any money in his bank account, Fred is determined to travel around the world.
不管他銀行帳戶裡有沒有錢，Fred決心要去環遊世界。
👀watch video
People have been modifying jailbroken iPhones for a long time, and there is a lot of information about it online.
If you "brick" your phone somehow, meaning something goes so wrong that it won't even turn on, there are also guides online to help you fix it. Whatever you do, remember to save a backup of your device. It will help if you ever decide to go back to the official Apple iOS.
Jailbreaking isn't just for iPhones. You can jailbreak a Nintendo Switch so that it can run any app from Google's app store, for example. The process is different from jailbreaking an iPhone, and so are the dangers. Regardless of the risk, some people just can't resist unlocking their device's potential.
Info Cloud
null and void
Welcome to Info Cloud. Today I have an interesting legal term to share with you.
Oh, English use in legal situations can get complicated.
You're right. And there's actually a reason for that, which I will tell you later. But today's term is null and void.
Null and void? Like if something is canceled?
Yes. We might see this term on a contract. If both parties don't follow the contract, it will be null and void.
Both of these words mean the same thing, don't they? So why repeat them?
Some say the repetition is on purpose. In law cases, even the smallest detail can change the outcome of a case.
That's true. It's a lawyer's job to find any loopholes in a contract.
And to make that more difficult, many legal documents will have similar repetition.
Are there any other examples?
Sure. The full name of the document that explains what happens to a person's property after they die is called a "last will and testament." Will and testament both mean the same thing - someone's wishes.
So the document may be called a will. But if you see the actual legal paper, it will say "last will and testament."
Yes. And if a document such as a will is not signed and witnessed, then it's null and void.
今天要跟大家介紹幾個跟法律文件有關的用語，第一個是 null and void，當一個合約因著某些原因已經失效，通常會用 null and void 做出正式的聲明。null 和 void 是無效的意思。null and void 就是重複兩次的聲明無效，這樣就沒有人可以鑽合約上的loophole 漏洞。
另外還有一個很特別的用語用來代表一個人財產分配的遺屬，那就是 last will and testament。一般來說，will 就已經代表遺囑，last will and testament 聽起來非常的正式和嚴肅。last will是最後的遺囑，testament就是遺言。通常在正式的法律文件上會出現 last will and testament，因為 will 聽起來有點太簡單、不夠權威。
Language Lab
alternative adj. 另外的、另類的、可以當代替的
offering or expressing a choice
- When Arthur realized his idea was a bad one, he tried to come up with an alternative plan.
當Arthur 發覺他的構想很不好的時候，他就試著想出另一個計畫。
- Since all flights are cancelled, travelers have to find an alternative form of transportation.
因為所有航班都被取消，所以旅客們得找另外的交通工具。
alternative n. 替代品、選擇
something that can be chosen instead of something else : a choice or option
- There is no need to feel discouraged if things don’t work out. There are plenty of alternatives.
如果這個辦法行不同，不要灰心，因為還有其他的選擇。
- This is the only way to solve the problem, and there are no alternatives.
這是唯一可以解決問題的方法，別無選擇。
void v. 使無效
to make (something) invalid : to say that (something) is no longer in effect
- The department of motor vehicles voided Becky’s old license when she received her new one.
機動車輛管理局給了Becky 一張新的駕駛執照，而她舊的駕照就作廢了。
void adj. 某個東西無效或是不合法
law : having no legal force or effect
- Craig’s country club membership was voided when it was discovered that he had been a criminal.
Craig的鄉村俱樂部會籍被取消，因為他以前的犯罪行為被發現。
- Since the contract was never renewed, the agreement between the two parties is void.
既然合約沒有更新，雙方之間的協議現在無效。
void n. 有空洞或空虛
a large empty space
- After David retired, he sensed a void and tried to fill it with all kinds of activities.
David 退休後就忙著做很多事情，為了填補空虛。
backup n. 備份
a person or thing that can be used to replace or support another person or thing
- Although Diane lost all of her computer files, it wasn’t a big loss because she kept a backup.
雖然Diane 的電腦檔案都不見了，但沒有造成嚴重損失，因為她有存了備份。
- After you’ve created your own file, it is important to save a backup.
當你開了自己的檔案後，要記得存下備份。
backup n. 候補的人/物品
help or support provided by additional people or things
- We need more help in the store. Can someone call the office for backup?
店裡需要更多人員的幫忙，有誰可以聯絡辦公室，請他們派更多人來支援嗎?
- Emily is serving cake at the party, but if there isn’t enough, she has some boxes of cookies as backup.
Emily 在聚會裡提供蛋糕給大家吃，但是如果蛋糕不夠的話，她還有準備幾盒餅乾當備用。
regardless adv. 無論如何
in spite of difficulty, trouble, etc. : without being stopped by difficulty, trouble, etc.
- The concert will begin on time, regardless of the number of people sitting in the audience.
無論來聽演奏會的人有多少，演奏會還是會準時開始。
- The king has decided to carry out his plan regardless of what his officials think.
國王不顧官員們的看法，就決定要執行他們的計畫。
- Regardless of whether there is any money in his bank account, Fred is determined to travel around the world.
不管他銀行帳戶裡有沒有錢，Fred決心要去環遊世界。
👀watch video
Friday, June 12, 2020
Jailbreak! (1)
Nearly everyone likes customizing their phone. Most people change the wallpaper - or background - and their ring tone. Some people, however, really want to fiddle with their operating system. Maybe they don't want to use the default programs set by the device manufacturer. Or they just want to modify the way the user interface works. Modifying these things is normally not allowed unless you jail break your device.
Jailbreaking is a general term for unlocking the operating software of an electronic device. It commonly refers to unlocking iOS for iPhones and iPads.
Apple is well known for its great designs and easy-to-use products. Apple is also famous for forcing users to use Apple programs by default. Those settings are locked and not changeable. Apple Maps is the default map app on the iPhone. You can install and use Google Maps, but you can't set it as the program that automatically opens every time you click on an address. That seems like a small thing, but some people find it very annoying. With a jailbroken phone, you have numerous ways to change any setting to suit your needs. You can even install apps not offered in Apple's App store.
Info Cloud
fanboy and fangirl
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Everyone has an interest they love. Maybe it's a video game, a brand or an actor or singer.
The word fanboy or fangirl is the word we use to describe someone who is extremely excited about or into something to the point of being obsessive.
I have some students who really love K-pop. They are K-pop fangirls. They have K-pop singers' pictures on their desks, and they always host about their favorite idols on social media.
Guys can be fanboys, too. I have a friend who loves Apple products so much, he would never dream of using anything else. His phone is Apple, his watch is Apple, his computer is Apple, too. He's a total Apple fanboy.
Rex, I thought you really loved Apple. Are you talking about yourself here?
Well... yes, I am. I guess you could say I'm an Apple fanboy.
You know, this word is interesting. You may think that the proper way to say it is girl fan or boy fan, an adjective describing a noun. However, the words have swapped places to make one noun.
Fangirling or fangirl are the verb forms of this word. Ever since her favorite actor's new movie came out, she's been completely fangirling. How about you? Are you a fangirl or a fanboy of anything?
相信大家對粉絲這個名詞相當熟悉，其實是從英文的fans衍生而來的外來語。除了fans之外，你還可以用fanboy來形容男生粉絲，還有fangirl 就是女生粉絲。Some of my students are K-pop fangirls. 我的一些學生是韓國流行音樂的女生粉絲。
除了流行界的明星之外，你也可以是一些熱門商品的fanboy或fangirl，John is a total Apple fanboy. John是不折不扣的蘋果粉絲。你也可以把fangirl 當作動詞，代表你變成粉絲。She’s been fangirling since the actor’s movie came out. 那位演員的電影推出後，她就開始變成粉絲了。
Language Lab
fiddle n. 用來拉民俗或鄉村曲的小提琴
violin
- Samuel will perform an old Irish song with his fiddle.
Samuel 會用小提琴來表演一首古老的愛爾蘭民謠。
fiddle v. 用很不專業的方法來修理或調整東西
to change or handle (something, such as the controls of a machine) in a way that shows you are not sure what to do
- After fiddling with the broken washing machine for over an hour, Ted finally decided to call a repairman.
Ted 試著自己一個人修理洗衣機，但過了一個小時後，還是打了電話，請了專業的人員來幫忙。
fiddle v. 因為感到緊張而隨便摸或拉扯東西
fiddle with (something) : to move or handle (something) with your hands or fingers in a nervous way
- Tommy was very nervous about giving a speech, and he began to fiddle with his tie.
Tommy 因為要演講而感到緊張，並且開始亂拉領帶。
fiddle v. 干涉、胡弄
to change (something) in a harmful or foolish way
- The police ordered the private detective to stop fiddling with the evidence.
警察叫私家偵探不要在胡弄證據。
modify v.稍微地調整、稍微地修改
to change some parts of (something) while not changing other parts
- The original song is very complicated, so the music teacher modified the song so that the child could play it on the piano.
原本的歌曲很複雜，所以音樂老師把它修改一下，好讓小朋友們能用鋼琴彈奏。
- The dance team modified some of their moves so that their injured teammate could be part of the dance performance.
舞蹈團把一些動作調整一下，好讓他們受了傷的團員能夠跟大家一起表演。
modification n. 修改
the act or process of changing parts of something : the act or process of modifying something
- This plan is too difficult and will need a lot of modifications.
這個計劃太艱難了，會須要一些修改。
- Russel has fixed up his old house, and a lot of modifications have been made.
Russel 整修了他的舊房子，而且做了很多的修改。
setting n. 電子產品或是機器的調控設定
a particular way of positioning the controls of a machine, system, etc., in order to produce a desired result
- I have already adjusted the setting on my TV screen, but things keep changing every time I turn the TV on.
我又把電視螢幕設定好，但是每次打開電視，設定就會變不一樣。
- The refrigerator isn’t very cold, so I think there is something wrong with the setting.
冰箱不夠冷，我想是設定有問題。
setting n. 故事背景
the time, place, and conditions in which the action of a book, movie, etc., takes place
- Sarah became interested in the book when she heard that the setting of the story was in fifteenth century.
Sarah 一聽到故事的背景是在15世紀的蘇格蘭，她就立刻對那本書產生興趣。
setting n. 環境地點
the place and conditions in which something happens or exists
- Anthony proposed to his girlfriend on the beach, and it was the perfect setting.
Anthony 在海灘上向他女友求婚，而那個地點非常完美。
find v. 尋找
a : to discover (something or someone) without planning or trying to : to discover (something or someone) by chance
- I can’t find my keys!
我找不到我的鑰匙。
find v. 認為 find oneself (yourself, myself, himself, herself) : 發覺自己在某一個情況中\
to become aware that you are doing something or that you are in a particular place or situation
- Nathan found the meat to be rather hard to chew.
Nathan 覺得這個肉很難嚼。
- Teresa found the speaker to be rather funny.
Teresa 覺得這個演講者很風趣。
- After talking on the phone and not paying attention to where she was going, Irene suddenly found herself in the middle of the train station.
Irene 忙著講電話，而且都沒有注意她走路的方向，結果她後來發覺她人在火車站裡。
👀watch video
Jailbreaking is a general term for unlocking the operating software of an electronic device. It commonly refers to unlocking iOS for iPhones and iPads.
Apple is well known for its great designs and easy-to-use products. Apple is also famous for forcing users to use Apple programs by default. Those settings are locked and not changeable. Apple Maps is the default map app on the iPhone. You can install and use Google Maps, but you can't set it as the program that automatically opens every time you click on an address. That seems like a small thing, but some people find it very annoying. With a jailbroken phone, you have numerous ways to change any setting to suit your needs. You can even install apps not offered in Apple's App store.
Info Cloud
fanboy and fangirl
Hello, and welcome to Info Cloud, friends. Everyone has an interest they love. Maybe it's a video game, a brand or an actor or singer.
The word fanboy or fangirl is the word we use to describe someone who is extremely excited about or into something to the point of being obsessive.
I have some students who really love K-pop. They are K-pop fangirls. They have K-pop singers' pictures on their desks, and they always host about their favorite idols on social media.
Guys can be fanboys, too. I have a friend who loves Apple products so much, he would never dream of using anything else. His phone is Apple, his watch is Apple, his computer is Apple, too. He's a total Apple fanboy.
Rex, I thought you really loved Apple. Are you talking about yourself here?
Well... yes, I am. I guess you could say I'm an Apple fanboy.
You know, this word is interesting. You may think that the proper way to say it is girl fan or boy fan, an adjective describing a noun. However, the words have swapped places to make one noun.
Fangirling or fangirl are the verb forms of this word. Ever since her favorite actor's new movie came out, she's been completely fangirling. How about you? Are you a fangirl or a fanboy of anything?
相信大家對粉絲這個名詞相當熟悉，其實是從英文的fans衍生而來的外來語。除了fans之外，你還可以用fanboy來形容男生粉絲，還有fangirl 就是女生粉絲。Some of my students are K-pop fangirls. 我的一些學生是韓國流行音樂的女生粉絲。
除了流行界的明星之外，你也可以是一些熱門商品的fanboy或fangirl，John is a total Apple fanboy. John是不折不扣的蘋果粉絲。你也可以把fangirl 當作動詞，代表你變成粉絲。She’s been fangirling since the actor’s movie came out. 那位演員的電影推出後，她就開始變成粉絲了。
Language Lab
fiddle n. 用來拉民俗或鄉村曲的小提琴
violin
- Samuel will perform an old Irish song with his fiddle.
Samuel 會用小提琴來表演一首古老的愛爾蘭民謠。
fiddle v. 用很不專業的方法來修理或調整東西
to change or handle (something, such as the controls of a machine) in a way that shows you are not sure what to do
- After fiddling with the broken washing machine for over an hour, Ted finally decided to call a repairman.
Ted 試著自己一個人修理洗衣機，但過了一個小時後，還是打了電話，請了專業的人員來幫忙。
fiddle v. 因為感到緊張而隨便摸或拉扯東西
fiddle with (something) : to move or handle (something) with your hands or fingers in a nervous way
- Tommy was very nervous about giving a speech, and he began to fiddle with his tie.
Tommy 因為要演講而感到緊張，並且開始亂拉領帶。
fiddle v. 干涉、胡弄
to change (something) in a harmful or foolish way
- The police ordered the private detective to stop fiddling with the evidence.
警察叫私家偵探不要在胡弄證據。
modify v.稍微地調整、稍微地修改
to change some parts of (something) while not changing other parts
- The original song is very complicated, so the music teacher modified the song so that the child could play it on the piano.
原本的歌曲很複雜，所以音樂老師把它修改一下，好讓小朋友們能用鋼琴彈奏。
- The dance team modified some of their moves so that their injured teammate could be part of the dance performance.
舞蹈團把一些動作調整一下，好讓他們受了傷的團員能夠跟大家一起表演。
modification n. 修改
the act or process of changing parts of something : the act or process of modifying something
- This plan is too difficult and will need a lot of modifications.
這個計劃太艱難了，會須要一些修改。
- Russel has fixed up his old house, and a lot of modifications have been made.
Russel 整修了他的舊房子，而且做了很多的修改。
setting n. 電子產品或是機器的調控設定
a particular way of positioning the controls of a machine, system, etc., in order to produce a desired result
- I have already adjusted the setting on my TV screen, but things keep changing every time I turn the TV on.
我又把電視螢幕設定好，但是每次打開電視，設定就會變不一樣。
- The refrigerator isn’t very cold, so I think there is something wrong with the setting.
冰箱不夠冷，我想是設定有問題。
setting n. 故事背景
the time, place, and conditions in which the action of a book, movie, etc., takes place
- Sarah became interested in the book when she heard that the setting of the story was in fifteenth century.
Sarah 一聽到故事的背景是在15世紀的蘇格蘭，她就立刻對那本書產生興趣。
setting n. 環境地點
the place and conditions in which something happens or exists
- Anthony proposed to his girlfriend on the beach, and it was the perfect setting.
Anthony 在海灘上向他女友求婚，而那個地點非常完美。
find v. 尋找
a : to discover (something or someone) without planning or trying to : to discover (something or someone) by chance
- I can’t find my keys!
我找不到我的鑰匙。
find v. 認為 find oneself (yourself, myself, himself, herself) : 發覺自己在某一個情況中\
to become aware that you are doing something or that you are in a particular place or situation
- Nathan found the meat to be rather hard to chew.
Nathan 覺得這個肉很難嚼。
- Teresa found the speaker to be rather funny.
Teresa 覺得這個演講者很風趣。
- After talking on the phone and not paying attention to where she was going, Irene suddenly found herself in the middle of the train station.
Irene 忙著講電話，而且都沒有注意她走路的方向，結果她後來發覺她人在火車站裡。
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