The Benefits of Container Gardening (1)

Discover why many people like this gardening method
淺談「容器園藝」 為什麼許多人喜歡 這種園藝方式？

Do you love gardening, but you don't have a yard? If that's the case, consider container gardening. This method involves growing plants in pots and containers rather than in the ground. Container gardening is a great way to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and more. There are many advantages to this gardening method. 

To begin with, you don't need much space. A balcony, roof or any other outdoor area that receives direct sunlight will work. In fact, a sunny, indoor kitchen windowsill is perfect for a few small plants. This gives you easy access to herbs and vegetable s as you prepare meals. The key is to choose a spot that receives a good deal of sunlight. 

Unless they're too big or heavy, containers are portable. This allows you to move your plants inside if necessary. Or you can move your plants into the shade on extremely hot days. Containers allow you to place your plants wherever they'll grow best. 

Language Lab

advantage n.
something that helps you to be more successful than others, or the state of having this
- It is thought to be an advantage when a sports team plays in their hometown.
- What are the advantages of studying a foreign language?
- It will be your advantage later in life to take your studies seriously now. 

indoor adj.
used or happening inside a building
- Betty bought several indoor plants to decorate her apartment. 
- We stayed at this hotel because it has a heated, indoor swimming pool.
- Bob planted a small indoor garden in his basement so he has fresh vegetables all year round.

access n.
the right to enter a place, use something, see someone etc
- Without any access to a computer, it is impossible for Lillian to complete the homework. 
- You will gain access to the garden area by taking the path your right. 
access v.
to find information, especially on a computer
- Naomi had to go to the bank in person to access her bank account. 

extremely adv.
/ɪkˈstriːmli/
to a very great degree
- It is extremely difficult to pass this professor's tests. 
- The demand for houses in this city is so great that prices are extremely high.
in the extreme phrase
to a very great degree
- Haley's reaction to not passing her driver's test was one of anger in the extreme. 

bonsai n.

a tree that is grown so that it always stays very small, or the art of growing trees in this way

Info Cloud

Topic: lead someone down the garden path

Leap Day

It's time for an extra day on the calendar
閏年到 今年，日曆上多了一天喔！

Every four years, the calendar looks different. An extra day is added to keep our human-made calendar in sync with the astronomical year. The primary reason for this is that our calendar is 365 days in length. But Earth's orbit around the sun takes approximately 365.2422 days. To prevent our calendar from drifting out of sync, February 29 appears on the calendar every four years. Julius Caesar was behind the move back in 45 B.C. 

Interestingly enough, an astronomical year is actually slightly less than 365.25 days. So adding an extra day every four years results in about three extra days every 400 years. For this reason, only one out of every four century years is appointed as a leap year. Century years are only considered leap years if they can be divided evenly by 400. Therefore, 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years. And 2400 will be the next century year that is a leap year. 

Keeping the calendar correct is no easy matter!

Let’s Go Ice Bowling

Bowl on a frozen lake in the wind and snow
冰上保齡球 在冰天雪地裡打保齡球

Imagine bundling up in your parka, scarf and gloves to play hockey or go skiing, ice skating or snowmobiling. Well, in the snowy landscape of central Minnesota, USA, people have another unique choice for winter fun - ice bowling!

Around 11 years ago, Les Levin ran across the sport while traveling. Upon returning home, he shared it with the occupants of Long Prairie, Minnesota, population around 3700. And it took off! After all, winters are long and cold with temperatures from -3 to -15 Celsius, and finding winter activities is a challenge. 

Levin plowed a couple of 60 - foot - long bowling lanes on a nearby lake and drilled six 3-inch-deep holes at one end. The goal is to land a bowling ball in one of the holes to get points. The first person to reach 15 points wins! The first year, frozen turkeys were used, but they didn't slide very well, so they were swapped for bowling balls. 

Locals bowl all winter, and a tournament is held every February with people even from neighboring states contending. So, get some winter gear and join in the bowling fun!

Language Lab

hockey n. 
a game similar to hockey, but played on ice SYN ice hockey British English
- Ice hockey is the most popular sport in Canada and several northern states in the U.S. 
- Ricky spent his weekends practicing his hockey skills to get ready for the competition. 
- Milo suffered some severe injuries when he got hit in the head with a hockey stick.

occupant n. 
someone who lives in a house, room etc → resident
- The building's only occupant was an artist who rarely went outside. 
- Most of the town's occupants attended the festival in the town square. 
- The restaurant's atmosphere was very inviting, making it a favorite spot for its many regular occupants. 

drill v.
1  to make a hole in something using a drill
- The construction workers drilled holes in the concrete at the city's street corners to put up traffic signs. 
2 to teach students, sports players etc by making them repeat the same lesson, exercise etc many times
-  Ms. Harder drilled her students on verb patterns before their Spanish test. 

drill n.
1 a tool or machine used for making holes in something
- The drill made so much noise that we all had to wear earplugs so we didn't go deaf. 

contend v.
 to compete against someone in order to gain something
- Athletes from around the world will travel to Paris this summer to contend for gold medals in different sports.
to argue or state that something is true SYN insist
- Around 4000 years ago, people contended that the Earth was not round. 
contend with phrase v 必需處理或應對
- Every year it seems farmers have to contend with too much or too little rain.

Info Cloud

Topic: toque, beanie, hat, cap, winter hat, knit cap, balaclava

Garrett: Hello everyone, welcome to info cloud. Do you have a lot of hats?

Rex: Hmm. I say no, but my wife does. 

Garrett: Same here. Even though we live somewhere that doesn't get very cold for very long. We have a lot of winter hats in our house. 

Rex: Did you know that different places have different names for winter hats?

Garrett:  Oh, my friends in Canada have a special word: "Toque."

Rex: That's spelling sounds more like French than English. Because it is a "Toque" is a warm winter hat that could be made of wool and might have a fuzzy ball called a pomp pomp on top.

Garrett:  Yeah! In the United States, most people would call that same hat a beanie.

Rex: Neither of those words would make me think someone was talking about the  hat.

Garrett: Well, if you want to be clear, you can just call it a winter hat or knit cap. 

Rex: Because those kinds of hats are often knitted if from wool or other materials.

Garrett: That's right. Here's one that's a little different a "balaclava." 

Rex: Balaclava! That doesn't sound English either. 

Garrett: It comes from a Russian word. And that make sense because it can get very very cold in Russia. 

Rex: So does the balaclava cover more of your head? .

Garrett: Yes. It's often use for skiing and cover most of your head or even part of your face.  Just leave in some face to see and breath. 

Rex: Oh, that sounds useful. 

Garrett: So, weather you are wearing a toque, beanie, knit cape, winter hat or balaclava make sure to keep your head warm this winter. 

Sleep Debt (2)

As sleep debt accumulates, it impacts us in many ways including heart disease, immune function and obesity. It has also been known to contribute to diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cognitive issues and more. Though afternoon naps and extra weekend sleep can help relieve some fatigue, the healthies course of action is to get a good night's sleep every night.

There are many ways to create and stick to a healthy sleep routine. Start by incorporating walking or other exercise into your day; this will help you sleep better. Establish an earlier bedtime and be consistent, even on weekends. Avoid eating heavy foods or drinking caffeine or alcohol within a few hours of bedtime. 

Keep anything that might distract you, such as electronics, a TV, etc., outside the bedroom. Maintain a restful environment in the bedroom by keeping it quiet, dark and cool. Many prefer a temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius for sleeping. If you don't fall asleep within 20 minutes, try reading or listening to relaxing music. Finally think of adequate sleep as preventive medicine and make it a priority. 

Keep in mind that, with a healthy sleep routine, you can get sufficient rest and protect your health. Sleep well! 

Language Lab
immune adj.

fatigue n.

distract v. 

preventive adj.