AI STYLISTS (1)

Styling advice doesn’t have to come from a human
穿什麼好呢？問AI吧！ 造型建議不見得都得向「人」請教

Imagine looking through 3.7 million outfits online in search of just the right fit. sounds like an impossible task, doesn't it? Not anymore - artificial intelligence (AI) stylists make such a task possible. An AI stylist is a computer algorithm that can put together outfits. It works by scouring the internet in a very similar way to the Google search engine. The program searches for clothing images on fashion blogs, online stores and social media, collecting thousands of outfits created by human stylists. 

The program can also "read" text and pick out important details about each article of clothing. Both the images and text are stored in a data set from which the AI stylist makes fashion suggestions for people based on their personal preferences. An AI stylist can assemble tens of thousands of outfits to display to millions of shoppers online. This data set of outfits is constantly updated and controlled by a team of people. The team helps the computer improve the algorithms which in turn helps the AI stylist put together better outfits for a customer. 

Info Cloud

Topic:  roll up your sleeves 蓄勢待發

The article talks about AI stylists, computer algorithms that can help you put together outfits.

Hi friends, welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, you look exhausted. How are you doing?

It’s been intense. I’ve ROLLED UP MY SLEEVES as we’ll start touring multiple cities for our new stage play soon.

You can do it! Praying for a good tour. Now, let’s talk more about the term ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES.

To ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES means to prepare or get ready to work hard. In the past, most people wore long-sleeved shirts to work, so it was common to physically ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES before starting a big task.

Yes. We can say, “We need to record one month’s worth of Info Cloud videos today, so let’s ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES and start filming right away.”

Good example. We can also use ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES when talking about preparing for work done as a group.

We can say, “After the typhoon, the company’s staff all ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES to clean out the flooded basement.”

Yes, Studio Classroom staff literally did that back in 2001 after Typhoon Nari.

Well, that’s all for today, friends. Remember to ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES and mentally prepare yourself before starting a challenging task.


Language Lab

..(to) put together [phrasal verb]
to create (something) by joining or gathering parts together
- All teachers have to put together their course outlines and give them to the head of the department by Monday. 
- I would never have put that color of shirt together with that color of pants, but they look surprisingly good together. 
..(to) put together [phrasal verb]
used to say that someone or something is greater than the total of all the other people or things mentioned
- Marlene always looks so put together no matter what she is doing. 

(to) scour v.
/ˈskawɚ/ 
to search (something) carefully and thoroughly
- Charlie scoured the western part of the city looking for a suitable house to buy. 
- Be sure to scour your rental lease to make sure you understand all of the conditions. 
(to) scour v.
to clean (something) by rubbing it hard with a rough object
- This pan is really dirty and needs to be scoured to get it clean.

algorithm n.
a set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process

preference n.
a feeling of liking or wanting one person or thing more than another person or thing
- The amount of cream and sugar you add to your coffee is your personal preference. 
- Alan has a strong preference regarding which university he wants to attend next year. 
- Do you have a preference for which candidate wins the election?

(to) update v.
to change (something) by including the most recent information
- You need to update your phone.
update n.
a report that includes the most recent information about something
- I need an update on what has been happening in the office since I've been gone for two weeks. 
- The doctor's update on Leon's condition is very positive.

Under Armour (2)

After 1996 it was an uphill battle for Under Armour against athletic wear giants Adidas and Nike. But little by little the company gained ground. In 2015, Under Armour proudly announced that its sales were second only to Nike, beating out Adidas. It is now the second largest sportswear company in the U.S. It hopes to continue to build on that success. And judging by the number of people wearing Under Armour clothing, it appears to be succeeding.

Like every company, Under Armour has a mission statement. It wants to help all athletes be better through passion, design and innovation.

Design is important because Under Armour wants athletes to feel comfortable in their clothes. The company also wants athletes to be confident in their skills and performance. It continues with innovation because it wants to provide the very best for its customers.

"To inspire you with performance solutions you never knew you needed and can't imagine living without." That is Under Armour's vision statement. That's the Under Armour way.


Info Cloud
Gaining traction 打鐵趁熱

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Anne Marie, I notice that you've started bringing a reusable cup to work.

I have. A friend told me that one-use plastics are bad for the environment. I didn't want to be the only one with the reusable cup. But when I saw the idea gaining traction with so many people, I made the switch.

Gaining traction. Let's explain to our viewers what that means.

Traction is the grip of something on a surface, like a tire on the road. If a tire has good traction, it means that it is propelling the car to move forward quickly without slipping.

Gaining traction means that something is moving forward faster and faster at an increased rate. When we say this about things other than tires, it means that something is becoming more popular or accepted.

Businesses, products or a political candidate's popularity are all things that can gain traction.

Ideas and concepts can gain traction, too.

If an idea is gaining traction, it means it is becoming widely accepted, people are starting to agree with it.

For example, at first, Justin's idea about casual Fridays was seen as a joke. But it's finally starting to gain traction with management.

Casual Friday seems like a great idea to me. I wonder if we could get that idea to gain traction here.

中文有一句成語「打鐵趁熱」，英文也有類似的用語 gain traction。traction 原本是輪胎或鞋子底部的摩擦力或是抓地力，但也有牽引力或是動能的涵義。如果我們說一件事情正在 gain traction，那就代表那件事情發展的很順利，獲得越來越多人的認同和參與，或是開始發酵了。

The candidate’s policies are gaining traction with young voters. 那位候選人的政見越來越受到年輕選民的歡迎了。gain traction 可以用來形容企業、產品或是某個人的名聲，但也可以用來形容一種觀念。Justin’s idea is gaining traction in the company. Justin的創意在公司裡，越來越受到大家的認可。


Language Lab
uphill battle n. 很辛苦的奮鬥  (uphill 上坡的； battle 作戰、戰鬥)
a long struggle to succeed or survive during a difficult situation
- It has been an uphill battle for Brady to complete his studies while working a full-time job.
對 Brady 而言，在全職的工作狀態下，把書唸完是一個非常艱辛的奮鬥。
uphill struggle n. 很辛苦的奮鬥
always used before a noun : not easy : difficult to do, deal with, etc.
- Carol had thought working overseas for a year would be easy, but then she discovered it was an uphill struggle just to be able to save some money.
Carol 以為在國外工作一年會很輕鬆，但後來發覺要能夠存一點錢是很辛苦的奮鬥。
uphill task n. 一件非常辛苦的事
- Making sure supplies get distributed evenly in the refugee camp has been an uphill task for the workers.
對工作人員來講，要把補給品公平地分發給難民營的每個人，是非常艱難的事情。

to gain ground ph v. 有進展、變得越來越成功 (gain 得到、獲得；ground 地、地面)
to move faster so that you come closer to someone or something that is in front of you
[=becoming more popular or successful]
- The eastern provinces have traditionally been more conservative, but the liberal party is slowly gaining ground.
東部的省分傳統上都比較保守，但是自由派漸漸地在發展。
- Several years ago, the professor’s views were laughed at by many in the academic world, but now his views are gaining ground.
幾年前那位教授的論點被學術界很多人取笑，但是現在他的論點逐漸被接受。
- The idea of fixing stray cats and returning them to the community is slowly gaining ground in different parts of the city.
結紮流浪貓再放他們回社區的點子，逐漸在城市裡的不同區域被接受。

mission statement n. 使命宣言 (mission 使命；statement 正式的聲明/說明)
something that states the purpose or goal of a business or organization
- The new CEO announced at the company meeting that there will be a new mission statement.
新的執行長在會議中宣布公司會有新的使命宣言。
- The proposal was rejected by the company because it did not match the company’s mission statement.
這個提案被公司拒絕，因為它不符合公司的使命宣言。
- I looked at the company’s website for information about employment, but it only has its mission statement and a contact phone number.
我去那家公司的網站上找求職資訊，但是上面就只有它們的使命宣言，還有一個聯絡電話。

confident adj. 有信心的
having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something : having confidence
- Roger is very confident in his team’s ability to get the job done.
Roger 對他的團隊有能力完成任務感到非常有信心。
confident adj. 自信的
showing that you have confidence
- Nick has practiced his speech so many times, and he is feeling very confident now.
Nick 已經為他的演說練習了好多次，現在他感到非常自信。
confident adj. 確信的、有把握的
certain that something will happen or that something is true
- I am confident Paul will be out of the hospital before this weekend.
我很確信Paul 這個周末前就可以出院。
confidence n. 信心、自信
a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something
- Arrogance can sometimes be mistaken as confidence.
傲慢有時候會被誤以為是自信。



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Under Armour (1)

Quality clothing for performance
安德瑪──強勢崛起 優質運動品牌 堅持超越卓越

Athletes work hard to perform well. They want quality and function in their sportswear, and they want to look good. They also want to look fashionable in their clothing. But wait! Other people who aren't really athletes want that same look. They also want to be comfortable and look cool. Under Armour, Inc. works hard to meet all those desires.

A new shirt
Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, a former football player, was tired of sweaty T-shirts. His shirt would be totally wet after practice. He noticed that the material of his compression shorts stayed dry after a workout. So Plank began working on a material for shirts that wicks moisture from athletes' skin. He made several shirts and then traveled along the East Coast of the U.S. selling them. His first big sale was to a team in 1996 for US$17,000. Plank knew he had a good product and never looked back. Today the company sells sportswear all over the world.


Info Cloud
為什麼英國的拼法跟美國的拼法不一樣呢? 

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I have a very interesting question about spelling that I would like to ask, Anne Marie.

Sure. What's your question? When I travel to Canada and England, I saw that they have different spelling for many words in the English language. In those countries, color is spelled C-O-L-O-U-R. But Americans spell it C-O-L-O-R. Why is that?

That's a great question. Well, English is a traditional language that originated in Britain. The British kept some of the influence from foreign words, mostly from French and German.

And let me guess. American immigrants changed the spelling of some words when they settled in North America.

That's correct. American spelling is based on how the word sounds whereas the British kept the original traditional spelling.

Another example is that neighbor is spelled N-E-I-G-H-B-O-U-R in British-influence areas, but Americans spell it N-E-I-G-H-B-O-R.

And also, in British English, the words humour and flavour are both spelled with O-U-R at the end instead of just O-R like the American way.

The point is it's not a question of a right way or a wrong way.

Exactly. It's a question of geography.

當你去到加拿大或是英國旅遊的時候，你可能可以看到他們對一些英文單字的拼法跟美國人有一點不同，像是color 顏色是C-O-L-O-U-R；neighbor 鄰居是拼  N-E-I-G-H-B-O-U-R；humor 幽默是拼H-U-M-O-U-R，還有很多其他的字。為什麼英國的拼法跟美國的拼法不一樣呢? 原來，英語受到外來語的影響，主要是德語和法語，有些單字並不是完全照著發音去拼字的。歐洲移民到了美國之後，將一些英文單字的拼法，根據發音本身做了修改，像是 colour 並沒有 u 的音，所以改成了C-O-L-O-R。


Language Lab
fashionable adj. 時髦的、時尚的
currently popular
- Because it’s important to Zoe to look fashionable, she is always buying new clothes to wear.
Zoe 覺得外表時髦很重要，所以常常買新衣服來穿。
- I normally see my coworkers in their uniforms, so it’s strange to see everyone dressed up and looking fashionable at the company banquet.
我通常都是看到同事穿制服，所以在公司的晚宴裡看到大家都精心打扮的很時尚，感覺很不習慣。
- It may be fashionable to wear your clothes a certain way right now, but in a few weeks it could be out of style.
某種衣著的穿搭也許很時髦，但是幾周後可能就會退流行。

sweaty adj. 很多汗水的 
 /ˈswɛti/
causing you to sweat
- Everyone looked sweaty after they finished moving all the boxes into the other room.
大家把所有的箱子移到另外一個房間後，全身都是汗。
sweaty adj. 有汗味的
wet with sweat
- When Victor came home, he threw his sweaty shirt into the washing machine.
Victor 回到家後，就把滿是汗味的襯衫丟進洗衣機裡。
sweat n. 汗、汗水
 /ˈswɛt/
the clear liquid that forms on your skin when you are hot or nervous : perspiration
- While William worked in the yard this morning, he stopped a few times to wipe the sweat off his face.
William 早上在院子裡工作時，有幾次停下來擦臉上的汗。
- After Timothy finished using the exercise equipment, there were drops of sweat everywhere.
Timothy 用完運動器材後，可以看到一滴一滴的汗水。

wick v. 吸起來、排掉 (除去水分)
/ˈwɪk/
to cause (fluid or moisture) to be pulled away from a surface (such as your skin) — usually + away
- Scott bought socks that could wick moisture off his feet and keep his feet from blistering.
Scott 買了會吸拭排汗的襪子來保護他的雙腳，避免起水泡。
- This kind of fabric will wick away your sweat and keep your skin warm and dry.
這種布料會排汗，而且讓你的皮膚保暖又乾爽。
wick n. 燭芯
a string or piece of material in a candle or lamp that is lit for burning
- Before you light the candle, make sure you trim the wick.
記得你點蠟燭之前，要修一下燭芯。
- These lamps are very simple, they’re just containers of oil with cotton wicks in them.
這些燈都很簡陋，就是裝滿油的罐子裡，插上棉花做的燭芯。

moisture n. 水分、濕氣
a small amount of a liquid (such as water) that makes something wet or moist
- This piece of tape won’t stick to the wall because these is too moisture in the air.
這片膠帶無法黏在牆上，因為空氣中的濕氣很重。
- It is amazing how these plants are able to survive with very little moisture.
這些植物竟然能夠靠這麼少的水分來生存，真是太神奇了。
moisturize v. 滋潤 
 /ˈmoɪstʃəˌraɪz/
to add moisture to (something, such as a person's skin)
- Nadia is using her lipstick to moisturize her lips.
Nadia 用她的口紅來滋潤她的嘴唇。
moisturizer n. [count, noncount] 給肌膚帶來滋潤的乳霜
- After Pamela washed her hands, she put on some moisturizer.
Pamela 洗完手後，就擦了滋潤乳霜。


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