MAKING GOOD DECISIONS (2)

Define the problem
First, you need to define the problem you are facing. For example, let's say you are deciding what to study in college. There are so many choices! So you have to decide which major is the best one for you.

Brainstorm
The next step is to think carefully about the decision and brainstorm your choices. You should research information about different majors and their career opportunities. It might be helpful for you to get out a paper and pen to organize your thoughts. 

Choose what to do
There are risks with every decision. There is no perfect choice. In the end, you have to be the one to determine what is right for you.

Act on your decision as soon as possible
If you postpone taking action, you will be tempted to change your mind. But if you act right away, you can move forward with purpose. It's time to take a leap of faith!

Info Cloud

Hi, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I took a quick survey in our office today and found eight out of 10 people I surveyed procrastinate. Manya, do you procrastinate? 

Let me explain what procrastinate is first. The verb procrastinate means to delay or put off doing something often because it's boring or unpleasant. We can say Sam procrastinated on filing his taxes, and now his taxes are overdue. He will need to pay a fine. To answer Rex's question - "Do I procrastinate or not?" - as a kid, I sometimes procrastinated on homework assignments I didn't like. Then my mom would nag me. She'd keep on reminding me and telling me to do my homework. This was a bad cycle, and I didn't like the nagging. As I got older, I decided to plan ahead and do the things I wanted to put off early. Then I could have peace of mind and not have to stay up late or stress out because of a looming deadline. So, friends, the habit of procrastinating can be broken. If you plan ahead, stick to your plan and don't put off unpleasant tasks, you will have less stress and be happier. 

西方人對於人們做事情拖延的問題，其實是很敏感的，英文叫做 procrastinate，在亞洲我們頂多會抱怨個兩句說這個人做事情拖拖拉拉的，但是西方人卻會把做事情會 procrastinate 當作一個課題來研究。在很多的書籍還有課程裡面，都在探討如何解決拖延的問題，Sam procrastinated on filing his taxes, and now they are overdue. Sam延遲報稅，現在已經過了報稅的期限。如果你有習慣做事情會 procrastinate，可以事前做好工作計畫，按部就班地進行，完成你的工作。

Language Lab

define v. 下定義、界定 
- Carter asked his supervisor to clearly define what her expectations of him were.
Carter 請主管明確說明她對他的期望。
- That line of trees over there defines the east side of Jackson’s property line.
那排樹是Jackson土地東側的界線。
define v. 是....的特色
- Those ducks are defined by their green and brown markings and distinct sound.
綠色和棕色的花紋和獨特的叫聲，是那些鴨子的特色。

opportunity n. 機會 
- Haley had an opportunity to work on a project with her professor, but she decided not to.
Haley 原本有機會跟教授合作一個方案，但是她決定不要。
- At the end of his speech, the president gave the reporters an opportunity to ask questions.
總統演講完後，給記者們提問的機會。
opportunity n.  時機
- Scott was asked to contact the tax department at his earliest opportunity.
Scott被通知要盡快地跟稅務部門聯絡。

postpone  v. 延後、延緩
- Many couples postponed their weddings during the Covid-19 outbreak.
很多新人在新冠肺炎爆發期間，都把婚禮延後了。
- Wesley and Sandy had to postpone their trip indefinitely because their daughter became ill.
Wesley 和 Sandy不得不把旅行無限期延後，因為他們的女兒生病了。
- Ryan postponed letting anyone go until his company lost nearly all of its money.
Ryan 等到他的公司幾乎破產時，才解雇員工。

tempt v. 想要、誘惑 
- Eric knew Irene was on a diet, but he tempted her with a piece of carrot cake anyway.
Eric 知道 Irene 在節食，但是還是拿一片紅蘿蔔蛋糕去誘惑她。
- The thought of going to the movies with his friends tempted Pete, but in the end, he finished his project that was due the following day.
跟朋友去看電影這個想法誘惑了 Pete，還好他最後也把隔天要繳的專題作業完成了。
temptation n.
- It is such a temptation to eat pasta for lunch even though I always get tired in the afternoon if I do.
我午餐好想吃義大利麵，就算我吃了下午總是會覺得疲倦。

MAKING GOOD DECISIONS (1)

How to make good decisions and avoid bad ones
你也能成為決策大師 如何避免錯誤決定 且做出正確決策？

One of the best skills you can learn in life is how to make good decisions. Why? Because bad decisions lead to disappointment and pain. Good decisions, on the other hand, make you feel happy and successful. 

So what factors go into making a good decision?  There are three to consider. First, you need to realize that every action has a consequence. You shouldn't make a big decision quickly. Second, talk to others, especially those who are older and wiser than you. They can give you helpful counsel. And finally, check your conscience. Be sure that you can feel proud of the decision you are going to make. 

When it coms to decisions, many people hesitate to make them. They may be scared of making a mistake. They may be afraid of what other people will think of their choice. Or they could even hesitate because they don't know all the facts. If you need help making a decision, use the following four steps. 

Info Cloud

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Someone asked me recently: What is your secret to success? I was surprised because I don't consider myself successful, but I said I believe hard work is the secret to any level of success. What do you think, Manya? I certainly believe so as well. We're all successful in our own little ways. Hard work is a part of the formula that many successful people use and believe in. I also know that many people believe that the secret to success is smart work, which involves finding the most efficient and effective ways to complete something. Smart work may bring great results in a shorter amount of time in comparison to only hard work. Unfortunately, I've known people who are always trying to cut corners instead of putting in the hard work to accomplish or learn something. So, for me, I believe that the secret to success is smart work, plus hard work. They go hand-in-hand, and that is certainly true when you're learning English.

很多人都想要知道一些成功人士的 secret to success，也就是成功的秘密，在傳統上很多人都會覺得不管做什麼，hard work 努力才是成功的不二法門。也有一些人認為，比起沒有方向的努力，smart work 才是他們的 secret to success。

smart work 翻譯成中文就是聰明的工作，也就是用最聰明、最有效率的方法做事，才是成功的祕訣。不過有很多人信奉 smart work 的人，他們都不太願意一步一腳印的付出努力，只想要走成功的捷徑，最後也可能沒有打好基礎而失敗。不管怎麼說，我們相信 secret to success 是 smart work 加上 hard work，缺一不可。

Language Lab

disappointment n. 失望 
- It was a huge disappointment for Sue when she found out that she wasn’t getting the raise she had been expecting.
當Sue 發現她所期待的加薪不會實現時，她大失所望。
- Robert was a disappointment to his family when he lost his job and then just sat around at home.
失業後，卻只能閒在家裡，讓家人對他大失所望。
disappoint v.
- Joanne didn’t want to disappoint her team, so she spent the entire night researching how they might improve their products.
Joanne 不想讓她的團隊失望，所以花了整個晚上研究如何改善產品。

consequence n. 不好的結果或後果 
- The teacher asked the class what they thought the consequence of cheating should be.
老師問班上的同學，作弊的人該接受什麼樣的懲罰。
- One consequence of Ron’s misbehavior is that he is grounded for two weeks.
- Ron行為不良的懲罰之一是禁足兩週。
of consequence adj. ph 重要的
- Everyone who attended the meeting was a person of consequence.
每位出席會議的人，都是重要人物。

conscience n.  良心、良知
- Matt’s conscience told him it was wrong, but he stole the apple anyway because he was so hungry.
Matt 的良知告訴他偷蘋果是不對的，但他還是偷了，因為他好餓。
- Your decision is a matter of conscience, so no one can tell you what you should do.
你的決定跟良心有關，沒有人能告訴你該怎麼做。
- Shirley can always tell when Timothy has a guilty conscience because it shows on his face.
Shirley 每次都看得出Timothy 的愧疚，因為他臉上都會顯示出來。

hesitate v. 猶豫
- Because Natalie hadn’t been feeling well, she hesitated before she started up the four flights of stairs.
Natalie 身體不舒服，所以要開始爬四段樓梯的時候，她猶豫了。
- There are so many people at the Wang house that if you hesitate to take some food during dinner, you’ll end up with nothing.
王家屋裡有好多人，你如果吃晚餐時，猶豫要吃什麼，最後就會什麼也吃不到。
- When Ethan asked Shelly to marry him, she hesitated slightly before saying yes.
當Ethan 跟Shelly 求婚時，她猶豫了一下才答應。

Avoid Overcommitment (2)

One tool that may be helpful in avoiding overcommitment is a calendar. Schedule times for everything you need to do - including taking care of yourself. But don't feel compelled to fill every blank space.

It's also worth looking at your current commitments. Do your commitments actually match your priorities? Could you give up some of them or pass them off to other people?

Learning how to say no politely but firmly also helps with overcommitment.

It helps to have a good sense of what your priorities are so that you can say yes or no when appropriate.

I have a rule that I never immediately agree to any long-term time commitments. I always ask for some time to think. That's because my first instinct is usually to say yes, even if I don't really have time. Having time to think about a potential assignment gives me space to say no if I need to.

Saying no to things you don't have time to do well frees you up to say yes to what truly matters.


Info Cloud
Time is money. 時間就是金錢。提醒大家時間真的是非常寶貴。


Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Today I'd like to share with you a very common but important concept: Time is money.

Hmm. Rex, I think that most people have heard that before.

I know. But not a lot of people knows its origin and the deeper significance of this saying.

Well, when people say time is money, it is to remind us that time is precious, don't waste any of it.

Yes, that's the basic idea. The saying that time is money was originally written by Benjamin Franklin back in the 18th century.

That's interesting. I always thought time is money was a modern concept.

Benjamin Franklin wrote it to remind young people that being lazy could cost you a lot because you could use the time you waste to make more money.

When you say time is money, it doesn't necessarily have to be used to encourage people to use time to make money. It can be used just to remind people that time is precious.

相信大部分的人都聽過這句話 Time is money. 時間就是金錢。這句話是用來形容浪費時間等於是浪費金錢。很多人以為Time is money. 是一句現代的流行用語，但其實這是美國的富蘭克林早在十八世紀的一篇文章中就寫下的一句話，用來提醒年輕人你浪費掉的時間，原本可以讓你靠著勞力，賺取更多的金錢。不過，Time is money. 並不一定是在鼓勵人們去賺錢，而是提醒大家時間真的是非常寶貴。


Language Lab
compel v. 強迫
 /kəmˈpɛl/
to force (someone) to do something
- Vince didn’t want to buy anything from the child at first, but when he saw the child’s dirty clothes, he felt compelled to buy something from him.
Vince 原本不想跟小朋友買東西，但是他一看到小孩的衣服有多髒，就不得不跟他買東西。 - -- Melissa doesn’t like to wear dresses, but she was compelled to wear one when she joined a choir.
Melissa 不喜歡穿裙子，但是她加入合唱團後，就被迫要穿裙子。
- All the children who got sick were compelled to stay at home.
所有生了病的小朋友們要被要求留在家裡。

priority n. 優先考慮的事情 prioritize
something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first
- Fred didn’t handle the situation immediately because it was not a priority to him.
Fred 沒有馬上處理狀況，因為那件事對他而言比較不重要。
- In order for the team to get this assignment done on time, every team member was asked to treat the assignment as their first priority.
為了讓團隊能夠把任務及時做完，每一位隊友都被要求把任務擺為第一優先。
prioritize v. 決定事情的優先順序
 /praɪˈorəˌtaɪz/
to organize (things) so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first
- Jimmy could never get anything done because he never prioritized his work.
Jimmy 老是無法把他該做的事情做完，因為他不會判斷事情的優先次序。
- Janice wants to prioritize her commitments, but everything just seems equally important to her.
Janice 想要決定她該做的事情的優先次序，但是每一件事情似乎都對她很重要。

appropriate adj. 適當的
right or suited for some purpose or situation
- What Karen said to the group was not appropriate, and it is no wonder that everyone is mad at her now.
Karen 在大家面前說的話很不恰當，難怪現在大家都在生她的氣。
- I have never been to a celebration like that, so I do not know what would make an appropriate gift.
我從來沒參加過那樣的慶典，所以不知道什麼樣的禮物是最適合的。
- The visitor was asked to leave the religious center because her clothes were not appropriate.
客人被要求離開那個宗教場所，因為她的穿著很不恰當。

instinct n. 直覺
/ˈɪnˌstɪŋkt/
something you know without learning it or thinking about it
- You might not know what to do in this situation, but what is your instinct telling you?
你在這個情形裡也許會不知道該怎麼辦，但是聽聽你的直覺在跟你講什麼。
instinct n. 本能
a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned : a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way
It is by instinct that baby sea turtles go into the ocean after they come out of their eggs.
小海龜孵出來後，是因為本能而直接進入海洋裡。
instinctive adj. 直覺的、本能的
 /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/
relating to or based on instinct : based on feelings or desires that do not come from thinking or learning
- The minute Rita heard her baby cry, her instinctive response was to lift him up and hold him.
Rita 一聽到她的寶寶在哭，就很自然地把他抱起來。
- It is fascinating to watch a bird build a nest because it is an instinctive thing for the bird to do.
看著鳥築巢是一件很有趣的事，因為築巢是鳥的本能。

Avoid Overcommitment (1)

Set yourself up for success by not taking on too much
過度承諾 低度實踐？！ 避免過重負荷 為成功做準備

Have you ever agreed to do something only to find out later that you don't have time? Are you constantly stressed from rushing from one assignment to another? If so, you may have a problem with overcommitment.

Overcommitment happens when you decide to do more things than you realistically have time to do. When this happens, the quality of your work suffers. Your quality of live also suffers because overcommitment leaves you less time to take care of yourself. It's preferable to do one or two things well than to do 10 things poorly - or worse, to back out once you've agreed to something.

Time management coach Elizabeth Saunders suggests creating a budget for your time like you do with money. The total amount of time you have each day equals 24 hours minus the time you need for basic wellness activities. These include things like sleeping, eating and showering. Saunders suggests adding up your time commitments to other people and the time needed to meet your personal goals. If that total is greater than the amount of time you have each day, you have a problem.


Info Cloud
ahead of one’s time

Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. Rex, I see you're using your iPhone and Apple computer a lot in the office. Are you a big Apple fan?

Oh, yes. I was really a big fan of the late Steve Jobs because I thought he was very innovative and brilliant with almost every product he launches. He was ahead of our time.

That's a great way to put it. When we describe someone as ahead of their time, it means they are more innovative and ahead of everyone else in the era they are living in. 

Although being ahead of someone's time implies someone is smarter or more advanced than everyone in a particular era, it's not always a good time for that person.

What do you mean by that?

Well, have you heard of pioneers having arrows on their back? An example would be the great musician Mozart. He died very young and poor.

Oh. I see what you mean. If someone is too ahead of their time, their work might not be accepted by people living during their time.

很多人認為已故的蘋果創辦人賈伯斯 Steve Jobs是時代的先驅，推出了許多我們意想不到的科技產品，我們可以說: Steve Jobs was ahead of his time. 賈伯斯走在時代的尖端，他比當代任何人都更加的創新。

ahead of one’s time 就是比當代所有的人都還要先進的意思，不過，並不是所有時代先驅都像Steve Jobs活著的時候，這麼樣有成就，如果 too ahead of one’s time 太過於先進，可能會被時代拒絕，像是音樂神童莫札特最後就在窮極潦倒的景況中，三十五歲就離開世界。


Language Lab
realistically adv. 實際地、現實地; 非常逼真或寫實地
/ˌriːjəˈlɪstɪkli/
realistic adj. 某情況和真的一樣
based on what is real rather than on what is wanted or hoped for : sensible and appropriate
- The idea may sound great, but unfortunately, it’s not realistic.
這個想法也許聽起來不錯，但可惜不夠實際。
realistic adj. 某情況和真的一樣
able to see things as they really are and to deal with them in a practical way
- The actor did his best on the stage, but with the bad make-up and costume, the effect wasn’t very realistic.
演員在台上已經很賣力了，但是因為妝跟戲服都不是很好，所以整體效果不夠逼真。
realistically adv. 實際地、現實地
- The airline told us we would need to wait for less than half an hour, but realistically, we knew the delay would be a long one.
航空公司說只要再等快半個小時，但實際上我們知道會等很久。
realistically adv. 非常逼真或寫實地
- The author wrote about life in the slums, and his characters are realistically presented.
作者寫的是關於在貧民窟裡的生活，而書裡的角色都很寫實地被呈現出來。

preferable adj. 比較適合的、比較好的
/ˈprɛfrəbəl/
better or more desirable
- A hot cup of coffee would be preferable on a cold day like this.
今天這種冷天氣最適合喝一杯熱咖啡。
- When I travel by plane, a window seat is always preferable.
我搭飛機的時候，都覺得坐在靠窗的座位比較好。
prefer v. 比較喜歡、寧可
to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else
- Harley would prefer to eat at home.
Harley 寧可在家裡吃。
- Sandy would prefer to go to Tokyo than to Macau.
Sandy 比較喜歡去東京勝過去澳門。

wellness n. 生活作息方面的健康程度
the quality or state of being healthy
- After a year of hard work and a lot of stress, Annette has decided to focus on her health and wellness.
Annette 辛苦工作一年後加上壓力又大，她下定決心要更注意自己的生活品質和健康。
- James has a new job and is spending more time with his family now, and all these changes are bringing him greater wellness.
James 換了工作後，並開始多陪家人，所以能夠為他自己的生活健康加分。
- You might have a healthy diet and exercise regularly, but if you don’t deal with your stress, it will affect your mental wellness.
你也許有注重飲食又有在運動，但如果不好好處理壓力，心理方面的健康會受到影響。

commitment n. 需要做的事情 
a promise to do or give something
- I cannot help you with your work because I have a lot of other commitments already.
我無法幫你的忙，因為在手上的事很多。
- Megan’s job keeps her very busy, so she doesn’t want to have any other commitments.
Megan的工作讓她很忙了，所以她不想投入其他事情。
commitment n. 保證、承諾
a promise to be loyal to someone or something
- Tiffany has made a commitment to help the children in the orphanage.
Tiffany 有承諾要幫助兒童之家的小朋友們。
- It is hard to work in a refugee camp, but the nurses have demonstrated total commitment to the people.
在難民營裡面工作很辛苦，但是護士們對難民們有完全的投入。

Emotional Skills (1)

Dealing with your own and other people’s feelings

When you think of life skills, you typically think of things like cooking or fixing broken objects. These sorts of skills help regulate the environment around you. But skills that help you regulate what's going on inside of you are equally important. In other words, there are skills you can learn to help you manage difficult emotions. Those emotions don't have to stop you from being successful.

Take responsibility
When I was a child, I often accused my brother of making me mad. My mom was quick to correct me. "He can't make you mad," she would say. "He just does things, and you choose how you respond."

Although people sometimes try to provoke us to anger, each of us is responsible for our own reaction. We can choose how we interpret the actions of others and whether we will act on how we feel.

This also applies to other emotions besides anger. Fear, for example, is a common feeling that can sometimes cause trouble. Learning to do things that we're afraid of is an important part of becoming mature.


Language Lab
emotional adj.
relating to emotions
- Mark's friends came to his debut to give him emotional support.
- The child suffers from emotional trauma because of his parents' sudden divorce.
likely to show or express emotion : easily upset, excited, etc.
- The singer got very emotional in his farewell concert while thanking his fans.
emotion n.
a strong feeling (such as love, anger, joy, hate, or fear)
- Connie doesn't show her emotion easily.

regulate v. 管理；控制；為……制訂規章；校準；調整，調節
to set or adjust the amount, degree, or rate of (something) : control
- The humidity and temperature of the lab is carefully regulated.
- The rule is to regulate the price competition between the manufacturers.
regulation n. 規章；規則，規定；條例[C]；管理；調整，調節；校準
an official rule or law that says how something should be done: law
- People demand stronger government regulations for child care institutes.
- Restaurants need to comply with the new sanitary regulations.

provoke v.
to cause the occurrence of (a feeling or action) : to make (something) happen
- The governor's comment provoked negative reactions from many people.
- Richard is always rational and calm; Nothing you say can provoke him.
provocative adj.
causing discussion, thought, argument, etc.
- The boy's provocative behavior got him into fights with other boys at school.

interpret v.
to explain the meaning of (something)
- The girl's silence was interpreted as protest by her patents.
to translate the words that someone is speaking into a different language : to repeat what someone says in a different language than the language originally used
- The president doesn't speak any English, so he had his secretary interpret everything he said.

Info Cloud
topic: in the depths of something
- Since the funeral, Peter has been in the depths of depression.

from the bottom of someone's heart
- From the bottom of my heart, I love you all!

Hello friends, welcome to info cloud. I can’t hope but notice that Rex seems down lately. Is something wrong, Rex?

Oh, thanks for asking. I set high standard for myself and when I don’t reach them, I find myself in the depths of sadness.

Well, let’s talk about your situation in what you just said “in the depths of something” may be talking about your help.

Okay, in the depths of something usually refers to being deep into a negative situation such as depression, trouble or some economic crisis.

The word depth indicates the bottom or a very deep part of something.

For example, the country has been in the depths of an economic recession for many years, thus, it is deeply trapped in that situation.

Another expression that sounds a little similar but has a very different meaning is “from the bottom of someone’s heart”.

People often say this to emphasize they really care about the other person.

So, Rex, from the bottom of my heart, I really care about how you feel right now. Are you feeling any better?

Yes, I am, thank you so much for talking with me and being such a great friend.

No problem. I want you to know I really treasure our friendship from the bottom of my heart.