An Unforgettable Class--Two Essays by Students

Here are two essays on "An Unforgettalbe Class" by my students.

Reminders from the CEEC--98指定科目考試考生作答注意事項

To my surprise, some students I chatted with this aftenoon didn't know that they have to write their answers on the UEE answer sheet with a 0.5~0.7mm blue or black ball point pen.   Here are some reminders from the CEEC (大考中心) :

Let Your Output Determine Your Input

I came across a news report.  What's special about this report is that the reporter is Ken (王慶剛), a student gradauted from NHSH.  Ken is a junior majoring in jouralism at Chengchi University now.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200637

吳若權：規劃未來的履歷表！

Preparation & Test-taking Skills--UEE Math (Science Group)

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200734

指考衝刺搶分／數學甲 考前複習 重概念重整

Preparation and Test-taking Skills--UEE Math (Social Science Group)

 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200733

指考衝刺搶分／數學乙 範圍不多 別輕言放棄

My Favorite Word--3, by Still Another Student

Here is another essay on "My Favorite Word."  Short, but quite good.

My Favorite Word-3.doc

Preparation & Test-taking Skills--English Composition

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200567

Preparation & Test-taking--UEE English

 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200568

Test-taking Skills--UEE English

Yesterday's United Evening News provided some test-taking skills for the UEE examinees. http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200569

Travel Is the Best Teacher--An Essay by a Student

The following is an essay by a student on "Travel Is the Best Teacher." When writing the 1st paragraph, many students didn't pay attention to the two words "Best Teacher" in the topic and just wrote about the advantages of travel, for example, how travel releases pressure from school or work, or what can be learned on a trip. In fact, more focus should be put on how travel teaches more or better than other kinds of teachers, such as books or human teachers. The following essay is one of the few that mention this point.

Writing Task:

請以"Travel Is the Best Teacher"為主題，寫一篇至少120個字的英文作文。第一段針對文章主題，說明旅行的優點，並在第二段舉自己在國內或國外的旅行經驗，以印證第一段的說明。(93 UEE)

What I Need Most for Life--2, by Another Student

The following is another essay on the topic "What I Need Most for Life" by a student. The student approached this topic in a different way. Quite creative!

Tips for Better Writing--A Good Article

While I was surfing the Net for some information, I came across a good article about writing "Ten Tips for Better Writing."

http://www.accepted.com/college/tenwritingtips.aspx

All the tips in the article are important points I mentioned in class, except the 10th one, which seems to promote a book, and the 8th.

The following is a copy from the web page. I put some brief Chinese explanations for tips 1~9. They are not word-for-word translations; however.

Preparing for the UEE Chinese Test in the Last Week

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200270

Tips for Chinese Writing on the UEE

Today's United Evening News provides some tips for Chinese writing on the UEE.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200269

Test Taking Tips--Chinese

In today's United Evening News, some test taking tips for the UEE Chinese test are offered.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200267

Is It an Ideal Way to Find Mr./Ms. Right Through the Internet?

The following are four essays on the topic "Is It an Ideal Way to Find Mr./Ms. Right Through the Internet?"  If my memory serves me right, the essays were written by four girls at TFG or Zhongshan Girls High School several years ago.  I should have put down the school name upon receiving the essays from my friend.   Well, I learned not to trust my memory too much.

The four essays are quite well written.  Enjoy reading them and decide which one is the most convincing.

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE Biology Test

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=200023

指考衝刺搶分／生物 別做太老的考古題

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE Chemistry Test

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199883

指考衝刺搶分／化學多背少算 勤做考古題

What I Need Most for Life--an Essay by a Student

Writing Task:

每一個人對於生活上的需求有所不同，現在就請你以What I Need Most for Life為主題，描述你的生活當中最需要的是什麼，並以自己或周遭人們的經驗具體說明你需要它的原因。

Misunderstanding

Here’s an essay by a student about an experience of being misunderstood.

Writing task:

人的生活中，難免有遭人誤解因而感到委屈的時候。請以此為主題，寫一篇至少120自的英文作文：第一段描述個人被誤解的經驗，第二但談這段經驗對個人的影響與啟示 (95指考）

A Letter of Advice--by a Student

The following is an essay by a student, which was  handed in today.

距離攸關前途的指考僅剩三個月，你(Alex)的好朋友 Kevin 卻因沈溺於網路遊戲而荒廢考試的準備，身為好友的你不忍見Kevin繼續沈淪。請寫一封信表達你對Kevin狀況的擔憂，並勸他先放棄網路遊戲，鼓勵Kevin積極面對考試。

You can click on A letter of advice.doc to have a better idea of the format of an English letter, or just read on.

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE Physics Test

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199719

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE Civics Test

Some tips on how to prepare for the UEE civics test:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199498

Going to the Movies--an Essay by Rebecca

Several years ago, a friend teaching at Zhongshan Girls High School (中山女中) showed me an essay written by her student.   After reading it, I was speechless, amazed at the student's writing skills.  This  essay of hers not only has substance but also is very well organized.  You just cannot stop reading it until the last word.   

The following is the outline of the essay:

Tips on Preparing for the UEE Geography Test

The following is what you could read in yesterday's UDN, giving tips on how to prepare for the UEE geography test.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199313

Tips on Preparing for the UEE History Test

Some tips on preparing for the UEE history test:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199165

Guessing from the Context

Extensive reading is the best way to expand our vocabulary.   Often we can just learn a new word or phrase by guessing its meaning from the context, without the help of a dictionary.  Here is an example from the book High School Musical #2: Wildcat Spirit, which I am reading to see if it can be used in summer remedial class:

Tips on Preparing for the UEE Math Test

At the following UDN web page you can find some tips on preparing for the UEE math test. 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=199076

Congratulations, Tracy!

Here I’d like to congratulate Tracy (陳品璇), an alumni of NHSH and student teacher last semester, on getting the teaching job at Datong High School (大同高中). Thank you, Tracy, for sharing with me the good news. I’m really happy for you. Good job!

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE Chinese Test

Click on the following UDN URL and you can find some tips on how to prepare for the UEE Chinese Test.  You can also just read on. 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=198972

Take It a Little Easier

Yesterday morning I ran into a student in the hallway at school. She told me she was very nervous about the coming UEE. To help her relax, I wrapped her in a long hug and told her to take the UEE a little easier and to practice taking deep breaths.

Tips on How to Prepare for the UEE English Test

Yesterday, the UDN provided UEE takers with some tips on how to prepare for the English test in the last 20 days. 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=198804

My Favorite Word--2

Here is another essay by a different student on the topic "My Favorite Word." 

"My Favorite Word" by a Student

The following is an essay written by a student this afternoon. Quite touching!

An interesting sentence

I finished the book A Night in Terro Tower several days ago, which I read to see if it can be used in the summer remedial class.  It is one in the series Goosebumps by R. L. Stine.  The only sentence I can recall from my memory now is "Both of my legs had fallen asleep."  I remember it because the image it brought to my mind while I was reading the book was so vivid and this combination of words was quite smart.  The following is the context.

"...I saw that I was being lifted by two gray-uniformed soldiers.

       They set me on my feet.  But my legs gave way, and I crumpled to the dirt....

       The soliders bent to pick me up.  Both of my legs had fallen asleep...."

Things Will Work Out as They Should...

This morning while I was cleaning up my desk in my study, I listened to some talks at TED, a marvelous web site where "riveting talks by remarkable people" are shared.   

Though I didn't concentrate, I still heard a lot of inspiring sentences.  For example, here's one in John Wooden's "True Success," http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success.html

     "...believe things will work out as they should providing we do what we should."

 

 

The Most Popular Course at Harvard

What's the most popular course at Harvard?  Not one that teaches science, politics, or art, but one which teaches happiness.  More than 800 studensts take the course "Positive Psychology."   Click the URL or read on.  If pressed for time, you can go straight to "Happiness Tips" near the end of the article.  I've bolded the key words for those who can't even spare 5 minutes. 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/10/harvards_crowded_course_to_happiness/

Tips for Creative Writing

Through HsinChu Senior High School's English web site, I found a great web site for English learners.  The grammar section provides very clear explanations.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/

For those who need some tips for writing, the following web page can be helpful.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/students/creative_writing.htm

Composition Topics--3

Here are 10 more composition topics for those who would like to practice writing.

composition-topics-3

Words to Her Son

In her letter to her 15-year-old son Alvin, Ms. Tung (童志祥), IBM general manager in  Taiwan area, mentioned her expectation for her son:

                              高  寬  廣  亮 

                      做一個對社會有價值的人

310 Thank-You Dinner

English Education--a Perspectieve of a Math Teacher

This morning in the hallway I ran into Mr. Tsao (曹昌東老師), an experienced math teacher.  Asked what I had been doing recently, I told him I was  reading something to decide on what to teach for the summer remedial class.  He generously shared his opinion.   According to him, students should be taught something useful and listening should be focused.  Instead of reading difficult articles, students in the remedial class may find something like Let's Talk in English more manageable and useful.  I told him I had been planning to have students read a book and in class we would have an oral discussion.  He said that would be fine and that a book with a CD would be better so that the students could be exposed to the language before they spoke it.

Graduation Ceremony

A Poetic Gift, plus a Translation of a Chinese Poem

Today our office chief Mr. Chou (周玉璽老師) gave each of us a Chinese-style shirt.  On the front are the four words 湖內春風, on the back are Mr. Chou's calligraphy writing of the poem 水調歌頭.  I love the shirt very much and am filled with gratitude toward him.

Learning English for Free

Last Saturday I came across a useful 84-page book at Eslite: 不花錢學英文.  It introduces 30 web sites, which are grouped into 6 categories: Beginners (啟蒙力), Listening and Speaking (聽說力), Reading (閱讀力), Writing (寫作力), Examination (應試力), and Hobbies (興趣力). The book devotes 2 pages for each web site.  It first describes the features of the site and then in the section "Step by Step" guides the readers through it.  A helpful book for those who prefer to learn English on their own.

Make an Outline

I often tell students to make an outline before they start writing their essays.  Here I'd like to give an example.