TED Conversations

For those who want to practice English writing, TED Conversations, a new social media platform on TED, is a good place. There you can either start or join a conversation with people from all over the world. Even if you don't have anything to contribute, just browsing through the conversations will give you ideas for writing.

http://www.ted.com/conversations

For example,here's a topic I find interesting: What's one thing you wish you had learned in school? Click on the link below and you'll find hundreds of responses to this question.

A Bookmark for My Students

Taiwan from the Eyes of a Foreigner--他們看台灣／放棄德國好工作 只為宮保雞丁

http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT5/6745813.shtml

他們看台灣／放棄德國好工作 只為宮保雞丁

【聯合報╱本報記者何烱榮】   2011.11.28 03:03 pm

The Seven Wonders of the Modern World, plus Famous Wonders, a Resourceful Website for Travelers

On the 2nd mid-term, there is a passage about the Channel Tunnel, or the Chunnel.   Reading the last sentence, "No wonder it's considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World," I was curious about the other six.   Surely it is easy to find the list online.   The following page of the website Famous Wonders gives not only the list but also a picture and a short descriptive passage for each Wonder.  Before clicking on the link, guess what the other six wonders are. 

The End is the Beginnng--我上班的最後一天

http://udn.com/NEWS/READING/X4/6737590.shtml

我上班的最後一天

【聯合報╱若琳】  2011.11.24 12:29 am

Sleep Enough and Learn Well--學生睡不飽？李家同嘆台北看天下

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=356403

學生睡不飽？李家同嘆台北看天下

【聯合報╱記者鄭語謙／台北報導】2011/11/25

Wisdom of Parents--不干涉不心疼 家長的智慧, Plus 過度學習 只滿足大人

The following are two UDN articles on education. One was by an educator, and the other by one who cares.

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/6738104.shtml

不干涉不心疼 家長的智慧

【聯合報╱李枝桃／國中校長（南投市）】

2011.11.24 01:34 am

"Hopes for better lives lead to slavery in U.S." from CNN

Recently, the poignant story of Isabel, or Ho Hsiao-feng, a Taiwanese woman who was sold into slavery at the age of 7 and had been mistreated thereafter until a kind woman helped her out, has been followed closely by the media.  The following is the news video/story on CNN, followed by today's report from the Taipei Times.

While watching the video, you might find yourself counting your blessings.

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/17/domestic-servitude/

Hopes for better lives lead to slavery in U.S.

Follow Your Passion When Deciding on Your Major--諾貝爾化學獎得主「一定要選熱愛的科系」

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=355674

諾貝爾化學獎得主「一定要選熱愛的科系」2011/11/22

Affixes & a Website Introducing the Commonest Prefixes and Suffixes

This afternoon, a student in Class 301 came to the office to ask me about the prefixes: in-, com-, con-, and sub-. After explaining the meaning of each, I gave him two more: pro-, ex-and suggested that he consult some online affix dictionaries., which include both prefixes and suffixes.

Eslite, the Best Bookstore in Asia--an Article in TIME

When it comes to the convenience of living in Taiwan, a feature included in "Taiwan the Formosa," my blog entry dated Nov. 15, 2011, Eslite, recognized as the best bookstore in Asia by TIME, has its contribution.

The following is the article in TIME. You may like to write an outline for it, which is a good writing exercise.

"How I Learned English" by Husan Yuan-Yo (旋元佑)

I'm really glad to find this article online.  In fact, it is the preface of the grammar book by Mr. Hsuan Yuan-Yo.  The book is out of print.  I have one, though.

http://leeoxygen.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/%e5%88%86%e4%ba%ab%e6%88%91%e5%ad%b8%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e7%9a%84%e7%b6%93%e9%a9%97%e6%97%8b%e5%85%83%e4%bd%91/

我學英文的經驗

Extensive Reading--精學修辭不如讓孩子廣泛閱讀

http://parenting.cw.com.tw/blog/blogTopic.action?id=65&nid=220

精學修辭不如讓孩子廣泛閱讀

作者：洪蘭 2009.03.27

No Cheating!--零分總比作弊好

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/6723170.shtml

零分總比作弊好

【聯合報╱黃志祥／大學副教授（斗六市）】 2011.11.17 01:56 am

The Gist & Tolerance of Ambiguity

Today students had to hand in their assignment for last weekend. It was an article entitled "Wings of Life," which is one of my favorites. The article was given with 10 words missing, which are all verbs. The students had to choose from the ten words given below the article a right word for each blank and then on the back of the handout write the theme of the story.

Taiwan the Formosa--他們看台灣／來台灣 半夜不怕肚子餓

http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT5/6715909.shtml

他們看台灣／來台灣 半夜不怕肚子餓

【聯合報╱本報記者蔡明樺】 2011.11.14 02:54 am

The First Taiwanese to Get Full Marks for TOEFL iBT--首位網路托福滿分 網友讚「托福之神」

http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT5/6716549.shtml

首位網路托福滿分 網友讚「托福之神」

【聯合新聞網╱綜合報導】

2011.11.14 12:35 pm

The 12-Year-Old Girl That Silenced the World for 6 Minutes

Here I'd like to present a speech by a Canadian school girl Severn Suzuki at UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Jenairo in 1992 on environmental issues. Talking to the delegates from around the world, she was only 12 years old then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPx5r35Aymc&feature=fvsr

 

The Provisional New 7 Wonders of Nature

Curious about the new 7 Wonders of Nautre? Click on the link and you'll see the list. However, they are yet to be confirmed.  Make a guess before you click.

Teaching Book 5, Unit 7 "Where There Is a Will"

Recently, we've been discussing Unit 7 "Where There Is a Will," which is about the construction of Taiwan's Hsuehshan Tunnel. Here I'd like to present the first period of the lesson.

School or Major--性向不明確 選校再選系

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=351601

多元入學Q&A／性向不明確 選校再選系

【聯合報╱記者張錦弘】2011/11/02

CEEC Vocabulary List Levels 5-6

For those who have familiarized themselves with the words at Levels 3-4 and want to proceed to Level 5 and/or Level 6, which will be covered on the UEE in July, here is the list provided by CEEC.

CEEC Vocabulary List Levels 3-4

The following is a list of the vocabulary words covered on the SAT, which is provided by CEEC.

CEEC Vocabulary list LEVELS 3-4.doc

Thank You for Giving Feedback

This morning, after the second period of class, a girl in Class 311 came up to me and told me that she was really touched by the story I gave last Friday "Information Please."  She said she was even on the brink of tears.  I told her the first time I read the story in Chicken Soup, the ending of the story did make me cry. 

Get Exposed to English Every Day to Learn It Well--英語演講比賽冠軍 堅持每天讀

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=352474

英語演講比賽冠軍 堅持每天讀

【聯合報╱記者陳智華／台北報導】2011/11/06

On Reading--學者：台灣學生「悅」讀 沒讀到重點

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=352241

學者：台灣學生「悅」讀 沒讀到重點

【聯合晚報╱記者王彩鸝╱台北報導】2011/11/04

926 More Students Will Get Admitted to College Earlier Through Star Plan in 2012--明年繁星增926名額 台大醫有2人

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=351922

明年繁星增926名額 台大醫有2人

【聯合晚報╱記者嚴文廷╱台北報導】2011/11/03

Correlation Between the Performance on Mock Exams and That on SAT--多元入學Q&A／模考能預測申請落點?

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=351196

多元入學Q&A／模考能預測申請落點?

【聯合報╱記者陳智華、張錦弘 】2011/10/31

20 Legends Who Shook the World

I was exhilarated to receive the supplement to the latest issue of TIME (Nov. 7, 2011): LIFE'S LEGENDS: 20 Who Shook The World. In it are a big photo of each of these 20 legends and a short article about them. Better yet, the same stories are accessible online.

http://www.life.com/gallery/66401/image/ugc1329101/20-legends-who-shook-the-world#index/0

The 20 legends are Marion Brando, Jackie Robinson, Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King Jr., Chuck Yeager, Winston Churchill, Georgia O'Keeffe, Margaret Bourke-White, Edmund Hillary, Ingrid Bergman, Edwin Hubble, Muhammad Ali, Frank Lloyd Wright, Audrey Hepburn, Yves Saint Laurent, Marian Anderson, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Isamu Noguchi, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

"A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs" from the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/mona-simpsons-eulogy-for-steve-jobs.html?pagewanted=all

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

By MONA SIMPSON

October 30, 2011