On Decision-making--Baba Shiv: Sometimes it's good to give up the driver's seat

A freshman-to-be asked me what he should do in college so that he will have a meaningful college life.

Very often, programmed by schooling or societal values, we hold the belief that we are the master of our own life and that we are what we "decide."  This belief inevitably put enormous pressure on some of us, fearing any wrong decision might lead to irreversible consequences or an unhappy ending.

The Teacher--Learning Idioms from BBC Learning English

A section of BBC Learning English, The Teacher,teaches idioms in an interesting way.  You will watch a video, in which the teacher introduces three idioms at a time in an interesting way.  What's more, on the same page, you can see several passages created by learners from all over the world using these three idioms.

English Graduation Threshold for Some Colleges in Taiwan--各大專院校外語能力畢業門檻

http://www.ntnu.edu.tw/aa/aa1/case06/ref47.pdf

各大專院校外語能力畢業門檻

The Best Part of Living in Taipei--舒國治：住台北最讓人滿意之事

舒國治：住台北最讓人滿意之事

【聯合報╱舒國治】 2010.06.11 03:09 am

有朋自遠方來，可陪他們去故宮觀賞書畫與器物。

新托福聽說難 我學子亞洲排18

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=212456

新托福聽說難 我學子亞洲排18

【聯合報╱記者張錦弘／台北報導】2009/09/14

Good Attitude Attracts Something Good--好態度帶來好機緣

http://www.parenting.com.tw/blog/blogTopic.action?id=65&nid=2018

好態度帶來好機緣

• 作者：洪蘭


• 2012.06.29

學校有項辛苦的觀測工作，地點在中央山脈的深山中，大家都不願意去。有個學生去了，想不到在那裡，遇見了落難的登山隊女學生，兩人一見鍾情，現在孩子都三歲了。每次看到他，我都感到人生的機緣妙不可言。有時萍水相逢會改變一生，所以凡事不可太計較；不但要隨遇而安，且要任勞任怨，因為你永遠不知道，誰在看著你。

My comments: We decide our own fate.

Which Comes First, School or Major?--an Article by a Former Student Ken

This is a fb page of a former student Ken Wang, who double majored in journalism and English at Chengchi University and is now studying in graduate school at NTU majoring in journalism.  He gave some words on the topic of whether school should come before major or vice versa, plus some insight into life.  You can also see the comments from his friends.  Highly recommended.  I posted it on my blog with his permission.

http://www.facebook.com/kenwang646/posts/493391294009146?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply

Group Discussion--a While-reading Activity

Acting Out--A Post-reading Activity

Interview--A Post-reading Activity

 

Ways to Learn English--猛背單字 美11所博班都要他

While cleaning out my stuff in my room, I ran across this UDN news report.  Though believing I must have posted it in my blog in 2007, I still regard it worthwhile to re-post the article for those who want to continue sharpening their English.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=64936

英文學習分享》猛背單字 美11所博班都要他

【聯合報／記者沈娟娟／雲林縣報導】2007/04/26

A Useful Resource for College Candidates--100、101大學考試入學分發各校系採計方式及100最低錄取分數試算表

For those who are struggling with which department of which school they are most likely to get into, here is a good resource.

New Departments and Departments Renamed--指考填志願 留意新增、改名系組//確認「前一志願的接受度要優於後一志願」

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=402850

指考填志願 留意新增、改名系組

【聯合報╱記者陳智華／台北報導】2012/07/19

The Comparison Between Standards of the2012 UEE and Those of the 2011 UEE

Today the results of the UEE are announced. The testees can check their scores on the CEEC website. At which, they can also find the different standards for every subject.

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/

The 2012 UEE Results Are Announced Tomorrow

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/101DRSE/101DRSENews/

1010718%E6%88%90%E7%B8%BE%E5%96%AE.pdf

101學年度指定科目考試「考生成績通知單」7月18日寄發

He's Found What He Loves--最快樂的事 陳伯恩隨時都在算

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=402554

最快樂的事 陳伯恩隨時都在算

【聯合報╱記者張念慈╱新竹縣報導】 2012/07/17

BBC Learning English--for TOEIC Takers

Yesterday on my FB, I also posted the link to the 20 TOEIC Tips. An FB friend Christina Wang offers the TOEIC takers a useful website: BBC Learning English. Here are her comments:

"Share one thing. Just go to BBC Learning English. They have updated business lessons every week."

20 TOEIC Tip

In the past few weeks, some students have asked me how to prepare for the TOEIC. The following webpage offers 20 tips. They are very useful tips not only for TOEIC takers but also for English learners.

http://www.englishclub.com/esl-exams/ets-toeic-tips.htm

20 TOEIC Tips

How to Beat the Heat--an Article from Newsweek

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/08/how-not-to-beat-the-heat.html

How to Beat the Heat

by Kent Sepkowitz / Newsweek

July 7, 2012 11:30 AM EDT

Scientific American--A Good Website for Science Lovers

This is a website a former student of mine often visited when he was studying in college. He was an accounting major at NTU. By reading the articles and watching and listening to the videos on it plus reading English novels, he sharpened his English proficiency and passed the TOEFL with flying colors--103/120.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/

Scientific American

How to Spend Your Summer Vacations--18 Ideas

http://www.wikihow.com/Spend-Your-Summer-Vacation-Indoors-and-Outdoors

How to Spend Your Summer Vacation Indoors and Outdoors

Edited byHana and 20 others

Reading English Novels; plus a Reading List--暑假閱讀 英文小說增功力

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=401463

暑假閱讀 英文小說增功力

【聯合報╱記者孫蓉華／台北報導】 2012/07/11

Grading Criteria for English Writing on 2012 UEE--101 學年度指定科目考試 英文考科非選擇題閱卷評分原則說明

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/101DRSE/101DRSENews/101指考英文記者會說明資料.pdf

101 學年度指定科目考試

英文考科非選擇題閱卷評分原則說明

閱卷召集人：劉慶剛（國立台北大學應用外語系教授）

Grading Criteria for Chinese Writing on 2012 UEE--101 學年度指定科目考試 國文考科非選擇題閱卷評分原則說明

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/101DRSE/101DRSENews/101指考國文記者會說明資料.pdf

101 學年度指定科目考試

國文考科非選擇題閱卷評分原則說明

閱卷召集人：李隆獻（國立臺灣大學中國文學系教授）

Are There Other Ways?--當「不准」變「不敢」 你就畫地為牢了

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/7214517.shtml

洪蘭：當「不准」變「不敢」 你就畫地為牢了【聯合報╱洪蘭】2012.07.10 09:33 am

Teaching English Through Rapping--美籍老師上課 學生飆Rap跳嘻哈

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=400791

美籍老師上課 學生飆Rap跳嘻哈

【聯合報╱記者黃宏璣／埔里報導】2012/07/07

Self-learning English--談英文自學

http://georgechen.idv.tw/wordpress/?p=298

談英文自學

陳建志

The Greatness of a Stay-at-home Mum

The following is a passage from Reader's Digest (June, 2012). Reading it reminds me of the fact that one way to make one appreciate what someone does for him/her is to have him lose it for a while.

A Heartwarming Card to June from June

Learning English Through English-English Dictionaries--如何利用英英字典學習英文

This morning, while cleaning out my stuff in the office, I ran across a newsletter published in 2009 by Lungteng Publishing Co. Leafing through it, I found this very interesting article, which is of great help to English learners. Just now I surfed the Net and found it online.

http://www.lungteng.com.tw/LungTengNet/HtmlMemberArea/publish/Newpaper/019/english/0003_02.%E6%95%99%E5%AD%B8%E9%8C%A6%E5%9B%8A-04.pdf

如何利用英英字典學習英文

陳建志／專業譯者

龍騰英文新天地

What Else to Teach Our Kids?--輸在人生起跑點上的台灣孩子

http://udn.com/NEWS/READING/X5/7188288.shtml

故事與新聞／輸在人生起跑點上的台灣孩子【聯合報╱楊照】2012.06.28 04:16 am

"5 ways the iPhone changed our lives"--a CNN News Story

For those who want to keep learning English after the UEE, this is an interesting article from CNN.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/28/tech/mobile/iphone-5-years-anniversary/index.html?iref=allsearch

5 ways the iPhone changed our lives

By Heather Kelly, CNN

June 30, 2012

On 2012 UEE Chinese Writing--作文好發揮 反向操作寫「利」字

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=399673

作文好發揮 反向操作寫「利」字【聯合晚報／記者簡慧珍、莊亞築、鄭國樑、嚴文廷、劉開元、蔡容喬／連線報導】 2012/07/02

How to Spend the Summer Vacation?

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/7195556.shtml

陪喪偶陪喪偶嬤 他的難忘暑假…

【聯合報╱李枝桃／國中校長】2012.07.01 02:01 am