How Blogging Helps

Today near noon, a former student Yu-li, who graduated from NHSH two years ago, asked me how to prepare for TOEIC via a FB private message. I suggested him borrow a TOEIC book of past tests from the library or buy one. Besides, I told him I remembered I once posted a former student Henny Cheng's article about TOEIC preparation based on her experience and that I'd find it for him in the evening.

How Do You Say...in English?--"戒掉爛英文"

This morning , when reading Business Weekly at a breakfast store, I came across an interesting section "Get Rid of Bad English (戒掉爛英文)."  Just now I surfed the Net and found the webpage of this section.

http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/CBlogList.aspx?Cid=0000000004&sort=0&pnumber=2

The following are some examples from two issues.

http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/online/20140725/KBlogArticle_8649_1.htm?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_content=bw&utm_campaign=content

「公主病」的英文怎麼說？

2014-07-25

Teaching Kids News. com

http://teachkidsnews.com/

This is a good website for teaching kids news. In Taiwan, it can be used by 9th graders or freshmen in high school.  The website includes not only news, but "curriculum connections," in which some reading and writing activities are suggested.

Focus on Cultural Education: A Writing Activity

TESOL Blogs is really a good trove for English teachers.

http://blog.tesol.org/focus-on-cultural-education-a-writing-activity/

Focus on Cultural Education: A Writing Activity

Posted on 25 July 2014 by Elena Shvidk

Living in a foreign country can be difficult if one doesn’t understand many of the cultural concepts that “locals” sometimes use on a daily basis.  When I came to the United States a few years ago, I realized how little I knew about the American culture.  I appreciated people who were willing to help me and contribute to my “cultural education.”

Accordingly, I am curious sometimes if our students are aware of the meanings, let alone the history, of the cultural concepts that they encounter during classroom activities or in readings.

My comments: More often than not, they need to be pointed out by teachers.

Cultural Trip in England-- "英倫行腳：從老志工和小學生看英國文化素養"--from UDN

If my memory serves me right, the author was a student I taught for one year at Chiehshow Junior High School.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/news/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=488&f_SUB_ID=5831&f_ART_ID=525669

英倫行腳：從老志工和小學生看英國文化素養

【鄭緯筌╱知名部落客】2014/07/21

今年六月下旬，我去了一趟英國，參加由伯明罕大學所主辦的「文化資產」短期學程。在這段期間，我不但聽了許多文化觀光、博物館等領域的大師的精采課程，也有許多的收穫。為期兩週的參訪活動，安排得相當緊密又別具特色，無論是拜訪工業革命的發源地鐵橋谷、大英博物館、Wedgwood、Cadbury等地或場館，無一不讓我留下深刻的印象。

"World's coolest bookstores"--from CNN

Guess what? Taiwan's Eslite is on the list.

Click the link, and you'll see the photos of these bookstores. Eslite is in the 17th.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/23/travel/worlds-coolest-bookstores/index.html

World's coolest bookstores 

By Frances Cha, CNN

July 24, 2014 -- Updated 2042 GMT (0442 HKT)

(CNN) -- Someday there may be a generation of kids who think bookstores are fictional creations found only in novels that come in the mail.

Less Stuff, More Happiness--TED Talk by Graham Hill

A good 5-minute talk for those who are learning to get rid of things to earn more space.

"20 Words That Once Meant Somethin Very Different"--TED

An interesting talk about the English language recommended by my dear friend Annie (詹麗馨) on FB.

http://ideas.ted.com/2014/06/18/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

20 words that once meant something very different

Anne Curzan

20140618

"20 China travel tips that will make your journey easier"--from CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/22/travel/china-travel-tips/index.html?hpt=travel_hp_blogroll

20 China travel tips that will make your journey easier

By Fiona Reilly, for CNN

July 23, 2014 -- Updated 0117 GMT (0917 HKT)

(CNN) -- Exploring China can rattle even veteran travelers.

And understandably so.

My comments: The word "rattle" used here brings a vivid picture to my mind.

A Revised Entry about Tze-huang Dated 20130818

I have to make an apology to Tze-huang (謝志煌) for some incorrect information I put on the 20130818 entry in my blog by mistake. And I'd like to thank him for helpin me make the corrections. The following is the revised entry.

http://june.ettachou.com/2013/08/18/going-all-out-to-pursue-a-dream/#more-8591

HAPPINESS--"當不幸充斥… 此時更需要幸福素養"--from UDN

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/8819306.shtml

當不幸充斥… 此時更需要幸福素養

【聯合報╱王駿發／大仁科技大學校長、成大講座教授（屏縣鹽埔）】

2014.07.22 02:38 am

最近國內外不安的新聞相當多，例如烏克蘭與俄羅斯支持的烏東叛軍之間的戰爭，導致馬航被飛彈擊落；美國加州大學聖塔芭芭拉校區的槍擊案，造成七人死亡；台北捷運也發生震驚全國的砍人事件。我們感受到，世界許多角落幸福似乎已變成一種奢求。

On Parenting--"王正方／教育子女 存乎一心"--from UDN

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/8817076.shtml

王正方／教育子女 存乎一心

【聯合報╱王正方】

2014.07.21 02:21 am

宴請廿多年未見的舊友，她帶著一雙兒女出現。俊哥美女，兒子年方廿一，已經拿到哈佛大學的電腦碩士，女兒在讀醫學院，中英文俱佳，優秀得不像話。

"7 Amazing Pieces of Advice No One Ever Gave You"--from TIME

http://time.com/3007462/amazing-advice/?utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29

7 Amazing Pieces of Advice No One Ever Gave You

Jessica Stillman                                             July 19, 2014

The best advice for those looking to achieve great things is often the least repeated

Another Happy Gathering with Tze-huang

Remember the man in the photo? He's a former student who is going all out for his dream and whose story I related on last year's August 18 entry. http://june.ettachou.com/2013/08/18/

She Got the Highest Score on English Test of 2014 Entrance Exam--"讀小說、抄佳句 指考英文全國最高"--from UDN

http://mag.udn.com/mag/edu/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=525355

讀小說、抄佳句 指考英文全國最高

【聯合報╱記者廖珮妤／台北報導】2014/07/19

台北市延平中學考生邱卉禎今年指考英文99分，不只是全國最高分，也是唯一一名99分的學生。她表示，英文高分沒有訣竅，多讀、多看、多背最重要。她喜歡看網球比賽，時常上國外新聞網站，閱讀第一手報導，也喜歡讀原文小說，抄下名言佳句，應用在考試的作文中。

"6 Cancer-Fighting Superfoods"--from Health

Recently I've been collecting some health information for a relative who suffers from cancer. The following webpage suggests not only foods for fighting cancer but also foods not to eat so as to prevent cancer.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20430736,00.html

6 Cancer-Fighting Superfoods

A Time with Students

Today I spent the time after 2:30pm with my former students. Last week, Yi-ching, a student who graduated 6 years ago, invited me to an afternoon tea today. And this morning I found out today was her birthday. During our gathering this afternoon, she told me she decided to spend her happy birthday with a positive person and thought of me. I felt honored and touched. At her request, I didn't post our photos here.

"5 Life Lessons People Learn Too Late"--from Reader's Digest

http://www.rd.com/advice/relationships/life-lessons-people-learn-too-late/

5 Life Lessons People Learn Too Late

Strong relationships make for a rich life, but we're often  mistaken in the ways we pursue them.

By Elizabeth Svoboda   from Psychology Today Also published in Reader's Digest  Magazine February 2014
Read more: http://www.rd.com/advice/relationships/life-lessons-people-learn-too-late/#ixzz37dcDlExU

IF YOUR AMBITION is to lead a satisfying life, your best bet is to cultivate  connection. Studies show that people who enjoy rich ties with friends and family  are happier, have fewer health problems, and are more resilient. When it comes  to relationship advice, it’s also wise to approach conventional wisdom with a  critical eye. We’ve culled the data, consulted the experts, and arrived at five  essential lessons that depart from hand-me-down norms.

Stay Cool in the Mountains with Friends; plus a Good Way to Improve English Listening Ability

A trip to the mountains is one of the best things that can happen in the scorching summer. To escape from the heat in the concrete jungle, we five, including Mei-ying, Li-chu, Shu-yuan, Mei-chen, and me, went to Yangmingshan today. The photos above show us at the last stop, a forest where a lot of people like to have their wedding photos taken.

"Healthy living: How to live longer"--from BBC

A relative's illness reminds me of the sentence I often asked students to translate when teaching the sentence pattern "not...until...": People don't realize the importance of health until they lose it.

Quite a few diseases are irreversible. We can never be too careful. When it comes to staying healthy, lifestyle matters. The following is an article from BBC on healthy lifestyle.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22019289

Healthy living: How to live longer

19 April 2013 Last updated at 18:07

Some aspects of our health and vitality are governed by our genes and how our mother behaves during pregnancy, but many lifestyle factors, including fitness, diet and weight all impact on our ability to live a long and healthy life.

English Test on the 2014 High School Entrance Exam

About the 2nd High School Entrance Exam:

http://www.rcpet.ntnu.edu.tw/

http://bctest2.tp.edu.tw/

The English Test:

103AAT_English150DPI[1]

Comments from the newspaper:

The More We Get Together...

Another gathering with my junior high schoolmates yesterday evening. I knew none of them when studying in junior high except two; however, the April 19 school reunion started our friendship. A strange but beautiful case in life.

The 20 Best TV Shows Of The 2013/2014 Season

This list is recommended by my dear friend Sarah (殷彩鳳老師) on FB. It is for those who want to watch good TV shows for pleasure or learn English from them. I believe most of them have beend made into DVDs. Check Amazon. I've seen none of these and watching movies is seldom my way of improving my English, but quite a few of my former students found it fun to learn English through TV series.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-20-best-tv-shows-of-the-2013-2014-season-20140624?page=1#blogPostHeaderPanel

The 20 Best TV Shows Of The 2013/2014 Season

by The Playlist Staff

六月 24, 2014 3:09 下午

Bad news if you’re a member of the Television Academy: balloting for this year’s Emmys closed on June 20th, with the nominees to be announced a few weeks from now, on July 10th. That officially brings to an end the 2013/2014 TV season, and if anyone was worried that the string of quality TV was starting to come to an end as some of the most famous dramas and comedies of recent years wrapped up their runs, they were sorely mistaken: the medium is in as remarkably healthy a state as ever.

Long Time No See

Top 10 Safest Countries In The World To Settle In 2014

http://lifestyle9.com/top-10-safest-countries-to-live-in-the-world/

Top 10 Safest Countries In The World To Settle In 2014

July 9, 2014 by Mia Autumn

As natural disasters, terrorism, robberies and massacres made our planet a hell, everyone are in the urge to settle down in one of the safest places. But unfortunately when it comes to preparing a list of top 10 safest countries in the world, it becomes extremely hard to find such countries that satisfy all the criteria an individual has in mind.

"Eleven untranslatable words"--from BBC_Culture

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140703-eleven-untranslatable-words

3 July 2014

Eleven untranslatable words

    By  Fiona Macdonald

Norwegians have a word that means ‘to sit outside on a sunny day enjoying a beer’. BBC Culture meets an artist fascinated by languages’ unique terms.

My comments: Years ago, I asked a relative who had lived in the States for more than 20 years how they say "嫵媚" in English. She thought for a while and said there seemed to be no English word for this Mandarin term. I don't think Mandarin has a word for this Norwegian word.

"The Top 10 Foods You Should Be Eating"--from LIFEGOOROO

http://www.lifegooroo.com/eat-healthy/top-10-foods-eating

The Top 10 Foods You Should Be Eating

Last Updated: March 16, 2014 11:39 am

Not all foods are going to give you the same benefits. It’s important to know what kinds of foods are best for you. Follow Lifegooroo.com’s list of recommended foods to help you keep a nutritious diet that also fights disease. To find out more about which foods to eat, and what to avoid like the plague, click here.

In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Foods You Should be Eating:

A Wonderful Reunion

Yesterday, I attended a former class' reunion at WaPasta. The girls graduated from NHSH 11 years ago.  The attendees included 18 students and five teachers. A very lively class. Now I can still remember vividly their laughter, jokes, naughty questions, active participation, funny ways of talking, etc. 

On Resilience--"當第一選擇落空時..."

This morning, while reading the UDN, I came across an article by Ms. Hung, entitled "When the First Choice Seems Inaccessible (當第一選擇落空時...").  Marveled at its great insight, I couldn't wait to share. Though it was not available at the UDN website, I found it at a webpage, with a different title as follows.

http://epreschool.hsin-yi.org.tw/article/20131204152841.aspx

讓孩子保有多一點的彈性

撰文／洪蘭

英國的布魯漢爵士（Lord Henry Brougham）曾經說過：「如果一個人學到的東西是可以擦掉的話，那麼孩子在幼年期所學的東西要用一生的時間來清除，而長大後所學的學問不到一周的時間，便可全部清除掉。」

My comments: “If you can erase everything someone learns, then, what children learned from when they were younger will take them their entire life to clear, and, what they’d learned after they’re grown gets wiped out within a week’s time.”  --Lord Henry Brougham


大陸幼兒雜誌的一位編輯來信問道：「這句話可以作為支持早教的證據嗎？」不可以的，布魯漢爵士在說這句話時是在強調幼年經驗的重要，而當時的幼教不是指目前早教班所教的算術、英文或才藝課，而是指小時候父母給的身教、言教，尤其是無法用言語描繪的心靈安全感。童年情緒的發展很重要，早期的品格教育和情緒經驗會影響孩子的一生。

Be True to Yourself--Ellen DeGeneres's 2009 Commencement Speech at Tulane University

Ellen DeGeneres at Tulane's 2009 Commencement Speech. Her sense of humor brought out roars of laughter from the audience. How I I really love her concluding sentence: "... you're gonna be ok, dum de dum dum dum, just dance. "

"Kids Inc: Meet the youngsters running their own companies"--from BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28129967

Kids Inc: Meet the youngsters running their own companies

By Regan Morris BBC News, Los Angeles

3 July 2014 Last updated

It is not uncommon for shrewd high-tech chief executives in California to keep their cards close to their chest until they are absolutely ready for a product launch. It is called being in "stealth mode".

2014 CEE Test Items & Comments on the English Test

The annual CEE was over this afternoon. On the following webpage, you can find the test items and the key for every subject.

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/AppointExam/AppointExamPaper/103Drse_Paper/103DRSE_PaperIndex.htm

English test items and the key:

Hearing from DK

This morning, I got an email from a former student DK, a graduate student at NCCU, and was told that he is working as an intern in Shanghai during the summer vacation. Good for him! That's a place he used to talk a lot about.

A Turkish Poem with Its English and Chinese Translations

The following poem is actually a Turkish one. http://www.turkishclass.com/poem_136

An interesting poem, but the tone is ironic. A junior high school friend LINEd it to our group with a view to showing how beautiful the Chinese language is. I'm curious how Shakespeare would have translated it.

 

中文神譯 這段英文有八個不同的中文譯版

You say that you love rain, but you open your umbrella when it rains.

You say that you love the sun, but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines.

You say that you love the wind, but you close your windows when wind blows.

This is why I am afraid, you say that you love me too.