Great Soul, Heroic Deeds--"熬過921 70歲特搜嬤想救所有人"--from UDN

A touching true story.

http://udn.com/news/story/9450/1494354-%E7%86%AC%E9%81%8E921-70%E6%AD%B2%E7%89%B9%E6%90%9C%E5%AC%A4%E6%83%B3%E6%95%91%E6%89%80%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA

熬過921 70歲特搜嬤想救所有人

2016-02-08 07:48 聯合報 記者鄭宏斌／台南報導

抱著救出的三歲女童，來自南投特搜隊的「阿嬤」隊員林美霞一路狂奔，只為爭取時間挽救這條小生命；七十歲的她是九二一受災戶，「因為走過，更知道痛」。

要救到不能救為止

林美霞是全台最高齡的女性特搜隊員；十七年前的九二一大地震，家住埔里的她，家園全毀，讓她一心想成為特搜隊員，「要救人救到不能救為止」。

Happy Chinese New Year!

Taiwan earthquake_News Report by BBC & CNN

This morning, when checking my LINE messages after getting up, I was shocked by the news that a disastrous earthquake hit Taiwan around 3:57 this early morning. I was so deep in sleep that I didn't feel anything. Knowing many people in Tainan are suffering from the impact of the earthquake right before the Chinese New Year's Eve, I prayed for them and would like to help.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35511884

Taiwan earthquake: Rescuers in frantic search for missing

Rescuers are searching the rubble of a high-rise residential building in southern Taiwan after an earthquake that killed at least 14 people.

Some 30 people are still missing from the 17-storey block, one of several buildings that collapsed in Tainan city when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck.

Greenpeace

The lady's name is Tze-hui Lee. We were strangers until I stopped to listen to her this morning. It was a coincidence that we both were wearing something green.

This morning, on my way to Nanmen Market to do food shopping, a lady came up to me and asked if I could spare three minutes for her. Since I'm not in a rush, I stopped. That choice led me to an understanding of what Greenpeace is doing for our environment. In fact, I knew at the first minute that Ms. Lee was going to convince me to help with some campaign. And I was convinced and agreed to donate money to Greenpeace every month because I agree with its cause.

Do Not Let the Cellphone Cell You--"別讓手機毀了春節"

In the title, I use the word "cell" as a verb, which means putting someone in a cell like a prisoner. Though this usage of the word cannot be found in the dictionary now, I believe one day it will be listed as an entry.

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1486553-%E5%88%A5%E8%AE%93%E6%89%8B%E6%A9%9F%E6%AF%80%E4%BA%86%E6%98%A5%E7%AF%80

別讓手機毀了春節

2016-02-04 01:22 聯合報 黃丙喜／台灣科技大學管研所教授（台北市）

近日遊戲電玩展人潮擠爆，預期春節期間，許多人將沉迷於手機、電玩、臉書等互聯網路的情況。大家不能忽視春節期間這種病態症候群，約制一下自己過度使用互聯網的習性。

My comments: What about putting your cellphone away for a whole day during the Chinese New Year and embracing nature?

The Road Taken--My Essay for TFG Online Publication

Late last year, my sister in San Jose invited me to write an essay for TFGHAA-NC, for which she is an editor. In a sense, she forced me to because she didn't give me a chance to decline her request.

In the essay, I recalled the six crossroads in my life and how I made the decisions. An idea coming from Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken.

Good Website: English Grammar & Vocabulary from British Council

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary

English Grammar & Vocabulary

"In this section you can watch videos and do exercises to help you improve your English grammar and vocabulary."

Nice Gathering

Time: 12:30pm~2:40pm

Place: Waffogato (瓦法奇朵), Neihu, Taipei

Last Friday via LINE, Hao-tang, a student who graduated from NHSH in 2012, suggested a gathering. It seems to have become a ritual for us to meet every half a year. In fact, when proposing the get-together, he said today would be the only day during winter vacation when he was available. He asked if he could bring his girlfriend. Surely, I answered. I'm happy to meet my students' friends. This was the second time I saw his girlfriend.

At today's meet-up, each of them told me what they are planning to do in the coming year. Looking at their young face and listening to them talk about what courses they are going to take, I missed all those days when I went to school. What fun it is to learn!

Wonders of Nature_Red Radish...

Late this afternoon around 5, on impulse, George and I went to Yangmingshan for cherry blossoms. We stopped by a vegetable stall and bought some vegetables and tangerines for my mom and mom-in-law. Having never seen red radish, I bought two for them respectively, picturing their surprised look.

Long Time No See...

This morning, when I was cleaning out the inbox of an email account, which had exceeded the storage quota, I came across an old FB message notifying that Spencer mentioned me on his FB page. Going to the page, I found this photo, which was taken at a gathering before Spencer was going to the States for further studies. Along with it is a message by Spencer:

Dinner with Diego and Taco

A selfie I took

Time: 6:30pm~8:45pm

Place: solo pasta, Taipei

The Revenant, the Movie

This past Sunday, a chilly day, George and I took my mother-in-law to watch the movie The Revenant. It just won this year's multiple Golden Globe awards, including the best drama, best director, and best actor. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/73rd_Golden_Globe_Awards)   The movie is about how the protagonist Hugh Glass, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, suffered and endured adversity in severe weather to survive and revenge. What he goes through is almost impossible for ordinary people, which makes the movie inspiring. Whoever has watched it  will find their problems or hardship dwarfed by Hugh Glass's if they are going to be confronted by any.

P.S. I covered my eyes with my hands at several brutal scenes.

********

Here is a review by the TIME magazine:

Good 2015 SAT Chinese & English Essays

It occurred to me that I seemed to forget to post good SAT essays for the year 2015. Here they are. There are 14 for Chinese and 15 for English.

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/GoodWritingPieces/104SatGoodWritingPieces/104%E5%AD%B8%E6%B8%AC%E5%9C%8B%E8%8B%B1%E4%BD%B3%E4%BD%9C.htm

The writing task:

二、英文作文（占20分）

說明︰1.依提示在「答案卷」上寫一篇英文作文。

2.文長至少120個單詞（words）。

提示︰下面兩本書是學校建議的暑假閱讀書籍，請依書名想想看該書的內容，並思考你會選擇哪一本書閱讀，為什麼？請在第一段說明你會選哪一本書及你認為該書的內容大概會是什麼，第二段提出你選擇該書的理由。

2016 SAT English Test

The test items of this year's SAT:

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/AbilityExam/AbilityExamPaper/105SAT_Paper/105SAT_PaperIndex.htm

This year's SAT English test:

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/AbilityExam/AbilityExamPaper/105SAT_Paper/02-105學測英文科_定稿.pdf

Comments:

http://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201601235005-1.aspx

學測英文閱讀測驗內容冷僻 考生恐卡關

發稿時間：2016/01/23 12:05  最新更新：2016/01/23 13:00

（中央社記者許秩維台北23日電）今天是學測第二天，首節考英文。高中教師認為，今年閱讀測驗內容冷僻，必須注意文章細節，且選項誘答力高，考生應該會在閱讀測驗卡關。

On Admission to High School--"全面免試…為何偏鄉孩子就這麼倒楣？"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1464369-%E5%85%A8%E9%9D%A2%E5%85%8D%E8%A9%A6%E2%80%A6%E7%82%BA%E4%BD%95%E5%81%8F%E9%84%89%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90%E5%B0%B1%E9%80%99%E9%BA%BC%E5%80%92%E6%A5%A3%EF%BC%9F

全面免試…為何偏鄉孩子就這麼倒楣？

2016-01-25 01:59 聯合報 李家同／清華大學榮譽教授（新竹市）

全面免試不是新的口號，很早以前就有人提出這個觀念，而且也得到很多學者的贊同。這些學者最痛恨考試，他們認為考試使得教育變得很僵硬，學生因為準備考試而失去了創造力，所以他們贊成全面免試。可是這種想法其實是絕不不可行的。

My comments: In fact, tests are not that bad. It depends on how they are given. An article I read years ago pointed out that in India, the entrance exam gave essay questions. That's very different from what we have here in Taiwan. Multiple choice questions account for more than three quarters of the test.

It Is Snowng in the Taipei Area!

From my high school classmate. This is where she lives, in Xindian, around 500 m.a.s.l (500 meters above the sea level).

For the first time in the Taipei Area except for Yangmingshan, it snows. The temperature in Taipei dropped to 6°C, hiting the lowest in 44 years.

 

"Kind customer leaves mother of autistic son in tears"--from CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/20/us/customer-letter-autistic-son-irpt/index.html

Kind customer leaves mother of autistic son in tears

By Jareen Imam, CNN

Updated 2311 GMT (0711 HKT) January 20, 2016

(CNN) Managing the meltdowns of a 6-year-old was something Lauren Nordberg had down to a science.

She carried headphones around if it got noisy for her son. And she kept an iPad on hand to distract him if there was too much stimuli. But as they settled into their seats in a busy diner filled with people off from work for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, she realized she had none of those things.

NTNU Class Reunion

Time: 11:30am~3pm; 3:40pm~5:10pm

Place: Skylark, Taipei; Ting-fang's home

Participants: 李秋霞, 吳碧玲, 彭玉霞 & her husband 陳家榮, 張璧君, 黎文靜, 劉豔雲, 陳允華, 鄭淑華, & me

I went to our first NTNU class reunion in 2016. As usual, we talked and laughed to our hearts' content. It seemed that our gathering could go on and on.

Gathering with Solo

Time: 12pm~5pm, Jan. 21, 2016

Place: MoonRiver

Cool English Video Project Meeting

Time: 2pm, Jan. 20, 2016

Place: NTNU

Attendees: 賴淑麗教授, 楊小慧教授, 盧貞穎老師, 林玉姬老師, 莊玉玫老師, 吳湘妮老師, 何齊心老師, 李欣諭 (研究助理), and me

http://www.coolenglish.edu.tw/moodle/

Please visit the interactive learning video section at the above website, and you know what we are doing. I was recruited last November. This was my second time to attend such meeting and I am  going to share some test item writing tasks. What do we do? We watch videos and write comprehension questions and other types of test items.