20090818 -- Improve Your Business With Bricks (1)

Improve Your Business With Bricks

LEGO toys are not just for children anymore
Since 1958, children have loved LEGO bricks, and they are not alone. Parents and teachers are also big fans of the colorful toys. In fact, the bricks are so popular that they have been named "Toy of the Century" – twice!

The popularity of LEGO toys should be no surprise. The LEGO Group has spent much of its history focusing on fun, high-quality toys. Playing with their bricks can improve creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Even the name LEGO – taken from the Danish term leg godt – means "play well."

But LEGO bricks are just toys, right? Wrong. Children, as it turns out, aren't the only people who can benefit from playing with the bricks. In 1995, the LEGO Group's owner wanted to improve the way his company made decisions. With the help of university researchers, LEGO Serious PLAY(LSP) was born. As its heart, LEGO Serious PLAY is a process for improving business performance. But it is also about playing with bricks - seriously.


fan n. 愛好者/迷
eg: I've been a Boston Red Sox fan since I was a kid.
eg: Many baseball fans stayed up all night to watch Chien-Ming play last night.
eg: Marco is a big fan of sci-fi movies(科幻片). He has the whole collection of "Star Trek" movies.

popularity n. 受歡迎
popular adj. 受歡迎的
eg: She is America's most popular singer.
eg: The band "Wham" used to be very popular in the 80's.
eg: The scandal really hurt the singer's popularity.

university n. 大學
eg: Students will be starting their university exams next week.

process n. 過程
eg: The process of learning is actually more important than the result.
eg: Learning how to drive is a painful process for me.
eg: The doctor used some medicine to speed up the healing process.

//== Chat room ==//

as its heart 問題的核心/根源
=> the core of the most important part of something

the heart of the matter 問題的核心/根源
=> get the most important part of something


take heart 鼓勵別人/幫別人加油打氣
=> If someone fail the exam, you can say "take heart".
eg: Take heart. 振作起來，再接再厲。

take to heart　聽進去/銘記在心
=> take something seriously and to be affected by it
=> If someone gives me tips on how to be a better tennis player,
=> and then I will take that information to heart
=> so I will try to follow the advise I was given

with all one's heart 全新全意地
=> put a lof of effort on something
eg: I play tennis with all my heart.

with half a heart 隨隨便便地/部熱心地/興趣不大地
=> not put much effort

halfhearted adj. 興趣不大的
=> someone doesn't give much effort

eg: make a halfhearted attemp at playing baseball