The American School Enviroment
Conversation A
Jack: Hi, Laura, I'm home!
I just dropped off Amelia at my sister's house.
Laura: It was nice of you to pick your niece up from school and take her home.
That's what uncles are for!
But I had to take Zelda too.
Jack: Who's Zelda?
Laura: Zelda is the class guinea pig.
Since Mondy's a holidy, someone had to take Zelda home.
Jack: And Amelia volunteered.
Laura: Naturally.
Jack: You know how much she loves animals!
Laura: I think it great that her class has a pet.
It teaches the kids about responsibility.
Jack: Yes. I know my sister is glad.
Laura: She's glad that guinea pig goes back to school on Tuesday!
Conversation B
Laura: I had an interesting day.
Jack: What did you do?
Laura: At lunchtime, I went to the high school to talk to one of the teachers.
Jack: It must have been hard to get into the parking lot!
Laura: It was. Kids were piling into cars and heading out for lunch.
Jack: So the school has an open campus.
Laura: I guess so. But the cafeteria was also full of kids eating.
And some kids were also eating in the halls in front of their lockers.
Jack: Was anyone studying?
Laura: Yes. The library was full of kids.
Jack: Good. Then high school is still a place to get an education!
volunteer v. 自願去做
volunteer for N
volunteer to V
eg: Kenda volunteered to wash all the dishes after our family dinner.
eg: Carl volunteered for the army during the World War II.
eg: Gina volunteered to accompany her classmate to school nurse.
naturally adv. 自然地/天生地
eg: I love chocolates, so naturally, I ate two pieces of that chocoloate cake!
eg: Molly is naturally blonde.
eg: Singing comes naturally for Jasmine.
naturally adv. (本課課文指)當然地/不用說
eg: Naturally we want our employees to work in a comfortable enviroment.
campus n. 校園
eg: Our school is on a beautiful campus with lots of modern buildings.
locker n. 儲物櫃
eg: Janice keeps all her books and notebooks in her locker at school.
eg: We put our luggage in a locker at the train station before we started our city tour.
locker room (體育館/三溫暖/游泳池)更衣室
open campus 開放校園
close campus 封閉校園
niece n. 姪女/外甥女
guinea pig 天竺鼠
天竺鼠外觀像「豬」叫聲又近似小豬，但為何叫做「幾內亞」? 有此一說是，天竺鼠剛剛引入英國時價格非常貴，要一個金幣之譜，而英國之金幣則稱為（guinea ），所以天竺鼠是一個金幣之豬
//== Chat room ==//
extracurricular activities 放學後的課外活動
=> outside the curricular of the school
curriculum n. 課業/課程
extracurricular adj. 超越課業的
try out 徵選
varsity team 校隊
//== Grammer on the go ==//
That's what uncles are for!
=> usually said after someone or something's duty/responsibility is mentioned
eg: That's what neighbors are for!
eg: You should go to talk to one of the teachers at the counseling center. That's what they're for!
2009年9月6日 星期日
2009年9月4日 星期五
20090904 -- The American School Environment (1)
The American School Environment
What goes on in American classrooms?
September has arrived, and students are going back to school. What goes on in American classrooms? Well, they are often student-centered, and sometimes students even help make the class rules. Students don't just sit and listen to lectures but are often involved in class discussions. These discussions help them discover facts and give their opinions.
The physical layouts of classrooms vary. Initially, student desks stand in rows. During the year, desks may be arranged in one big circle or put into small clusters. This allows students to work on projects in small groups. Elementary school classrooms contain special learning areas. A corner may have a rug, soft chairs and many books where students can go to read. Or there may be a science corner for projects. This allows students to work on projects in small groups. Elementary school classrooms contain special learning areas. A corner may have a rug, soft charis and many books where studnets can go to read. Or there may be a science corner for projects.
Most American teachers have their own classrooms. In junior high and high school, the students change classroom, but the teacher stay put. This allows the teacher to decorate the classroom according to the subject being taught.
lecture n. 授課/演講
=> a long talk
eg: We sat and listened to our science teacher's lecture on animal behavior.
physical adj. 物質的/實質的
eg: The physical arrangement of the chairs and tables looks pretty crowded.
eg: physical layout 實際的佈局/設計
eg: Inaccurate usage fo the gears(排擋) might cause physical damage to the vehicle.
physical adj. 身體的
eg: physical exam 體檢
initially adv. 開始地/起初
=> at the beginning
eg: Steve initially wanted a new car, but he finally bought a used car instead.
eg: He was initially just a bus boy who washed dishes, but now he's the owner of a restaurant.
eg: Initially, people had doubts about the new policy. Now they accept it.
layout n. 安排/設計/佈局
=> the way that something is arranged
cluster n. 群/組
=> a group of thing of the same kind that is close to together
stay put 留在原地不動
=> don't move; stay there
eg: Don't go anywhere; just stay put!
eg: Dad decided to stay put at the cafe, and we continued shopping.
eg: The little boy wouldn't stay put, so his mom had to follow him around.
rug n. (鋪於室內部分地面上的)小地毯/毛皮地毯
//== Chat room ==//
bigger picture 更廣的視野
school bus 校車
uniform 制服
public school 公立學校
private school 私立學校
parochial school 教會學校
What goes on in American classrooms?
September has arrived, and students are going back to school. What goes on in American classrooms? Well, they are often student-centered, and sometimes students even help make the class rules. Students don't just sit and listen to lectures but are often involved in class discussions. These discussions help them discover facts and give their opinions.
The physical layouts of classrooms vary. Initially, student desks stand in rows. During the year, desks may be arranged in one big circle or put into small clusters. This allows students to work on projects in small groups. Elementary school classrooms contain special learning areas. A corner may have a rug, soft chairs and many books where students can go to read. Or there may be a science corner for projects. This allows students to work on projects in small groups. Elementary school classrooms contain special learning areas. A corner may have a rug, soft charis and many books where studnets can go to read. Or there may be a science corner for projects.
Most American teachers have their own classrooms. In junior high and high school, the students change classroom, but the teacher stay put. This allows the teacher to decorate the classroom according to the subject being taught.
lecture n. 授課/演講
=> a long talk
eg: We sat and listened to our science teacher's lecture on animal behavior.
physical adj. 物質的/實質的
eg: The physical arrangement of the chairs and tables looks pretty crowded.
eg: physical layout 實際的佈局/設計
eg: Inaccurate usage fo the gears(排擋) might cause physical damage to the vehicle.
physical adj. 身體的
eg: physical exam 體檢
initially adv. 開始地/起初
=> at the beginning
eg: Steve initially wanted a new car, but he finally bought a used car instead.
eg: He was initially just a bus boy who washed dishes, but now he's the owner of a restaurant.
eg: Initially, people had doubts about the new policy. Now they accept it.
layout n. 安排/設計/佈局
=> the way that something is arranged
cluster n. 群/組
=> a group of thing of the same kind that is close to together
stay put 留在原地不動
=> don't move; stay there
eg: Don't go anywhere; just stay put!
eg: Dad decided to stay put at the cafe, and we continued shopping.
eg: The little boy wouldn't stay put, so his mom had to follow him around.
rug n. (鋪於室內部分地面上的)小地毯/毛皮地毯
//== Chat room ==//
bigger picture 更廣的視野
school bus 校車
uniform 制服
public school 公立學校
private school 私立學校
parochial school 教會學校
2009年9月3日 星期四
20090903 -- Do Hard Things (3)
Do Hard Things
The three Cs of the Rebelution
As the twins' ideas developed into The Rebelution, three main teaching points emerged: character, competence and collaboration. Last year, they put these ideas and more in their book Do Hard Things. In it, they emphasize getting out of one's comfort zone and stretching oneself in all areas. There are endless examples, from aiming to do 100 push-ups to starting a club that help needy kids. They believe that working on big tasks with others leads to personal growth. Do Hard Things emphasizes that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Because the goal is growth, failure is acceptable.
Do Hard Things Tour
Alex and Brett will soon start their second year of university in Virginia. But this summer, just like the last two, the boys have taken their message on the road. By hosting Do Hard Things conferences around the U.S., they're challenging thousands of teens face-to-face. By taking the challenge, young people are redefining the teenage years. And, they're changing the world.
emerge v. 出現/顯露出來
=> slowly come out
eg: As the police investigated the crime, more and more details slowly emerged.
eg: More and more problems emerged as the economy sunk into recession.
eg: The submarine emerged from the water.
emerge v. 脫穎而出
eg: The singer emerged on the well-known TV talent show.
comfort zone n.
=> a area where you feel comfortable
eg: Rob is fairly shy, so he was out of his comfort zone when he gave that speech.
needy adj. 貧窮的
eg: Our church collects clothes and canned foods to give to needy families.
conference n. 會議(和meeting的意思差不多，但一般來說conference比較正式/時間較長)
conference on
eg: Doctors from around the nation gathered at the three-day medical conference.
eg: The association held a conference on the usage of educational computer software.
competence n. 能力/勝任/稱職
=> the ability to complete test well
collaboration n. 合作
=> working together
eg: The two departments worked in close collaboration(緊密的合作) on the high-profile case(相當重視的案子).
eg: The building is the result of the collaboration of two of the nation's top architects.
collaborate v. 合作
eg: The two directors collaborated and created a successful film.
//== Chat room ==//
sophomore adj.
eg: sophomore year
sophomore n. 大學二年級/高中二年級
(美國高中為四年制，為台灣的高一)
freshman 九年級
sophomore 十年級
junior 十一年級
senior 十二年級
sophomore 有兩年經驗
=> second year in any activity
eg: a sophomore attomey
eg: a sophomore on Wall Street
eg: a sophomore in the NBA
sophomore 第二次
=> the second version
=> the second effort
=> the second attempt
eg: sophomore album 第二張專輯
eg: a direct's sophomore effort 導演的第二部電影
sophomoric adj. 二年級學生的/自大而幼稚的/自命不凡的
//== Grammer on the go ==//
But this summer, just like the last two, the boys have taken their message on the road.
on the road (本課課文指)旅遊
=> traveling for a long period of time
eg: The band will be on the road for three months doing concerts in different cities.
eg: The drama team will be taking the show on the road to different schools in the state.
eg: There is a horse walking on the road. 有一隻馬走在路上
The three Cs of the Rebelution
As the twins' ideas developed into The Rebelution, three main teaching points emerged: character, competence and collaboration. Last year, they put these ideas and more in their book Do Hard Things. In it, they emphasize getting out of one's comfort zone and stretching oneself in all areas. There are endless examples, from aiming to do 100 push-ups to starting a club that help needy kids. They believe that working on big tasks with others leads to personal growth. Do Hard Things emphasizes that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Because the goal is growth, failure is acceptable.
Do Hard Things Tour
Alex and Brett will soon start their second year of university in Virginia. But this summer, just like the last two, the boys have taken their message on the road. By hosting Do Hard Things conferences around the U.S., they're challenging thousands of teens face-to-face. By taking the challenge, young people are redefining the teenage years. And, they're changing the world.
emerge v. 出現/顯露出來
=> slowly come out
eg: As the police investigated the crime, more and more details slowly emerged.
eg: More and more problems emerged as the economy sunk into recession.
eg: The submarine emerged from the water.
emerge v. 脫穎而出
eg: The singer emerged on the well-known TV talent show.
comfort zone n.
=> a area where you feel comfortable
eg: Rob is fairly shy, so he was out of his comfort zone when he gave that speech.
needy adj. 貧窮的
eg: Our church collects clothes and canned foods to give to needy families.
conference n. 會議(和meeting的意思差不多，但一般來說conference比較正式/時間較長)
conference on
eg: Doctors from around the nation gathered at the three-day medical conference.
eg: The association held a conference on the usage of educational computer software.
competence n. 能力/勝任/稱職
=> the ability to complete test well
collaboration n. 合作
=> working together
eg: The two departments worked in close collaboration(緊密的合作) on the high-profile case(相當重視的案子).
eg: The building is the result of the collaboration of two of the nation's top architects.
collaborate v. 合作
eg: The two directors collaborated and created a successful film.
//== Chat room ==//
sophomore adj.
eg: sophomore year
sophomore n. 大學二年級/高中二年級
(美國高中為四年制，為台灣的高一)
freshman 九年級
sophomore 十年級
junior 十一年級
senior 十二年級
sophomore 有兩年經驗
=> second year in any activity
eg: a sophomore attomey
eg: a sophomore on Wall Street
eg: a sophomore in the NBA
sophomore 第二次
=> the second version
=> the second effort
=> the second attempt
eg: sophomore album 第二張專輯
eg: a direct's sophomore effort 導演的第二部電影
sophomoric adj. 二年級學生的/自大而幼稚的/自命不凡的
//== Grammer on the go ==//
But this summer, just like the last two, the boys have taken their message on the road.
on the road (本課課文指)旅遊
=> traveling for a long period of time
eg: The band will be on the road for three months doing concerts in different cities.
eg: The drama team will be taking the show on the road to different schools in the state.
eg: There is a horse walking on the road. 有一隻馬走在路上
2009年9月2日 星期三
20090902 -- Do Hard Things (2)
Do Hard Things
How it all started
In summer of 2005, the 16-year-old twins were bored with their high school debate team. They wanted a bigger challenge - one that would move them into the "real world." Their dad, Gregg, a well-known figure in the American homeschool movement, delivered one. He put them on an intense reading program. He handed them a stack of books that include bestsellers The Tipping Point and The World is Flat. As they read, they learned that teens in countries like China and India were accomplishing far more than those in the U.S.
The brothers concluded that their culture was teaching them to be selfish and immature. So they began writing their thoughts about the teenage years on a blog. To support their ideas, they included historical facts, biblical ideas and contemporary examples. Through the blog, they soon realized that othe teens were feeling the same way. Teens were thinking big but lacked opportunities to act big. The Harris boys had struck a chord in the hearts of many people, and their blog drew more and more readers.
stack n. 一堆/一疊
=> a pile of something
eg: There's a stack of Chinese books on my desk.
im- 否定
immature adj. 不成熟的/幼稚的
eg: These sixth grades are too immature to handle the topics in this textbook.
eg: Even though Rick is 40 years old, he is still so immature.
eg: No one can tolerate his immature behavior except his wife.
immature adj. 還未發育好的
=> childish
eg: immature eggs 還未孵化好的蛋
contemporary adj. 現代的/當代的
eg: In Mr. Lerner's class, we study both classic and contemporary literature.
eg: Our professor's lecture on the contemporary novel is very popular
in our school.
contemporary n. 同時代的人
=> belong to the present time
eg: Famous inventors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were contemporaries.
strike v. 打/敲
strike struck struck
chord n. 琴/弦
strike a chord 引起共鳴/打動人心弦
eg: The movie Pearl Hartor struck a chord with my grandfather because he was in the navy at that time.
eg: Her performance struck a chord with the audience.
bible n. 聖經
biblical adj. 聖經的
//== Chat room ==//
counter-反
countercultural adj. 反文化/對抗文化
counteract v. 阻礙/阻撓
clockwise adj. 順時針的
counterclockwise adj. 順時針的
counterintuitive adj. 反直覺的
How it all started
In summer of 2005, the 16-year-old twins were bored with their high school debate team. They wanted a bigger challenge - one that would move them into the "real world." Their dad, Gregg, a well-known figure in the American homeschool movement, delivered one. He put them on an intense reading program. He handed them a stack of books that include bestsellers The Tipping Point and The World is Flat. As they read, they learned that teens in countries like China and India were accomplishing far more than those in the U.S.
The brothers concluded that their culture was teaching them to be selfish and immature. So they began writing their thoughts about the teenage years on a blog. To support their ideas, they included historical facts, biblical ideas and contemporary examples. Through the blog, they soon realized that othe teens were feeling the same way. Teens were thinking big but lacked opportunities to act big. The Harris boys had struck a chord in the hearts of many people, and their blog drew more and more readers.
stack n. 一堆/一疊
=> a pile of something
eg: There's a stack of Chinese books on my desk.
im- 否定
immature adj. 不成熟的/幼稚的
eg: These sixth grades are too immature to handle the topics in this textbook.
eg: Even though Rick is 40 years old, he is still so immature.
eg: No one can tolerate his immature behavior except his wife.
immature adj. 還未發育好的
=> childish
eg: immature eggs 還未孵化好的蛋
contemporary adj. 現代的/當代的
eg: In Mr. Lerner's class, we study both classic and contemporary literature.
eg: Our professor's lecture on the contemporary novel is very popular
in our school.
contemporary n. 同時代的人
=> belong to the present time
eg: Famous inventors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were contemporaries.
strike v. 打/敲
strike struck struck
chord n. 琴/弦
strike a chord 引起共鳴/打動人心弦
eg: The movie Pearl Hartor struck a chord with my grandfather because he was in the navy at that time.
eg: Her performance struck a chord with the audience.
bible n. 聖經
biblical adj. 聖經的
//== Chat room ==//
counter-反
countercultural adj. 反文化/對抗文化
counteract v. 阻礙/阻撓
clockwise adj. 順時針的
counterclockwise adj. 順時針的
counterintuitive adj. 反直覺的
2009年9月1日 星期二
20090901 -- Do Hard Things (1)
Do Hard Things
Alex and Brett Harris are challenging teens to choose leadership over laziness
Twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris are calling teenagers around the globe to rebel. And the brothers' message is getting out – they're among the most widely read young writers on the web.
Sounds dangerous, right?
Wrong. Instead of asking teens to rebel against authority, the 20-year-old Harris twins are challenging teens to rebel against low expectations. They believe today's society is teaching teens to be irresponsible. So the twins are encouraging young people to take a different path – the difficult one. It's a path that requires more work but also promises more rewards. The message is simple but powerful: Be ambitious, become a leader, change the world.
Redefining the teenage years
To get their message out, the twins from Oregon started a blog that has become worldwide movement - The Rebelution. The world "rebelution" is a combination of the words rebellion and revolution. Teens are encouraged to rebel against the saying, "Be young, have fun!" and instead to follow the motto, "Do hard things." The movements signals the beginning of a real revolution.
rebel v. 反判/反抗(發音的重音在後面)
rebel against someone/something
=> disobey
eg: Bobby rebels against his parents by doing everything they tell him not to do.
eg: Tom rebelled against his parents' plans for him to go to a private school.
rebel n. 反抗者(發音的重音在前面)
authority n. 權威/權柄
eg: In the classroom, the teacher is the authority.
eg: The students need to have respect for teachers' authority.
authority n. 職權
eg: She doesn't have the authority to hire or fire any employees.
authority n. 當權者/官方
eg: The local education authority decided to close the school.
ambitious adj. 有雄心的/野心勃勃的
=> have ambition, have big goal, have strong desire to achieve the goal
eg: Todd has ambitious plan. He wants to climb the ten highest mountains in Asia in one month.
revolution n. 革命/劇烈的變革
=> a huge change in society
eg: The Industrial Revolution changed the way people work. Many people moved from farm work to factory jobs.
eg: The oppression from the government eventually lead to revolution.
eg: The invention of the Internet caused a revolution in communication.
rebellion n. 反抗,反對
=> the act of rebel againt the authorith
motto n. 座右銘
//== Chat room ==//
列舉一項目時，通常最後一個會有連接詞and或or
本課文中的下列句子省略and的原因:
1.可以將所有的項目變成同等而不會特別強調最後一個項目
2.將and移除會讓聽眾覺得這個系列還有不斷延續下去的可能
Be ambitious, become a leader, change the world (and possibly much more).
Be ambitious, become a leader and change the world.
milk, juice and bread
of the people, by the people, for the people
lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard
每個項目都加上連接詞and或是or
這樣會把速度放慢，而每個項目都有同等的地位
amazed and thrilled and exhausted and scared
a flat tire or a traffic jam or a bad storm
//== Did you know ==//
When 16-year-old Zach Hunter was in several grade, he started an organization called "Loose Change to Loose Chains." The group helps young people start school clubs to fight slavery and to educate consumers about products made with slave labor. Pennsylvania high schooler Jaime Coleman started a shoe-collecting project called "Walk Humbly" in 2007. Through it, she collected 4,200 pairs of shoes for people in Karogoto, Kenya.
Alex and Brett Harris are challenging teens to choose leadership over laziness
Twin brothers Alex and Brett Harris are calling teenagers around the globe to rebel. And the brothers' message is getting out – they're among the most widely read young writers on the web.
Sounds dangerous, right?
Wrong. Instead of asking teens to rebel against authority, the 20-year-old Harris twins are challenging teens to rebel against low expectations. They believe today's society is teaching teens to be irresponsible. So the twins are encouraging young people to take a different path – the difficult one. It's a path that requires more work but also promises more rewards. The message is simple but powerful: Be ambitious, become a leader, change the world.
Redefining the teenage years
To get their message out, the twins from Oregon started a blog that has become worldwide movement - The Rebelution. The world "rebelution" is a combination of the words rebellion and revolution. Teens are encouraged to rebel against the saying, "Be young, have fun!" and instead to follow the motto, "Do hard things." The movements signals the beginning of a real revolution.
rebel v. 反判/反抗(發音的重音在後面)
rebel against someone/something
=> disobey
eg: Bobby rebels against his parents by doing everything they tell him not to do.
eg: Tom rebelled against his parents' plans for him to go to a private school.
rebel n. 反抗者(發音的重音在前面)
authority n. 權威/權柄
eg: In the classroom, the teacher is the authority.
eg: The students need to have respect for teachers' authority.
authority n. 職權
eg: She doesn't have the authority to hire or fire any employees.
authority n. 當權者/官方
eg: The local education authority decided to close the school.
ambitious adj. 有雄心的/野心勃勃的
=> have ambition, have big goal, have strong desire to achieve the goal
eg: Todd has ambitious plan. He wants to climb the ten highest mountains in Asia in one month.
revolution n. 革命/劇烈的變革
=> a huge change in society
eg: The Industrial Revolution changed the way people work. Many people moved from farm work to factory jobs.
eg: The oppression from the government eventually lead to revolution.
eg: The invention of the Internet caused a revolution in communication.
rebellion n. 反抗,反對
=> the act of rebel againt the authorith
motto n. 座右銘
//== Chat room ==//
列舉一項目時，通常最後一個會有連接詞and或or
本課文中的下列句子省略and的原因:
1.可以將所有的項目變成同等而不會特別強調最後一個項目
2.將and移除會讓聽眾覺得這個系列還有不斷延續下去的可能
Be ambitious, become a leader, change the world (and possibly much more).
Be ambitious, become a leader and change the world.
milk, juice and bread
of the people, by the people, for the people
lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard
每個項目都加上連接詞and或是or
這樣會把速度放慢，而每個項目都有同等的地位
amazed and thrilled and exhausted and scared
a flat tire or a traffic jam or a bad storm
//== Did you know ==//
When 16-year-old Zach Hunter was in several grade, he started an organization called "Loose Change to Loose Chains." The group helps young people start school clubs to fight slavery and to educate consumers about products made with slave labor. Pennsylvania high schooler Jaime Coleman started a shoe-collecting project called "Walk Humbly" in 2007. Through it, she collected 4,200 pairs of shoes for people in Karogoto, Kenya.
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