My introduction and The web site

Talk about myself(journal 1)

Hi, my name is Alice. Now, I am an English major student. I choose English as my major, not because I love English. Just because it is a skill, learning English can make my dream come true. And here is a question. What is my dream? My dream is traveling around the world. I want to know more about different people, and not only their culture but also their lives. I even long for staying with the people I meet. Even when I feel alone in the future, however I will think it is worthy.

I love interesting things; I hate boring. If let me image I stay a place and do the same things as usual, I think I totally can’t bear it. I must run away, because it will drive me crazy.

Actually, studying English is the most difficult thing tome. But I have the useful tips to study it. I think everyone has his/her own ways to study. I just want to share my own ideas. The first is listening English music. Whatever it is popular or it is classical. No matter what kind of the music, only we like it. I think it is the best way to let us consider that learning English is the interesting thing in the world. That is because when we listen the music is great; it will encourage us to realize the words of the songs. Then we will get more vocabularies and grammars. The second is reading tales. Reading novels is still difficult to me. Novel is longer than tale. As training the skill of reading, reading tales can let us use a little time to understand a story. By this way, maybe we can read English novels as soon as possible.

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The useful web site to improve your English writing(journal 2)

The web address: http://www.iwriting.com.tw/

I thing the web is useful. Before you begin your writing, you have a course that helps you realize how to write your article. There is a foreign teacher teaching you and let you read English material. When you finish your writing, you can have two choices to correct your answer. The first choice is you can choice the foreign teacher one-to-one direction, or the second choice is you can use the system they provide to revise your answer until you have no mistakes. But I think the best at all things is you can practice TOEIC or TOEFL topics online. It will help you a lot, especially before you take the TOEIC or TOEFL exams. That is another reason why I recommend the web. Maybe you will think the problem of money. But think about it, everything has own price. If you want the writing to become better, then you will know it is worthy of spending your money. By the way, when I checked the web system again, I found it is not just let you improve your writing, and it also provides the system to let your pronunciation and idioms in English. You must know the writing is not the most important skill you have to care. The listening, speaking, and reading all are very important.

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One of the great losses in the U.S.-led war against Iraq was the sacking of Iraq's National Archaelolgical Museum in Baghdad. Tens of thousands of items are believed to have disappeared in the pillage, as well as in similar raids on the National Archives Center and the museum in Mosul. Among the missing items are irreplaceable artifacts that attest to Iraq's 10,000-year history and the rise of some of the world's oldest civilizations. They include a 4,000-year-old silver harp from the ancient city of Ur, and a statue of the Akkadian king Ur-Nammu. Koichire Matsuura, head of the United Nations cultural organization UNESCO, called for a "heritage police" to be set up in Iraq to protect the country's archaeological treasures. He also announced the creation of a Special Fund for Iraq Cultural Heritage to finance the protection program and urged states to adopt legislation to prevent the import of any cultural, archaeological or bibliographical object having recently left Irag. The first thing, however should be taking preliminary stock of the damage to the country's cultural wealth.

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1.
When the conflic between U.S. and Irag happens, not only the people's lives but also the culture works are damaged.

2.
archaeological
pillage
artifact
bibliographical
smuggling

3.
sack
call for
auction
take stock
grant
store up

4.
I think the event the works lost is common. Especially, the war bursts out.

Got Hard Bread and Cheese? Fondue Is for You!

In the rugged mountains of 18th-century Switzerland, winters could be bitterly cold and last many months. The residents of Canton Neuchatel devised a clever way to make those difficult months a lot more delicious. At that time, most food in Switzerland was produced during the summer and fall, and large quantities of easily-preserved food like bread, cheese, and wine had to be stockpiled to be eaten during the winter months. That worked well enough, but after being stored for long periods, the cheese became rock solid, and the bread became so hard that it had to be chopped with an ax. With brick-like food and cold bodies, the Swiss would gather around a pot hanging over a stove and toss in the hard cheese with some wine and local spices. Mixing the cheese and wine over the heat produced a rich, creamy sauce. The hard bread was dipped into the sauce and quickly made soft and delicious. The word fonduecomes from the French word for "to melt."

The idea spread throughout Europe, and numerous local varieties sprang up incorporating local cheeses and spices. However, people found the traditional recipe so tasty that even after modern storage techniques were invented, they continued to indulge in it. French peasants working in vineyards also created their own version. They dipped chunks of uncooked meat into boilig oil and then dipped the meat into other sauces that often included melted cheese. American tourists discovered the dish in the 1950s, and it became widely popular in the US.

Chocolate fondue is a modern adaptation in which chocolate is heated, liquefied, and sometimes cycled through a fountain. Lucky diners dip pieces of fruit in the melted chocolate for a truly delectable treat. Yummy!

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1.
Because of the winnter, people invent fondue. Only do you put hard bread and cheese, you can enjoy your feast. Eating fondue can warm your body up. And this is not only way you can do, you also can put raw meat into boiling oil. If you want to eat some sweet, chocolate fondue is your best choice.

2.
devise
incorporate
rugged
stockpile
peasant
vineyard

3.
hang out
come from
spring up
melt
storage
delectable
yummy

4.
I never try chocolate fondue. I always want to try it, but I have no chance. When I saw the article, I immediately feel hungry. It makes my month water. I can image when I fall asleep, I still can dream it. I really hope right now there is a fondue in front of me.

Starbucks: 14,000 Stores in 43 Countries and Still Growing

Chances are you''ve enjoyed a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Since the opening of the first Starbucks in 1971 as a vendor of high-quality coffee beans and brewing equipment, the company has expanded to become the most popular coffeehouse chain in the world. Its 14,000 stores in 43 countries sell coffee beverages, beans, teas, brewing equipment, pastries, and more. How did this happen?

Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over the company in 1987. He recognized an untapped market in busy individuals in urban areas who could afford fine coffees. In 1995, Schultz hired Anna Niess and Will Chassaing to redesign his booming chain. In addition to laying the groundwork for Starbucks'' well-known symbols and distinctive style, they created a program that led to opening one store per day throughout the 1990s.

One thing that makes Starbucks so popular is the company''s vision of their stores as a "third place" to spend time in addition to work and home. It''s a cozy environment that serves as a meeting place. This attracts a loyal following of customers that come not only to drink coffee, but to relax, work, socialize, and attend cultural events.

Schultz still sees a great deal of potential for his company. Starbucks plans to have 40,000 stores worldwide with 20,000 in the US and Canada. Starbucks is not always welcomed with open arms, of course. The store located inside Beijing''s Forbidden City was finally closed in July 2007 due to protests that it was trampling on Chinese culture. Despite this setback, the company has been a huge success and is now a household name around the world.

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1.
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over the company, and Anna Niess and Will Chassasing created a program that led to opening one store per day. One of the reasons is the place that you can relax without pressures.

2.
brewing
pastry
untapped
cozy
setback

3.
tale over
booming
serve as
expand
vision
distinctive
potential

4.
When I saw the article, my teacher, Tim, comes to my mind. I think that because he does really like the starbucks coffee. I like the coffee flavor. It smell great. I do like it. But, I do not like drinking it. I do not know why. Previously, I like nothing more than to curl up with my novels with a coffee. But I do not know when I start to do not like having a coffee. Right now, when I read books, I still have a drink. But it is not a coffee, it is a cup of green tea.

Saving Blood, Saving Lives

Having a baby can inspire new parents to try the latest method for ensuring their child's health. Recently, that method has been storing the blood from newborn babies' umbilical cords (臍帶). Cord blood is collected immediately after a baby is born. The blood is valuable because it is rich in stem cells that can be used in treating diseases like childhood cancers and immune system disorders. Treatment of such diseases normally involves radiation that can be harmful to the patient. Stem cells, on the other hand, can easily turn into useful red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets (血小板), which restore the immune system and help patients become healthy again. Although stem cells can also be taken from other sources, cord blood stem cells are especially valuable because they are easily accepted into a patient's body,while other types of stem cells are often rejected. The potential for future uses of stem cells, such as the creation of entire organs, is another reason people are considering storing their baby's cord blood.

However, there are drawbacks. To begin with, storing cord blood is quite expensive. Second, the effort might be wasted since it's highly unlikely that a stem cell transplant will ever be needed. And third, if such a transplant were necessary, it's doubtful that the child's own cord blood would be better than that from another donor. Furthermore, even if a child's disease can be treated with cord blood, it may be likely that the child's own cord blood stem cells carry the same defect that caused the disease. For these reasons, doctors discourage private cord blood storage, but support the donation of cord blood to public blood banks. If a transplant were necessary, a likely match could be found in a public bank.

Storing a child's cord blood could possibly save his or her life someday. However, it could also turn out to be a waste of resources and money. Despite the drawbacks, many parents are choosing to spend money on cord blood storage, just in case.

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1.
Thought saving cord blood has to spend money, it is a good method to cure some disease. No matter who got the disease, we can research the public blood banks to find the adaptation.

2.
immune system disorders
plateets
stem cell
drawback
donor
umbilical cords

3.
involve
be harmful to
reject
on the other hand
restore
transplant
just in case

4.
When I was born, my parents didn't store my cord blood. If they know the benefit storing the cord blood in that time, I think they must do that. After reading the article, I think if I am a mother, I also choose storing the blood and donate to public blood banks. Even I have to pay the money. As soon as I think of it can help the person, it is worth.

The World's Favorite Fish Dish

Nowadays, sushi is popular everywhere from upscale restaurants to household kitchens. However, the methods used in the preparation of sushi today were originally a way in which some Southeast Asians preserved fish. Since fish was an important part of their diet, but quickly went bad, people invented a way to ferment fish and riceso that the fish could be stored. After several months, the fish would be consumed, but the rice had to be thrown away. This method of preservation eventually found its way to Japan.

However, in Japan, sushi became much more than a way to prepare fish for storage. During Japan's Muromachi period (室町幕府時期，1336 年至 1573 年), chefs began adding vinegar to rice and serving the fish and rice together. This popular culinary invention spread throughout Japan, becoming common in large cities and small towns alike. It was in Tokyo, Japan's capital, that modern sushi was born. In the 1800s, a chef in Tokyo began using fresh ingredients caught in Tokyo Bay and immediately serving them on the vinegar rice without fermentation. Modern sushi became popular in Japan soon after.

Today, sushi remains a popular food and comes in many varieties. While sushi in the traditional style, a single piece of seafood served on a small mound of rice, can still be found, modern versions like sushi rolls, battleship sushi, and sushi bowls are also very common. These delightful dishes have gained in popularity around the world, especially in Asia and North America. Today, people the world over are enjoying sushi as a fresh, healthy meal.

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1.
It is talking about the fact that when can we eat sushi and how do we make it. Originally, we put fish and rice together in order to the fish could be stored in which some Southeast Asians. However, in Japan, chefs turned the way they store the fish into the culinary invention. Nowadays, sushi is popular in many places.

2.
upscale
ferment
chefs
vinegar
culinary
ingredient
mound

3.
preparation
preserve
delightful
originally
so that

4.
I grow up nearby a fishing village. Eating seafood is common to me, and I like eating seafood. However, I just do not like sushi. Everytime when I try to swallow sushi, I just can not bare the feeling that some raw fish is in my mouth. In the end, I give up. Even my dad wants to convince me that sushi is the best. But it is no use.

LA Bans Beach Smoking

The City of Los Angeles is to ban smonking on its most popular public beaches. It will act together with its neighbor Santa Monica in an action to create a 20-kilometer stretch of smoke-free eaterfront, officials said Wednesday. The city councile approved the measure and the mayor has indicated that he intends to sign the legislation. Proponents of the ban say smoking on beaches poses health risks, such as exposure to second-hand smoke and poisoning from cigarette butts that release toxins into the sand and water.
There are also the aesthetic and economic issues posed by discarded cigarette butts. Environmental groups list these as the most common form of litter found on beaches. Were it not for constant and costly efforts by city work crews to remove them, the city's beaches would long ago have become nothing more than enormous ashtrays. California has led the US in anti-smoking legislation, with many states and cities following its lead in banning smoking in public spaces, workplaces and restaurants.

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1.
The Los Angeles will company with Santa Monica to create a smoke-free eaterfront. That's all because smoking cause health risks. It also lead a popular action to ban smokeing in public spaces.

2.
eaterfront
Proponents
toxins
aesthetic
ashtrays

3.
action
exposure
poison
release

4.
When I saw this article, I immediately decided to share this one. As far as I am concerned, smoking is the worst behavior in the world. When someone is smoking, he not only hurts everyone’s health but also pollutes the environment. Why do we have to stand them? Shouldn’t we make the rules to ban the action? I think in the public space you should not smoke, because you also have to respect those who don’t smoke. In my university, there are always a lot of people gathering the doors to smoke. In the fact, every time I see they are smoking, and I want to slap them. Sorry, I am too rude. But when can we have the fresh air?