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.

字數:293

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.

字數: 219

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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!

===========================================

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.

===========================================

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.

===========================================

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.

============================================

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.

============================================

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?

Jobless Rate at 34-Month Low

Taiwan's unemployment rate fell to 4.45 percent in March - the lowest monthly level since June 2001. A government survey made public over the weekend showed there were about 452,000 unemployed people across the island in March. This figure is down 0.16 percent, or 16,000 people, from the level previous month's level and down 0.63 percent from the level one year earlier. Around 971,500 workers were hired across the country last month, an increase of 29,000 people over the February level and a large jump of 201,000 people compared with one year ago.
The government attributed the improved March unemployment rate - the lowest level in nearly 34 months - to a steadily recovering economy across the globe, which has spurred strong demand for both inbound and outbound shipments. The officials claimed that employment in the domestic market will continue to improve in the months ahead, despite the fact that the large number of college and university students entering the job market over the summer will have a temporary showing effect on the pace of improvement.

======================================================

1.
According these data, we can know there are more and more the job opportunities in Taiwan. The government attribute to the recovering economy across the globe. In other words, It means business is picking up everywhere.
The second paragraph point out another thing which is likely to happen in the summer. That's the increasing numberof jobs will level off somewhat.

2.
steadily
spur
inbound / outbound
shipment
domestic

3.
temporary
figure
attribute to

4.
The unemployment rate become more higher in Taiwan. I think it can not totally attribute to the companies moving to China. Maybe somebody will say it is the reason. But I do not agree. On the contrary, I think the unemployment rate result from the people seeking the jobs. Where there is a will, there is a way. Only do not you dislike the conditions. Everyone can get their own jobs.

Green Tea and Good Health

These days there is a fair amount of empirical support for the contention that drinking green tea is a healthy habit, but it is only during thw past several decades that any formal studies have been carried out on the subject.
Scientific interest in the drink was triggered in the 1970s when Japanese researchers made the observation that the people in Shizuoka, Japan had a amuch lower incidence of stomach cancer than people in other parts of the country. Subsequent in-depth studies showed that the difference was not limited to stomach cancer; that the population of Shizuoka actually had much lower rates of all types of cancer. It did not take long for attention to focus on green tea as it was commonly known that more of the brew is consumed in Shizuoka than in any other part of Japan, or probably, of the world.
Green tea and black tea are actually made from the same leaves but by different processess. Most tea-producing countries ferment their leaves to make either oolong or black tea. The Japanese do not ferment the tea leaves, but instead steam them right after they have been picked. The activity of the fermenting enzyme is thereby syopped, and the tea leaves retain their green color. This is also thought to preserve the bene ficial chemical compounds contained in the leaf.

===================================================

1. Recently, we figure out our health benefit from drinking green tea. Because Japanese researchers observe that people living in Shizuoka have lower opportunities to get cancers, they start to study the making processe. They prove that the reason of limiting a cancer is steaming the leaves. Because of the different way, it can preserve the beneficial chemical compounds.

2.
empirical
contention
ferment
enzyme
compounds

3.
support
observation
incidence
in-depth
limit
consumed

4.
When it comes to choosing a kind of drinking, green tea is usually my first choice. That's the reason that I choose this article. Not only it is good to drink but also it benefit our health. Some people will tell you drinking green tea can reduce the possibilities of getting the cancer and others will tell you it also can make you more beautiful. Actually I do not know what are elements in the leaves causing this result? But I think it is not very important.
In the end, I have to say another important thing. Do not drinking too much. It will be agrypnotic.

The Earth''s Biggest Threat

Global warming was once considered unlikely to be real. Recently, though, it has become widely accepted as fact. Scientists have calculated that the earth''s atmosphere has gotten approximately 0.75 degrees Celsius warmer since 1900. This may not seem like much, but scientists predict an additional increase of between 1 and 7 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. This slight change could be enough to cause disasters such as extreme weather, crop failure, extinctions, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels.
It''s possible that natural phenomena like volcanoes, solar flares, and shifts in the earth''s orbit could be causes of this change. However, scientists now believe that changes in the atmosphere are primarily to blame for the rise in temperatures. Light from the sun enters the earth''s atmosphere and warms the air, land, and oceans. As heat radiates back through the atmosphere toward space, some of it is trapped by gases and continues to warm the earth. This is called the greenhouse effect, and the gases that trap the heat are greenhouse gases.
Without the greenhouse effect, life couldn''t exist on earth. However, rising levels of greenhouse gases are trapping more and more of the sun''s heat. As people burn fossil fuels or clear forests, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is released into the atmosphere. As the oceans warm, water vapor, which is also a greenhouse gas, enters the atmosphere. This combination of pollutants and water vapor creates the powerful and dangerous cycle behind global warming. It is a cycle that, if active measures are not taken, could have serious and deadly consequences for all living things in the near future.

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1. Grobal warming can account for the increase of temperature. Although the change is a little, it still bring about disasters. But it is essential for us, we can't lve without greenhouse effect. The combination of pollutants and water vapor are the major cause. If active methods are not taken,creatures will have a serious or fatal consequences for all living things in the near future.

2.
a.
radiate
calculate
Celsius
carbon dioxide
b.
sb be to blame fo
take measures
shift

3. It is wide accepted that grobal warming is an important issue. In the begging, we all need it, or we will die without tempertures. In the end, we all hate the fact that it brings the disasters.
So I think everything has the bright and dark sight. It is judged whoe di you think.

Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Years ago, the roles of men and women were very typical. Men were supposed to bring home the bacon. They would go to work and earn money for their loved ones. During this time, some men would also leave their families in times of war. There were very few jobs and opportunities available for women. Most of them would take over the housework and look after the children because they were expected to stay at home. As the years have gone by, many things have changed. Nowadays, plenty of women work and have successful careers. The traditional stereotype of a woman at work in her home is gone. Women are also breaking gender stereotypes with their job choices. There are many women working in what used to be traditional male professions. Examples of this would be the police officers and the soldiers in the army. Not only are they popular choices for men, but for modern women as well. Women now have the ability to fight crime and defend their countries in war.

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1. Years ago, we all thought men should work to support the family and women should stay home to clean the house. But the years have gone by, we also change the concept. Plenty of women are successful in their career. And women can be the police officers and the soliders. They mean women also have the ability to fight crime and defend their countries in the war.

2.
a. stereotype
b. typical
expect
defend
take over
go by

3. Nowadays, women is unlike the image of we thought in the past. They stand out to prove they also can earn money to support their money. So in some families, it is the mother to bring home the bacon. Women are working in what used to be traditional male professions. I think it make a breakthrough in the past. If you lived in the past, you will not believe that a woman told you that she wants to do the job considered that only you are the man. But I think everything is changing. Women can work harder to certificate their abilities.

Pedaling to Health

One of the most famous bike makers in the world is Taiwan's own Giant. When Giant started in 1972 in Taichung, it only produced bikes for bigger companies like Schwinn. In 1986, Giant decided to compete in the high-end bikes business because the market was expanding quickly. Now, Giant has over 10,000 stores around the world and sells more than three million bikes every year.

People in Taiwan are finally living up to the name "Bicycle Kingdom." Lately, more and more cyclists have been seen on the streets. Friends or families often ride together in mountains or along rivers during the weekends.

Riding a bike is great exercise for everyone. The amount of calories that you burn depends on how hard you pedal and how much you weigh. For example, if a woman that weighs 50 kilograms rides for one hour at a relaxing pace, she would burn 500 calories. If she decided to race with her friends the whole time, she could double that number. The same thing applies to men. If an average man that weighs 70 kilograms rides casually for an hour, he would burn 450 calories. But if that same man decided to really push himself, he could lose up to 1,100 calories. To burn the same amount of calories through hiking, he would have to walk for three full hours without stopping.

==============================================

1. Giant is one of the most famouse bike. Its market covered the whole world. It become more common to see people riding the bike with family on the roadside. Riding a bike is great exercise for everyone.

2.
a. casually
b. live up to
depend on
apply to

3. Riding the bike is very convenient for me. And I also like rinding to every place. I can find another side of the city. If you are always taking the bus, driving the car or ride the motorcycle, you never see the beautiful flowers on the side of the road. And it doesn't produce the pollution.
But I think the most important reason is that it can burn the calories. I always sit after I eat, and the action let me become more heavier. So I want to control my weight by riding.

Inside: The Emperor's Treasure

Taiwan's National Palace Museum has been a place of wonder since it was built. Inside, it houses the treasure of the Chinese emperors. This collection of more than 600,000 objects is said to be the most important in Chinese history. Now, National Geographic Channel's Inside: The Emperor's Treasure takes a deeper look into the collection's past and future. The show will also go into highly restricted vaults to see how the latest technology is keeping it safe.

The history of the emperors' private collection goes back thousands of years. It includes paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and much more. After the last emperor left the Forbidden City, the collection was put on public display. But when Japan invaded China, all of the art pieces became unsafe. For the following 17 years, special guards protected the collection as it secretly traveled through China. Only a few of these guards are still alive. NGC talks with one of them, Kao Jen-jun, about his important job. For the safety of the collection, the best pieces were eventually shipped to Taiwan. Tune in to NGC's Inside: The Emperor's Treasure to learn more about the National Palace Museum's world-famous collection.

=================================================

1. Taiwan's National Palace Museum houses more than 600,000 objects which are the treasure of the Chinese emperors. Because of their importances, we use the latest technology is keeping it safe. The collections incloude paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, and much more. They are sended to travel through Chian from destroyed. Finally, they all are sended to Taiwan.

2.

a. restricted

forbodden

emperor

callography

Forbidden

b. house

invade

eventually

3. When visiting Taiwan, you must go to The Emperor's Treadure. Because I think it houses a lot of antiquaries, you can see the displays. And the number of the collection is accepted. They increase the objects abidingly. We can see kinds of displays there. They not only just show they store but also display the antiques from different countries.