Assignment #8 The Science of Happiness

I watched The Science of Happiness by Berkeley.

Assignment # 7 What's wrong with our food system

Today, I chose a topic that interests me, which is "What's wrong with our food?"

This 5-minute talk was presented by an 11-year-old boy, Birke Baehr.
It is a talk about the dark side of the industrialized food system, how it influence our body and environment, and what he has done to make people care more about this issue.
At the beginning, I was wondering how can an 11-yer-old kid stand on TED's stage? He must be very influential.
Indeed, during the talk, he strongly showed his passion for spreading the idea of eating and buying local or organic food, to live a healthier life and to make the world better.

Assignment #6 Steve Job's Talk

5 good words/sentences

1.  "It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. "

2. "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right."

3. "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

4. hitchhike (搭便車 V. N.)
    To travel to places by getting free rides from drivers of passing cars

5. encounter (遭遇 V. N.)
    To experience something, especially problems or opposition

I personally like his first story - Connecting the Dots
Although he had a tough childhood, he still worked his way out.
And the most important thing is that he never give up! Eventually, he turns the tragedy into the miracle.
I really admire a person who has the courage to follow their own thought and make it happen.
I expect myself to have this kind of courage too.

Assignment #5 You Raise Me Up

About "You Raise Me Up":

"You Raise Me Up" is a song originally composed by Irish-Norwegian duo Secret Garden.
After the song was performed early in 2002 by the Secret Garden and their invited lead singer, Brian Kennedy, the song only became a minor hit in the UK. 
The song has been recorded by more than a hundred other artists including Josh Groban, who popularized the song in 2003; his rendition became a hit in the United States. 
The Irish band Westlife then popularized the song in the UK two years later.

Three words I learned from this song:

1.glimpse (v. 瞥見 )
   e.g. They glimpsed a village through the trees.

2.eternity(n. 永恆、不朽)
   e.g. Their love was sealed for eternity.

3.weary (adj. 疲倦的、乏味的)
   e.g. She grew weary of staying home.

Why I like this song?

-I like this song because it's very inspiring. Every time I feel down or stressed, I would listen to the song and relax myself, and all the pressure will be relieved. I truly recommand this song to you not just because i like it, but i hope it can help you,too.

Lyrics

When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;

When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

Then I am still and wait here in the silence,

Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;

Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;

But when you come and I am filled with wonder,

Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up to more than I can be.

Assignment #4 All Ears English

I chose an episode called: The best way to talk about your best friend.
In this episode, they taught 5 different ways to to express "best friend".
1. Besties
    It sounds young and not serious.
2. To be attached at the hip
    It means you always spend time together.
3. Two peas in a pod
    I think it sounds really cute, and it could also mean that you two are quite similar in some ways.
4. Best buds
    This phrase sounds quite young, too. And it usually refers to the friend you used to spend time with in you childhood.
5. Super close
    I personally like this one the most.
    It's seems  that you are really really good friends and you always do things or share things together.

My opinion
I actually don't like this website so much, I think it has too much ads, it's really noisy, and it's too casual.
They just say things about the subject in their own opinion, not really teaching.

Source: https://www.allearsenglish.com/aee-721-best-way-talk-best-friend-english/

Assignment #3 Six Minutes English

Today's assignment is to choose an episode from 6 Minute English and write a summary of it.
After viewing all the topics, i chose  "On Your Bike".
It's a conversation about the history of the bicycle and the trousers women used to wear when they bike.
In these days, cycling is more and more popular, people not only use the bicycle as a transportation but also as a leisure activity. I personally love cycling very much and I do it as a leisure activity. And about the trousers we use today, is very different from the old days. The one women used to use was loose and not safe because it might tangle with the gear and cause accident. Nowadays, it became very functional and good looking.
To conclude, cycling is very convenient, you can go anywhere you want without making any air pollution and make yourself healthy at the same time.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-161110

Assignment #2 Vocabulary Exercise

➤tentative (adj.)

   1. not definite or certain, because you may want to change things.
      e.g. I passed on my tentative conclusions to the police.

   2.done without confidence
      e.g. Evan's writing is very tentative.


➤summit (n.)

   1.an important meeting or set of meetings between the leaders of several governments.
      e.g. The two presidents agreed to hold a summit in the spring.

   2.the top of a mountain.
      e.g. Many people have now reached the summit of Mount Everest.


➤leverage (n.)

   1. influence that you can use to make people do what you want.
      e.g. The national brewers' leverage has been intensified as a result of the rise of lager.

   2. the action, power, or use of a lever.
      e.g. The consequent leverage is the most distinctive feature of our financial era.


➤regime (n.)

   1.a government, especially one that was not elected fairly or that you disapprove of for some other reason.
      e.g. The regime got rid of most of its opponents.

   2.a particular system – used especially when talking about a previous system, or one that has just been introduced.
      e.g. Under the new regime, all sheep and cattle will be regularly tested for disease.

   3.a special plan of food, exercise etc that is intended to improve your health.
      e.g. The doctor enforced a strict dietary regime.

➤dispute (n.)

   1.a serious argument or disagreement.
      e.g. The firm is involved in a legal dispute with a rival company.

Assignment #1 Greeting

Hello, I'm Maggie from Taipei, Taiwan.
I major in apply foreign language in NTUB.
I do a lot of sports in my spare time, such as running and cycling.
I always participate in at least a half marathon and a triathlon every year.
And I also like making dessert for my friends and family in their special days.