|
親愛的《英語學習電子報》讀者您好：
英語學習電子報發刊至今已經第八十三期，感謝您的支持及愛護！《英語學習電子報》希望透過讀者的意見來使這份電子報更盡善盡美，凡填寫問卷者，即可得到精美禮物一份。(限量100份，送完為止)
活動至2008/12/25止
|
 |
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
 |
| World Leaders Meet in Washington on Financial Crisis |
| |
By Barry Wood
Washington
|
Download MP3 
|
|
President Bush (right) greets UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon at White House, 14 Nov 2008 |
Financial experts say the leaders are likely to agree on coordinated increases in government spending to sustain purchasing power. The Chinese have already announced such a package and similar programs are in the works in North America and Western Europe. The countries participating in the one day Washington summit account for over 75 percent of global output.
But experts say beyond the need to stimulate a weakening global economy, the leaders do not hold unified positions on other economic and financial matters. They said the troubled financial market world-wide is waiting for an answer from the summit leaders, such as: Should there be stronger cross-border regulation of financial institutions? What formula should be used to boost the voting power of fast-growing economies like China and India in the International Monetary Fund? And should this group of 20 countries take the place of the informal grouping of sevenmajor industrial nations,plus Russia that have long held annual economic summits ? |
|
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was instrumental in convening the Washington financial summit. Together with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, Brown favors tighter regulation of financial institutions. "Unless we build a global system of coordination and supervision, we are as likely to have another crisis somewhere else that we didn't understand was happening, because we had no idea of the risk people were taking. So, I think it is actually a new relationship between markets and governments that we are looking for," he said.
But outgoing US President George Bush opposes global regulation of banks, regarding it as bureaucratic and unnecessary. "The (current) crisis was not a crisis of the free market system and the answer is not to try to reinvent that system. It is to fix the problems we face, make the reforms we need and move forward with the free market principles that have brought prosperity and hope to people around the world," he said.
The financial crisis was triggered over a year ago by defaults on sub-prime mortgage loans in the United States. Banks worldwide absorbed billions of dollars of losses that led to a tightening of lending standards that has made it difficult for businesses and consumers to get credit. As stock markets plunged, frightened consumers turned cautious and economic activity has fallen precipitously. Some analysts say the global economy may be caught in a downward spiral that only be corrected by coordinated intervention.
The summit itself, hosted by President Bush, is scheduled to last only five hours. A joint statement will come at the end late Saturday, after which some of the leaders will meet with reporters.
(from Voice of America) |
|
Vocabulary:
- financial (a)--財政的;金融的
- crisis (n)-- 危機
- coordinate (v)--協調;使調和
- participate (v)--參加,參與
- summit (n)--高峰會
- global (a)--全世界的;全球的
- stimulate (v)-- 刺激;激勵
- economy (n)-- 經濟;經濟情況
- regulation (n)-- 規章;規則,規定;條例
- boost (v)-- 推動;幫助;促進
- supervision (n)--管理;監督
- oppose (v)--反對
- free market (n)--自由市場
- loan (n)-- 貸款
- stock market (n)--股票市場
| |
|
|
 |
| Tongue Twisters 英語繞口令 |
A pleasant place to place a plaice is a place
where a plaice is pleased to be placed.
 播放
|
| |
| Brain
Twisters 腦筋急轉彎 |
| Do you know
the answer? |
From what heavy 7-letter word can you take away 2 letters and still have eight left?
(哪一個超有份量的英文單字，本身有七個字母，拿掉兩個字母之後竟然還剩八個之多?)
|
| |
|
|
| 請作答!! |
》》正確答案《《
(在本期電子報最下方) |
|
|
|
 |
| Finding the Parks |
|
|
作者：Timothy Henry
Bullins 老師
學歷：M.A. of Gaylord College of Journalism,
University of Oklahoma
|
|
I come from the United States, and we have some very famous parks. One of the most famous is Yellowstone National Park. It is huge and is located in three different states – Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Even though this is one of the most famous parks in the U.S., most people never get to see it. In Taiwan there are not as many national parks but then again there are thousands of local, neighborhood parks, and that is one reason I like Taiwan so much. Everywhere I go I can find a park somewhere. Maybe it is just a small patch of green land with one or two benches to sit on, or maybe it is like Youth Park in Taipei City. |
My friends tell me that Youth Park in Taipei City is one of the oldest parks in the city. It has almost everything anyone could want to find in a park. There is an indoor and outdoor swimming complex, tennis courts, racket ball courts, basketball courts, a jogging track, a skating rink, and lots of areas for people to gather around to visit with friends. I used to live across the street from the park, and I would go there every day. Most of the time I would go swimming. Sometimes I would jog a little, but mostly I would just walk around the track and enjoy the beauty in the park.
|
|
|
|
Another beautiful area near my apartment in Taipei was the Taipei Botanical Garden. Although some people might not think this is a park, I think it is. It was lovely. There were trees and plants from all over Taiwan and even some from other countries in the Garden. There are several ponds in the Garden. The most famous pond there is the Lotus Pond. Some people come to sit by the Lotus Pond and paint or draw pictures of the Pond. But every day people would walk through the park and look at all the interesting plants. Others would practice playing traditional Chinese musical instruments in the Garden – erhu, pipa, and dizi.
Several years ago, I moved from Taipei to Kaohsiung. My job in Kaohsiung keeps me pretty busy, and I don’t have as much free time as I had when I was in Taipei, but I still like to find the local parks. They are nice places to go and relax away from my apartment.
|
|
One very special park in Kaohsiung is the Indigenous Botanical Gardens. It has nothing but trees that grow naturally in Taiwan. This is the only place in Taiwan where people can see all of these special trees together. This park is near my home in Zuoying District, and I like it there a lot. There are over 60 species of trees in the Gardens. There is even a poisonous one growing there.
|
|
Not far from the Gardens there is another Lotus Lake – similar to the one in Taipei. I like it because I can walk around and enjoy looking at the 20 temples that are in the area. I also like to stroll around the lake in the evenings to relax.
In the same area, I found the Confucius Temple and nearby is Wan Nian County Park. If I have the time, I like to relax there too.
Chengching Lake Park is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Taiwan. This huge park has over 300 hectares of area where a person can stroll around and get lost in the beauty of Kaohsiung. There is even an old bunker which has been converted into the Chengching Lake Aquarium Park. This quaint aquarium has hundreds of unique sea creatures to view.
But sometimes for me, it is not the big popular parks that I find the most interesting. It is the small neighborhood parks. And this is something that really makes Taiwan different from the United States. In the U.S., at least where I lived, we don’t have as many small parks where friends and families can go to relax as in Taiwan. Here, in my neighborhood, I have found at least five parks that I can easily walk to.Four of them are small, but one is pretty big. The big one is a little farther away from my apartment, so normally I just walk down the street to one of the smaller ones. When I get there, I can sit down and relax while watching the sunset. It’s a peaceful experience that helps to calm me after a busy day teaching.
|
Now that I have told you how much I love the parks here, I want to ask you a question. Of course you can’t tell me the answer, but you can think about it. I normally go to the parks when I have free time. Mostly this is around lunchtime, in the evenings when I am not teaching, or on the weekends. When I am in the parks during these times, I really don’t see that many people. And for me, and many other foreigners, we are curious why. Why don’t more people go to the parks during these times?
|
|
|
Now I know part of the answer. At lunchtime, I think most people are eating then take a short nap, so they don’t want to go to the park. But what about after dinner or on the weekends? Where are all the young adults – college age students? Don’t they like to go to the parks? I know many parks are full of activity at sunrise and during the early morning hours as older people go out to exercise, but what about the younger people? As we say in the U.S. – this is just food for thought. Think about it. Then try to find some time to go out and enjoy the natural beauty of the parks in Taiwan. |
|
Vocabulary: |
|
- Yellowstone National Park (n.) 黃石國家公園
- Wyoming (n.) 懷俄明州
- Montana (n.) 蒙大拿州
- Idaho (n.) 愛達荷州
- patch (n.) 小塊土地
- Youth Park (n.)青年公園
- complex (n.) 綜合設施
- racket ball (n.) 美式壁球
- skating rink (n.) 滑(溜)冰場
- the Taipei Botanical Garden (n.) 台北植物園
- the Lotus Pond (n.)蓮花池 (位於台北青年公園內)
- erhu (n.) 二胡
- pipa (n.) 琵琶
- dizi (n.) 笛子
- the Indigenous Botanical Gardens (n.) 原生植物公園
- Zuoying District (n.)左營區
- poisonous (a.) 有毒的
- Lotus Lake (n.) 蓮池潭
- stroll (v.) 散步、蹓達
- the Confucius Temple (n.)孔子廟
- Wan Nian County Park (n.)萬年縣公園
- tourist attraction (n.)觀光(旅遊)勝地
- bunker (n.) 地下碉堡
- convert (v.) 轉變
- the Chengching Lake Aquarium Park (n.)澄清湖海洋奇珍公園
- quaint (a.) 奇特有趣的
- unique (a.) 與眾不同的、珍奇罕見的
|
|
【尋找公園】
-本文大意- |
我來自美國，在那兒我們有些非常著名的公園，其中之一就是黃石國家公園。然而，儘管它的盛名，多數人仍未曾去過。台灣雖沒像美國有那麼多國家公園，但卻有上千座地方性公園。這是我這麼喜歡台灣的原因之一。只要我走到哪，那兒就會有公園。這些公園或許只是擺上一、兩張長凳的小綠地，或者就像台北市的青年公園般。
我的朋友告訴我，青年公園是台北市最古老的公園之一。它幾乎具備了每個人認為公園應該有的東西，例如:複合式室內外游泳池、網球場、壁球場、籃球場…等許多人們會和朋友聚集的地方。過去，我因住在公園對街，所以每天到那多半都會游泳，或沿著步道散步、欣賞美景，有時也會慢跑。
另一處靠近我當初台北市住家的美景便是台北植物園。雖然有些人不認為它是座公園，我卻認為它是。它擁有來自全台灣、甚至國外的樹木植物。植物園內有幾座池塘，其中最有名的就是蓮花池。有些人會坐在池塘邊畫蓮花池，但人們每天多半是來園內散步或欣賞有趣植物，也有些人會在園內練習彈奏或吹奏中國傳統樂器。
幾年前，我從台北搬到高雄。高雄的工作常讓我相當忙碌，以致於我沒有像在台北般有那麼多空閒時間。但我仍喜歡尋找當地的公園，因為它們是能讓我放鬆的好地方。
高雄有座非常特別的公園，那就是原生植物公園。因它是台灣唯一一座讓人們一次看到台灣所有原生植物的地方，並鄰近我在左營區的住家，所以我非常喜歡它。園內除了擁有超過60種的樹木，甚至還有棵毒樹。
離原生植物園不遠則有蓮池潭。我喜歡它的原因是我不但可以到處走走，還可欣賞潭區內20座寺廟。晚上我也喜歡到那散步放鬆。
在同樣地區我發現了孔子廟及鄰近的萬年縣公園。我如果有空，也喜歡到那放鬆自己。
澄清湖也是台灣最著名的旅遊勝地之一。這座廣大的公園涵蓋超過300公頃；一個人可到那散步，並且不知不覺地就會在這高雄美景中迷了路。園內甚至有座後來改建成澄清湖海洋奇珍公園的古老地下碉堡。在這座奇特的海洋公園可欣賞到上百種珍奇罕見的水生動物。
有時對我而言，最有趣的公園不見得就是那些熱門的大公園，反而是那些鄰近的當地小公園。而這點正是讓台灣不同於美國的原因。在美國，至少在我之前住過的地方，我們沒有這麼多能讓親朋好友前往放鬆的小公園。但是在這我所居住的鄰近地區，卻能找到至少5座能讓我輕鬆前往的公園。我到那看夕陽時，不但能坐下放鬆自己，也能在忙碌的一天後沉靜自我。
既然我已分享我有多喜歡這裡的公園，在此我想問一個值得你思考的問題。那就是每當我空閒到公園時，多半是午餐時刻或是結束課程後的晚上，為何看不到很多人? 我和許多其他外國人都好奇當中原因何在。雖然現在我已知道部分原因，像是午餐時刻大多數人正在吃午餐或是之後會睡午覺，但晚餐後的時間或是周末呢?所有年輕人都到哪裡去了?他們不喜歡去公園?我知道因為年紀較大者在傍晚或清晨會外出運動，很多公園會有許多活動，但年紀較輕者都到哪裡去了? 思考看看這個問題，並試著找些時間外出欣賞台灣公園裡的自然美景吧。 |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Daniel Powter - Whole World Around |
 歌詞 Lyrics |
| 線上試聽：1.You
Tube
2.福特汽車廣告
|
 |
2005年發行同名專輯之前的Daniel Powter，不過是個滿臉鬍渣子，頭戴毛線帽，對音樂充滿熱情卻名不見經傳的歌手；可是，專輯中一首描繪都會男女感情的”Bad Day”，搭配上溫馨浪漫的MV，瞬間就把他的人生變成了bright day；他先在歐陸大受歡迎，很快又登上美國流行音樂排行榜，接著便是橫掃全球流行音樂市場；一個籍籍無名的音樂人，頓時成了音樂排行榜上的“城市詩人”，演出邀約不斷，樂評佳譽如潮，眼看榮華富貴唾手可得。如此快速的竄紅，往往會讓人迷失，不過三年下來，所幸Daniel Powter沒有被成功沖昏了頭；在2008年全新發行的第二張創作專輯中，便可聽出他對成名生活的自省。他試著走出男女情愛的城市迷惘，改向發掘城市人的內省心聲和回歸家庭的企盼，”Whole World Around” 便是這樣一首發人深省的歌。
唱片公司：華納唱片
|
| |
歌曲一開始，歌者便自剖突然成功後的名人生活： |
Life's been good, I can't complain so far
高尚優質生活，沒什麼好抱怨
Designer clothes, expensive caviar
名牌設計服飾，昂貴的魚子醬
And gated homes to keep the wolves at bay
高門深院護衛，豺狼不得靠近
|
| |
話雖如此，亮麗的偶像光環卻改不掉他只是個凡人的事實，也無法掩蓋他在鎂光燈前強顏歡笑的虛偽不堪；也許只有在重重保護的家居生活之中，他才能誠實地面對自己。 |
Tinted glass to hide my guilt and shame
深色玻璃重重，替我隱惡遮罪
|
| |
透過玻璃看世界，歌者也不忘關懷社會，在他看來，門裏門外兩個世界，不過一牆之隔，卻有天堂地獄之別： |
Neon signs and vagrants at the door
門外霓虹之下，有人無家可歸
Broken values, needles, liquor stores
道德價值淪喪，毒針烈酒氾濫
Won’t somebody help me to believe
誰可以告訴我，為我重拾信心
Help me to deny the things I see
能夠讓我相信，眼見均非事實
|
| |
眼見世道淪落，相形之下，自己的幸運就更彌足珍惜，歌者便進而以自身經驗激勵人心， |
Now whatever comes your way
不論世道如何
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
輸贏各有時命
When it all comes down you make it through
儘管不如人意，總要堅持到底 |
| |
從2005年的機遇到2008的再起，Daniel Powter三年的成功與忙碌，其中冷暖，只有自知，所以在複歌之後，他也心有所感地自白： |
I've traveled far enough to meet my own demise
我已遊歷四方，心中但無遺憾
Seems like everyone I know still wears the same disguise
眼見新友舊識，不曾卸下偽裝
Take me, rape me, push me down as long as I'm understood
只要有人懂我，再不堪亦無妨
Like the soldier's view from the bunkers to the towers on Park Avenue
就像藏身碉堡的士兵，只能想望紐約的高樓 |
| |
複歌部份聽似別有所指地向”You”喊話，如果換個角度，何嘗不能看作是歌者與自我內心的對話： |
You got the whole world around
你擁有了全世界
You got the whole world around
你擁有了全世界
Something tells me not to make a scene
有人叫我別再嚷嚷了
Open up your heart and let me in
敞開心房快接納我吧 |
| |
畢竟自己已是世上少有的幸運兒，又何必再叨叨嗦嗦地抱怨，不如坦然面對自我，就像用這首歌當背景音樂的汽車廣告所說：「為真實的你前進，不必等待！」 |
| |
| |
| 附錄歌詞下載 |
| ▲TOP |
|
|
 |
| Getting English Promptly ＆ Tactfully |
 |
| Reading |
Global warming, a scientifically documented phenomenon wherein the global temperature is steadily __1__, has a profound impact on species all over the world. Polar bears and other Arctic species are particularly __2__ because their habitat is increasingly __3__ by global warming. Numerous scientific agencies have shown that polar bear numbers are on the __4__, and that if action is not taken quickly, polar bears may vanish from the Earth, deprived of habitat, food, and shelter. The __5__ of these picturesque animals would be a great tragedy.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that thinning sea ice from global warming could kill off __6__ of the world's polar bears (including the entire Alaskan population) by mid-century. But the report contains a ray of hope: Some populations of bears could __7__ if long-term warming trends are reversed.
(The above reading passages are retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/are-polar-bears-in-danger-from-global-warming.htm 、http://www.polarbearsos.org/ )
|
|
|
|
腦筋急轉彎答案:Freight. (貨運)
f-r-eight.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
| 教育部南區英語教學資源中心http://etlc.wtuc.edu.tw |
| 高雄市三民區民族一路900號 (07)3426031轉5311~5313 |
|
|
|
本期學習電子報讀閱人次:
