Sunday, December 14, 2008
Interview with Lenovo's CEO, Bill Amelio
If you would like the MP3 and text file of my interview with Lenovo CEO Bill Amelio, send me an email at billfnl@hotmail.com , and I'll email it to you. Thanks!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Don't kill yourself--why I don't miss Penn State
Okay, here I am at Penn State University, my alma mater. This is where I went to college, or university. And in fact, this is where I lived. I moved in here 29 years ago, 1979, in Ewing Hall. I lived in this dormitory for three years, up on the second floor.
This whole deal about coming here, and being at my old dormitory from 29 years ago, is actually very weird. I don’t have, uh, very strong feelings about this place, about Penn State, or my old dormitory—because I actually have, uh, good memories, and I have bad memories.
And so what does that mean? Um, well first of all, let me tell you why I’m here. I’m here because I’m helping my brother bring my nephew back home. He is a student here at Penn State University. So, I came up for a visit—I’m all the way from Taipei—I’m in State College, Pennsylvania, here in the beginning of May.
But I wanted to mention to you the significance of not putting too much importance on whatever happens at your university. Because even though I had some really difficult times here, it doesn’t mean anything now. I had some really good times here—doesn’t mean anything now.
So, apply that to your day today. If things go really poorly, if things don’t go your way, if you lose a relationship, somebody tells you they don’t love you anymore, you lose a job—don’t go out and kill yourself because of it. You’ll survive.
I actually fell in love with a girl in this next dormitory over here—the girl’s dormitory, Cross Hall—and she broke up with me after six months; I was depressed for three years. I survived—I’m very happy today.
So, whatever happens in you university experience, or even in your job today, don’t make much of it. Okay.
In a short period of time, you’ll survive, you’ll make it past, don’t do anything stupid. Okay. So, I actually can’t wait to leave this place. I—I don’t even want to be here.
Key Words
Alma mater—n, the college or university you attended, graduated from.
Dormitory—n, building that students live in.
Significance—n, meaning or value of something.
Broke up—v.ph, to end a relationship with someone.
Depressed—adj, sad, gloomy, dejected.
This whole deal about coming here, and being at my old dormitory from 29 years ago, is actually very weird. I don’t have, uh, very strong feelings about this place, about Penn State, or my old dormitory—because I actually have, uh, good memories, and I have bad memories.
And so what does that mean? Um, well first of all, let me tell you why I’m here. I’m here because I’m helping my brother bring my nephew back home. He is a student here at Penn State University. So, I came up for a visit—I’m all the way from Taipei—I’m in State College, Pennsylvania, here in the beginning of May.
But I wanted to mention to you the significance of not putting too much importance on whatever happens at your university. Because even though I had some really difficult times here, it doesn’t mean anything now. I had some really good times here—doesn’t mean anything now.
So, apply that to your day today. If things go really poorly, if things don’t go your way, if you lose a relationship, somebody tells you they don’t love you anymore, you lose a job—don’t go out and kill yourself because of it. You’ll survive.
I actually fell in love with a girl in this next dormitory over here—the girl’s dormitory, Cross Hall—and she broke up with me after six months; I was depressed for three years. I survived—I’m very happy today.
So, whatever happens in you university experience, or even in your job today, don’t make much of it. Okay.
In a short period of time, you’ll survive, you’ll make it past, don’t do anything stupid. Okay. So, I actually can’t wait to leave this place. I—I don’t even want to be here.
Key Words
Alma mater—n, the college or university you attended, graduated from.
Dormitory—n, building that students live in.
Significance—n, meaning or value of something.
Broke up—v.ph, to end a relationship with someone.
Depressed—adj, sad, gloomy, dejected.
Friday, October 17, 2008
"Don't Be So Cheap!" (Tips on Tipping)
Okay, we’re here a TGIFriday’s in Taipei. Free beer tomorrow.
This is William—Hi—“Hi, nie hao”. Say Merry Christmas—“Merry Christmas, Sheng dan jei kwai la”.
Okay, William’s going to help us out here with our video, and, uh, I’ve got my friend Christopher from Boston here. Say something—“As-alam-a-lakem”.
Oh, I don’t know what that means, but he says a lot of stuff that I don’t understand. Anyway, I want to make a point to all of our listeners today—is that, um, if you get good service in a restaurant, make sure you leave a good tip for your waiter or waitress.
There’s a problem here in Asia—restaurants serve—charge ten percent “service charge”—but they keep it! They never pass it on to the waiters and waitresses. So be generous, don’t be so cheap—don’t be so cheap! Remember that.
Think about all the money you waste on shoes and clothes and cars and everything—but we never treat our fellow human beings generously. So give a nice tip to your waiters and waitresses—they’ll treat you better the next time you come in, and you’ll feel better.
Christopher always leaves a nice tip when we come in, and, uh, he does it because it’s the right thing to do—it’s the right thing to do. So, don’t be so cheap—remember that!
Are you going to eat all that? “Yeah, I have to, I just got married.”
Key Words
Generous-adj-giving more than is expected. We can be generous with our money, time or attention.
Cheap-adj-cheap usually means that something has a low price. But when describing a person who is “cheap”, we mean that they are not generous, they are not willing to part with their cash, to the degree of this being a negative personality trait.
This is William—Hi—“Hi, nie hao”. Say Merry Christmas—“Merry Christmas, Sheng dan jei kwai la”.
Okay, William’s going to help us out here with our video, and, uh, I’ve got my friend Christopher from Boston here. Say something—“As-alam-a-lakem”.
Oh, I don’t know what that means, but he says a lot of stuff that I don’t understand. Anyway, I want to make a point to all of our listeners today—is that, um, if you get good service in a restaurant, make sure you leave a good tip for your waiter or waitress.
There’s a problem here in Asia—restaurants serve—charge ten percent “service charge”—but they keep it! They never pass it on to the waiters and waitresses. So be generous, don’t be so cheap—don’t be so cheap! Remember that.
Think about all the money you waste on shoes and clothes and cars and everything—but we never treat our fellow human beings generously. So give a nice tip to your waiters and waitresses—they’ll treat you better the next time you come in, and you’ll feel better.
Christopher always leaves a nice tip when we come in, and, uh, he does it because it’s the right thing to do—it’s the right thing to do. So, don’t be so cheap—remember that!
Are you going to eat all that? “Yeah, I have to, I just got married.”
Key Words
Generous-adj-giving more than is expected. We can be generous with our money, time or attention.
Cheap-adj-cheap usually means that something has a low price. But when describing a person who is “cheap”, we mean that they are not generous, they are not willing to part with their cash, to the degree of this being a negative personality trait.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pittsburgh Submarine and Incline
Well, here we are in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There’s downtown, there’s the football stadium, the beautiful three rivers, there’s even the Incline over there—which are these little cars that, uh, go up the side of the mountain. Actually, Pittsburgh has two of them—we’re gonna take a look at that a little bit later on. It’s one of their unique ways of traveling.
But Pittsburgh, like any great city, uh, they’ve got all these great things, and plenty of birds, and that—but what else would a city be without a submarine! The U.S.S. Requin, a retired submarine, is here on display, and we’re gonna go inside and take a look.
This is kind of interesting—we’re in the torpedo room. Those are the tubes where they shoot the torpedoes out. And, get this—here is a torpedo right here. There’s the tail fin of the torpedo, and there is the, uh, warhead up front. Now, how would you like this?—this is a bunk! Guys used to sleep on top of the torpedo. How would you like to sleep on top of this torpedo? Hmmm.
Well, here is the, uh, dining area. It’s a little cramped. And you can see they would, uh, sit here in this tiny dining area, and cook, and here are also some quarters for guys to sleep in. There’s three bunks in there, and they would sleep for four hours at a time. Uh, they would be working for four hours and, uh, they would be off for eight hours.
Alright, we’re gonna come here into the control room, and check everything out. And we saw the engines in the back here, so as far as their speed and their depth in the water.
This is the forward engine room, and, um, the engines—that’s my dad standing right there—and these engines were so loud, these guys worked in here all the time. One of the problems is they did not use ear plugs, and so, uh, because of the constant droning of the engines, most of the guys in here ended up with serious hearing loss and actually going deaf.
And as you can see, it’s not a very big space, and they had 81 guys on this.
Okay, so that’s our trip here, our visit to the U.S.S. Requin. The submarine was brought here to Pittsburgh in 1990, and you can come here or go on board and take a tour. It’s part of the Carnegie Science Center. So, very interesting to walk on a submarine. It was brought up the Mississippi River, all the way up here, then the Ohio River here in Pittsburgh.
So, now we’re gonna go over there and take a look at the Incline.
Okay, we’re here at the top of Mt. Washington, at the Duquesne Incline. Let’s go inside and take a look at this very unique attraction.
This is one of the, uh, cars, the cute red cars that are used on the Incline, to go up and down the hill. And that’s the track right there that goes down the hill. There’s the river, and then there’s the downtown area.
Well, the bell rang, so it should be coming out very soon on its journey down to the, uh, river down there—Ohio River.
I used to ride this, uh, to work. I would go down to the bottom, and catch a bus—and then ride it over to downtown Pittsburgh—go across that bridge. I use to take the Incline in the mornings. That was a long time ago, when I was much younger, and life was much simpler.
Now, this is pretty cool! This is the gear that’s pulling and releasing the cable on the Incline. And this is at the top of the hill, so, uh, the one moving clockwise is pulling the car up the hill.
And here it is, pulling into place—and we’ve got a handful of passengers on board.
But Pittsburgh, like any great city, uh, they’ve got all these great things, and plenty of birds, and that—but what else would a city be without a submarine! The U.S.S. Requin, a retired submarine, is here on display, and we’re gonna go inside and take a look.
This is kind of interesting—we’re in the torpedo room. Those are the tubes where they shoot the torpedoes out. And, get this—here is a torpedo right here. There’s the tail fin of the torpedo, and there is the, uh, warhead up front. Now, how would you like this?—this is a bunk! Guys used to sleep on top of the torpedo. How would you like to sleep on top of this torpedo? Hmmm.
Well, here is the, uh, dining area. It’s a little cramped. And you can see they would, uh, sit here in this tiny dining area, and cook, and here are also some quarters for guys to sleep in. There’s three bunks in there, and they would sleep for four hours at a time. Uh, they would be working for four hours and, uh, they would be off for eight hours.
Alright, we’re gonna come here into the control room, and check everything out. And we saw the engines in the back here, so as far as their speed and their depth in the water.
This is the forward engine room, and, um, the engines—that’s my dad standing right there—and these engines were so loud, these guys worked in here all the time. One of the problems is they did not use ear plugs, and so, uh, because of the constant droning of the engines, most of the guys in here ended up with serious hearing loss and actually going deaf.
And as you can see, it’s not a very big space, and they had 81 guys on this.
Okay, so that’s our trip here, our visit to the U.S.S. Requin. The submarine was brought here to Pittsburgh in 1990, and you can come here or go on board and take a tour. It’s part of the Carnegie Science Center. So, very interesting to walk on a submarine. It was brought up the Mississippi River, all the way up here, then the Ohio River here in Pittsburgh.
So, now we’re gonna go over there and take a look at the Incline.
Okay, we’re here at the top of Mt. Washington, at the Duquesne Incline. Let’s go inside and take a look at this very unique attraction.
This is one of the, uh, cars, the cute red cars that are used on the Incline, to go up and down the hill. And that’s the track right there that goes down the hill. There’s the river, and then there’s the downtown area.
Well, the bell rang, so it should be coming out very soon on its journey down to the, uh, river down there—Ohio River.
I used to ride this, uh, to work. I would go down to the bottom, and catch a bus—and then ride it over to downtown Pittsburgh—go across that bridge. I use to take the Incline in the mornings. That was a long time ago, when I was much younger, and life was much simpler.
Now, this is pretty cool! This is the gear that’s pulling and releasing the cable on the Incline. And this is at the top of the hill, so, uh, the one moving clockwise is pulling the car up the hill.
And here it is, pulling into place—and we’ve got a handful of passengers on board.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Fallingwater
Okay, we are here at Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home that he completed in 1937 for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann. And, uh, we’re gonna go on a little tour today. So, we’ll take a look inside—the house is actually built over a waterfall—so wouldn’t you like that? To have your house built over a waterfall?
Not your ordinary home: it’s a cantilevered structure—that’s what we call these horizontal lines here, and it was, uh, something that Frank Lloyd Wright designed, therefore, a striking scene. He had his own very modern way of designing homes. Our tour guide just explained that Frank Lloyd Wright never lived here—this was the home of Edgar and Liliane J. Kaufmann—only on the weekends. I’ll pick that up in just a moment.
As I was just mentioning, Frank Lloyd Wright never lived here in this home. It was the weekend getaway for Edgar and Liliane J. Kaufmann and their family—of the Kaufman Department Store heirs. Actually, they founded the Kaufmann Department Store in Pittsburgh.
So, they contracted out Frank Lloyd Wright to design it on this lovely rural piece of property here in the Laurel Mountains of Pennsylvania, approximately one hour east of Pittsburgh.
And I don’t know if the Kaufmann’s came down those steps in the morning to take their morning bath, but it certainly would wake them up, the cold water.
Well, Fallingwater was finished in 1937, and, uh, the guesthouse up behind it was finished in 1939. One interesting thing about this is Frank Lloyd Wright built the house into the hillside, the mountainside, and actually used the stone—right there—as, um, foundation for this. So, uh, he did not destroy the land and he didn’t clear things away like they do today, with all of this.
It was, uh, built at a cost of $155,000, and Wright made a commission of $8,000 back then. So, but of course, today it’s priceless—you could not build it again.
This is the Visitors Center at the Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater complex—just beautiful facility nestled into the forest here in the Laurel Mountains outside of Pittsburgh. Just a lovely place—very cool and relaxing.
Okay, so Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were here two years ago for Brad Pitt’s birthday party, and, um, nobody else was here, it was a private tour—and I bet you they let Brad Pitt take photographs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photographs up there today, so, but I’m not Brad Pitt—I might look like him, but I’m not Brad Pitt.
So, one more look at Fallingwater outside of Pittsburgh. When you have a chance, come to Pittsburgh and see Fallingwater—Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece. See you next time!
Key Words
Cantilevered (adj) – A projecting structure, such as a beam, that is supported at one end and carries a load at the other end or along its length.
Horizontal (adj) – at right angles to a vertical line.
Striking (adj) – bold, very dramatic, gets your attention.
Contracted (verb) – to hire someone to perform a specific task for a fee.
Rural (adj) – out in the country.
Foundation (noun) – the solid base on which a home or building is built. Usually stone or concrete.
Commission (noun) – the fee paid to someone for completing a task or job.
Nestled (verb) – to lie in a sheltered, protected area.
Brad Pitt (person) – a very famous and handsome American actor often compared to Bill Quinn.
Masterpiece (noun) – a fine work of art, beautiful, perfectly done.
Not your ordinary home: it’s a cantilevered structure—that’s what we call these horizontal lines here, and it was, uh, something that Frank Lloyd Wright designed, therefore, a striking scene. He had his own very modern way of designing homes. Our tour guide just explained that Frank Lloyd Wright never lived here—this was the home of Edgar and Liliane J. Kaufmann—only on the weekends. I’ll pick that up in just a moment.
As I was just mentioning, Frank Lloyd Wright never lived here in this home. It was the weekend getaway for Edgar and Liliane J. Kaufmann and their family—of the Kaufman Department Store heirs. Actually, they founded the Kaufmann Department Store in Pittsburgh.
So, they contracted out Frank Lloyd Wright to design it on this lovely rural piece of property here in the Laurel Mountains of Pennsylvania, approximately one hour east of Pittsburgh.
And I don’t know if the Kaufmann’s came down those steps in the morning to take their morning bath, but it certainly would wake them up, the cold water.
Well, Fallingwater was finished in 1937, and, uh, the guesthouse up behind it was finished in 1939. One interesting thing about this is Frank Lloyd Wright built the house into the hillside, the mountainside, and actually used the stone—right there—as, um, foundation for this. So, uh, he did not destroy the land and he didn’t clear things away like they do today, with all of this.
It was, uh, built at a cost of $155,000, and Wright made a commission of $8,000 back then. So, but of course, today it’s priceless—you could not build it again.
This is the Visitors Center at the Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater complex—just beautiful facility nestled into the forest here in the Laurel Mountains outside of Pittsburgh. Just a lovely place—very cool and relaxing.
Okay, so Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were here two years ago for Brad Pitt’s birthday party, and, um, nobody else was here, it was a private tour—and I bet you they let Brad Pitt take photographs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photographs up there today, so, but I’m not Brad Pitt—I might look like him, but I’m not Brad Pitt.
So, one more look at Fallingwater outside of Pittsburgh. When you have a chance, come to Pittsburgh and see Fallingwater—Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece. See you next time!
Key Words
Cantilevered (adj) – A projecting structure, such as a beam, that is supported at one end and carries a load at the other end or along its length.
Horizontal (adj) – at right angles to a vertical line.
Striking (adj) – bold, very dramatic, gets your attention.
Contracted (verb) – to hire someone to perform a specific task for a fee.
Rural (adj) – out in the country.
Foundation (noun) – the solid base on which a home or building is built. Usually stone or concrete.
Commission (noun) – the fee paid to someone for completing a task or job.
Nestled (verb) – to lie in a sheltered, protected area.
Brad Pitt (person) – a very famous and handsome American actor often compared to Bill Quinn.
Masterpiece (noun) – a fine work of art, beautiful, perfectly done.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Airplane on Glacier
On my recent trip to America I took a plane ride around Mt. McKinley in Alaska, the tallest mountain in North America, at over 20,000 feet. The plane landed on a glacier in the mountains, using ski's. I will have a longer, better video of the flight later. Here's the text:
Okay, here we are, we just landed on the Ruth Glacier in our DeHaviland Beaver. Our pilot Rico landed us here, and it was a beautiful thing, a beautiful thing.
We're gonna take off from the glacier, so--you ever see a plane land on ski's?
Okay, and then we're gonna head down that way--I'll have J.D. show us a little panorama of the beautiful mountains. We're gonna take off from the glacier and sail off into the sunset!
Okay, here we are, we just landed on the Ruth Glacier in our DeHaviland Beaver. Our pilot Rico landed us here, and it was a beautiful thing, a beautiful thing.
We're gonna take off from the glacier, so--you ever see a plane land on ski's?
Okay, and then we're gonna head down that way--I'll have J.D. show us a little panorama of the beautiful mountains. We're gonna take off from the glacier and sail off into the sunset!
Mt. McKinley airplane ride (short version)
Here's a short video of my plane ride to Mt. McKinley in Alaska.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Back from Vacation!
I apologize to everyone for not updating my blog recently--I was on vacation for a long visit back to the United States. Now that things are back to normal I'll have some new posts and videos from my trip. Thanks! Bill
Monday, April 28, 2008
Can You Teach Ethics? feature for Advanced (text)
Dr. Gray: Welcome to “Should I, or Shouldn’t I”, the ethical call in program where you can ask me, Dr. Gray, how to handle your ethical dilemmas. Go ahead Sally, you’re first!
Sally: Oh, hi Dr. Gray, thanks for taking my call.
Dr: Oh, my pleasure, Sally. Now, how may I help you?
Sally: Well, I’ve got a problem at work Dr. Gray. I run the accounting department, and so I approve all of the expense reports for our sales people. They do a lot of PR work and . . .
Dr: Hmmm, okay, that’s a starting point. What seems to be the problem?
Sally: (Sigh) My boyfriend, see, he is one of the salesmen, and yesterday he told me that he’s been charging his golf games to the company account for the past seven years.
Dr: Oh boy! How much money do you think that has been, Sally?
Sally: Well, he really likes to play golf, and he’s really good at it, in fact just last week he had his best score ever, and was so happy that . . .
Dr: Sally, Sally, how much money has he charged the company for golf over the last seven years?
Sally: Uh, about $10,000. But he’s a good salesman, and everyone likes him.
Dr: Sally, Sally, I know you want to side with your boyfriend on this, but you have to do what’s right. Have you told anyone, yet?
Sally: Oh heavens, no! He’d lose his job, then I’d have to support him!
Dr: Sally, I’ve seen this before. He needs to come clean on this, admit what he’s done, and work out a plan to repay the company for all his golf games.
Sally: That’s so much money, Dr. Gray.
Dr: Sally, in the long run, it’s the best thing for both of you. Honesty is the best policy.
Sally: But he bought me this nice engagement ring!
Dr: You’re thinking about marrying this idiot? Sally, Sally, you need to come clean on this—it’s the best for both of you.
Sally: Oh, okay Doctor, thanks for your help.
Dr: Thanks for calling Sally.
Sally: Oh, hi Dr. Gray, thanks for taking my call.
Dr: Oh, my pleasure, Sally. Now, how may I help you?
Sally: Well, I’ve got a problem at work Dr. Gray. I run the accounting department, and so I approve all of the expense reports for our sales people. They do a lot of PR work and . . .
Dr: Hmmm, okay, that’s a starting point. What seems to be the problem?
Sally: (Sigh) My boyfriend, see, he is one of the salesmen, and yesterday he told me that he’s been charging his golf games to the company account for the past seven years.
Dr: Oh boy! How much money do you think that has been, Sally?
Sally: Well, he really likes to play golf, and he’s really good at it, in fact just last week he had his best score ever, and was so happy that . . .
Dr: Sally, Sally, how much money has he charged the company for golf over the last seven years?
Sally: Uh, about $10,000. But he’s a good salesman, and everyone likes him.
Dr: Sally, Sally, I know you want to side with your boyfriend on this, but you have to do what’s right. Have you told anyone, yet?
Sally: Oh heavens, no! He’d lose his job, then I’d have to support him!
Dr: Sally, I’ve seen this before. He needs to come clean on this, admit what he’s done, and work out a plan to repay the company for all his golf games.
Sally: That’s so much money, Dr. Gray.
Dr: Sally, in the long run, it’s the best thing for both of you. Honesty is the best policy.
Sally: But he bought me this nice engagement ring!
Dr: You’re thinking about marrying this idiot? Sally, Sally, you need to come clean on this—it’s the best for both of you.
Sally: Oh, okay Doctor, thanks for your help.
Dr: Thanks for calling Sally.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Taipei International Book Exhibition (MP3 at teacherbill.com)
Bill: Okay, Bryan and I are here at the Taipei International Book Exhibition, and it’s the last day of the Book Exhibition. So—just wanted to show everybody a little bit of the exciting times here. And, uh, there’s been a lot of people come here all weekend, and to see our books and magazines. Um, it’s been a good time, and we’ve had a chance to say hello to many students. And, uh, what about you Bryan?
Bryan: Yeah, it’s been an exciting time, it’s been good to see people get excited about the different products, and to learn more about how to study—how to study.
Bill: Alright. Well, speaking of how to study, one of the questions I get asked all the time Bryan, is “How can people improve their English?” Now which—give me one idea.
Bryan: Okay, one idea is to imitate or mimic the sounds of an English teacher, like Bill. And a good way to do that is to get the Super (guan-tia), the Super CD-ROM. You can listen to Bill, and you can speak along with him—you can imitate his voice. That’s a good way.
Bill: Okay, very good. And you often hear Bryan on the Studio Classroom MP3, and Lisa, who is our camera person right now. So, one other idea I’ve got for student, I wanna tell people is, if you have a chance, join, like, an organization at a university, or a club that, uh, all universities have English clubs or things like that. Or even a speech group, like Toastmasters International.
Okay, well thanks Bryan, for joining me.
Bryan: Thank you.
Bill: Thanks everybody for joining us—live from the Taipei International Book Exhibition, Bryan and Bill.
Both: Bye Bye!
Key Words
Exhibition-n-a large show, gathering or convention that displays products.
Imitate-v-to act or sound like someone, closely resemble that persons actions.
Mimic-v-to repeat word for word what a person says.
Toastmasters International-n-a group that meets weekly to practice and improve public speaking ability.
Bryan: Yeah, it’s been an exciting time, it’s been good to see people get excited about the different products, and to learn more about how to study—how to study.
Bill: Alright. Well, speaking of how to study, one of the questions I get asked all the time Bryan, is “How can people improve their English?” Now which—give me one idea.
Bryan: Okay, one idea is to imitate or mimic the sounds of an English teacher, like Bill. And a good way to do that is to get the Super (guan-tia), the Super CD-ROM. You can listen to Bill, and you can speak along with him—you can imitate his voice. That’s a good way.
Bill: Okay, very good. And you often hear Bryan on the Studio Classroom MP3, and Lisa, who is our camera person right now. So, one other idea I’ve got for student, I wanna tell people is, if you have a chance, join, like, an organization at a university, or a club that, uh, all universities have English clubs or things like that. Or even a speech group, like Toastmasters International.
Okay, well thanks Bryan, for joining me.
Bryan: Thank you.
Bill: Thanks everybody for joining us—live from the Taipei International Book Exhibition, Bryan and Bill.
Both: Bye Bye!
Key Words
Exhibition-n-a large show, gathering or convention that displays products.
Imitate-v-to act or sound like someone, closely resemble that persons actions.
Mimic-v-to repeat word for word what a person says.
Toastmasters International-n-a group that meets weekly to practice and improve public speaking ability.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Susie Speed, Part 2 (Advanced feature for March 25, 2008. MP3 on www.teacherbill.com)
Susie: Live from Daytona International Raceway, I’m Susie Speed. What an exciting finish in today’s Daytona 500 race. Rookie sensation Barbecue Bill Archer was leading until the final lap, then had a terrible crash. Let’s talk to him!
Bill: Ohhhhh, uggghhhh, oh, my head, ohhhhhh.
Susie: Barbecue Bill, you were about to take the checkered flag—what happened?
Bill: Oh, Susie—oh, my head, oh my goodness. There I was, leading the race in my Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99, and then all of a sudden my tires came off down in turn 2.
Susie: We’ve never seen that before, Barbecue Bill, all four of your tires just came right off the car!
Bill: I know—I’ve never seen that before either. We were passing cars like they were a bunch of Soccer Dads out for a Sunday drive. Best car I ever had, till that last lap.
Susie: What caused the wheels to come off?
Bill: I think I was driving too fast.
Susie: Isn’t that the idea? To drive fast, and win the race?
Bill: Hmmm, you got a point there, little lady. But it’s a double-edged sword here at Daytona. If you drive too fast in the turns, well, maybe there’s too much pressure on the tires. Next thing you know, poof!, they’re gone! No tires! Tough to win with no tires.
Susie: Your car flipped over at least ten times during the wreck. How was that?
Bill: I’ll tell ya Susie, it sure wasn’t a lot of fun. I vicariously felt like a spaceman tumbling through the air. What day is today? Where am I?
Susie: Well, next week Bill is the Pittsburgh 400 race—will you be back?
Bill: You betcha! Like my daddy, I’m a chip off the old block. I’ll be back in the Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99, and be rarin’ to go! Where’s Pittsburgh?
Susie: That’s it from an exciting Daytona 500! For Advanced Sports Today, I’m Susie Speed!
Key Words
Soccer Dads-n-Fathers who drive their kids around to activities on the weekend.
Double-edged sword-adj. phrase-a thing or situation that has danger with both choices.
Poof-interjection-an exclamation of surprise.
Vicariously-adv-to feel like you are having the experience of another person.
Rarin' to go-v. phrase-ready to participate.
Bill: Ohhhhh, uggghhhh, oh, my head, ohhhhhh.
Susie: Barbecue Bill, you were about to take the checkered flag—what happened?
Bill: Oh, Susie—oh, my head, oh my goodness. There I was, leading the race in my Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99, and then all of a sudden my tires came off down in turn 2.
Susie: We’ve never seen that before, Barbecue Bill, all four of your tires just came right off the car!
Bill: I know—I’ve never seen that before either. We were passing cars like they were a bunch of Soccer Dads out for a Sunday drive. Best car I ever had, till that last lap.
Susie: What caused the wheels to come off?
Bill: I think I was driving too fast.
Susie: Isn’t that the idea? To drive fast, and win the race?
Bill: Hmmm, you got a point there, little lady. But it’s a double-edged sword here at Daytona. If you drive too fast in the turns, well, maybe there’s too much pressure on the tires. Next thing you know, poof!, they’re gone! No tires! Tough to win with no tires.
Susie: Your car flipped over at least ten times during the wreck. How was that?
Bill: I’ll tell ya Susie, it sure wasn’t a lot of fun. I vicariously felt like a spaceman tumbling through the air. What day is today? Where am I?
Susie: Well, next week Bill is the Pittsburgh 400 race—will you be back?
Bill: You betcha! Like my daddy, I’m a chip off the old block. I’ll be back in the Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99, and be rarin’ to go! Where’s Pittsburgh?
Susie: That’s it from an exciting Daytona 500! For Advanced Sports Today, I’m Susie Speed!
Key Words
Soccer Dads-n-Fathers who drive their kids around to activities on the weekend.
Double-edged sword-adj. phrase-a thing or situation that has danger with both choices.
Poof-interjection-an exclamation of surprise.
Vicariously-adv-to feel like you are having the experience of another person.
Rarin' to go-v. phrase-ready to participate.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Susie Speed-Part 1. Advanced feature for March 24, 2008
Susie: Welcome everyone to Advanced Sports Today! I'm Susie Speed, and we're coming to you live from Daytona International Raceway. Today is NASCAR's big race, the Daytona 500, and I'm talking to rookie sensation, Barbecue Bill Archer.
Bill: Well, hello there little lady, glad you could tag along with us today.
Susie: Bill, all the buzz is how fast you've been driving here this week!
Bill: Oh yeah, I've had a real lead-foot this week, driving the Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99.
Susie: You've had some heady speeds during qualifying, up over 200 miles per hour.What's the key to your success?
Bill: A good start, Susie! That's how you win races, and that's how we start our day! I just had a big breakfast with some of our car #99 sponsor's Sienicki Polish Sausage. Now I'm full of gas, and ready to go!
Susie: Full of gas, eh? Well, save it for the race, Barbecue Bill. Now, you come from a fine pedigree of race car drivers. Your family has a strong history here at Daytona, and now you're the up and coming star.
Bill: Well, my daddy, Dollar Bill Archer was able to win the Daytona 500 eleven times, so I'm gonna do my best today to take the checkered flag, and make my daddy proud!
Susie: You certainly are a chip off the old block, with your racing skills. You even drive the same car that your father did. Is the car ready for today?
Bill: You bet, Susie. The Sienicki Polish Sausage sponsored car #99 is so fast, well, I'll tell ya, it's a given that I'm gonna win today. No doubt!
Susie: Well you sure are confident Barbecue Bill. Good luck!
Bill: Thanks Susie! Gotta go!
Susie: We'll see you after the race! Live from Daytona, this is Susie Speed
KEY WORDS
Rookie-n-a beginner in a profession, first year participant.
Tag along-v. phrase-follow someone around.
Buzz-n-excitement, news of high interest.
Lead foot-adj. phrase-strong foot on the gas of a car, speedy.
Heady-adj.-big, high, impressive.
Pedigree-n-a select breed, a special group or family.
Up and coming-adj. phrase-a rising star, talented.
Checkered flag-n-victory, the black and white flag waved at the end of the race.
Chip off the old block-n. phrase-just like a parent, usually the father.
A given-n-an assumption that something is true or will be true.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Newsworthy Clips Feature for March 6, Airport Kiosks
Bryan: Okay honey, let me call you back later—I need to check in. Hmmm, now where do I get my ticket?
Kiosk: Passengers check in here.
Bryan: Huh? Who was that?
Kiosk: I am your full service kiosk. Place your luggage on the scale for processing.
Bryan: A talking kiosk? Is anybody in there?
Kiosk: I am XJ695, your full service kiosk. I will help you zip through to the gate.
Bryan: Okay, Mr. XJ695. Here’s my luggage.
Kiosk: Bzzzzzz! Your luggage is overweight. Please insert $100.
Bryan: What! My luggage isn’t overweight—and I’m not giving you $100.
Kiosk: Please cooperate Mr. Passenger, or I will communicate with this hub’s security kiosk.
Bryan: Okay, okay, I don’t want to cause any problems. Here’s your $100.
Kiosk: Thank you Mr. Passenger. Here is your boarding pass (bzzzzz). You may now proceed to your gate.
Bryan: Tell me, XJ695, where can I get a cup of coffee while I wait for my flight?
Kiosk: Our human installer has just unveiled a Moonbucks caffeinated beverage kiosk near your gate. You may purchase refreshments there.
Bryan: A coffee kiosk? I don’t believe this! First you, then a security kiosk, then another kiosk for my coffee—do any people work here?
Kiosk: I’m unaware of that information, Mr. Passenger. I suggest you take your complaint over to the management kiosk. That unit will process you.
Bryan: A management kiosk!? Ugh—I don’t want to be processed any more. I’ll just go and get on my plane!
Kiosk: Be sure to be nice to the pilot kiosk as you board your flight. Have a nice day.
Key Words
Check in-v-get your ticket and boarding pass for a flight.
Kiosk-n-automated, self-standing machine or computer.
Zip through-v-to move very through something quickly.
Hub-n-a regional center for flight connections.
Unveiled-v-introduced, made available to the public.
Kiosk: Passengers check in here.
Bryan: Huh? Who was that?
Kiosk: I am your full service kiosk. Place your luggage on the scale for processing.
Bryan: A talking kiosk? Is anybody in there?
Kiosk: I am XJ695, your full service kiosk. I will help you zip through to the gate.
Bryan: Okay, Mr. XJ695. Here’s my luggage.
Kiosk: Bzzzzzz! Your luggage is overweight. Please insert $100.
Bryan: What! My luggage isn’t overweight—and I’m not giving you $100.
Kiosk: Please cooperate Mr. Passenger, or I will communicate with this hub’s security kiosk.
Bryan: Okay, okay, I don’t want to cause any problems. Here’s your $100.
Kiosk: Thank you Mr. Passenger. Here is your boarding pass (bzzzzz). You may now proceed to your gate.
Bryan: Tell me, XJ695, where can I get a cup of coffee while I wait for my flight?
Kiosk: Our human installer has just unveiled a Moonbucks caffeinated beverage kiosk near your gate. You may purchase refreshments there.
Bryan: A coffee kiosk? I don’t believe this! First you, then a security kiosk, then another kiosk for my coffee—do any people work here?
Kiosk: I’m unaware of that information, Mr. Passenger. I suggest you take your complaint over to the management kiosk. That unit will process you.
Bryan: A management kiosk!? Ugh—I don’t want to be processed any more. I’ll just go and get on my plane!
Kiosk: Be sure to be nice to the pilot kiosk as you board your flight. Have a nice day.
Key Words
Check in-v-get your ticket and boarding pass for a flight.
Kiosk-n-automated, self-standing machine or computer.
Zip through-v-to move very through something quickly.
Hub-n-a regional center for flight connections.
Unveiled-v-introduced, made available to the public.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Lantern Festival - Taipei (MP3 at www.teacherbill.com)
Okay, it is Lantern Festival, her in Taipei. And, uh, that ball there has got, uh, “fortune” and “happy” on it. So, “Gongxi facai! Xinnian kuaile!”. We’re celebrating Lantern Festival.
I’m over here, right in front of the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, and, um, beautiful—love that red color up there. So, and uh, there’s lots of people here—I don’t know how many people, but an awful lot of people. They’re covering up my spotlight over there for some reason—I’m fading in and out.
But, Chinese New Year is always very interesting—I’m an ox, so this is the year of the rat. And, um, the ox helped carry the rat over the river, and uh—but the rat jumped off and beat the ox to the other side of the river. So, I’m a little upset about that—the rat kind of cheated me out. But that doesn’t matter; at least I came in second place.
So, the Jade Emperor had this race—I would suggest that you go back and take a look at Advanced Magazine for February, and read all about Chinese New Year. We talk about the tradition of the Jade Emperor, and how he came up with twelve animals for Chinese, for the Chinese calendar.
But, I just thought we’d take a look at the Lantern Festival here in Taipei.
See you next time!
Key Words
Spotlight-n-a strong light, directed at an object.
Fading-v-not clear, losing the ability to be seen.
I’m over here, right in front of the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, and, um, beautiful—love that red color up there. So, and uh, there’s lots of people here—I don’t know how many people, but an awful lot of people. They’re covering up my spotlight over there for some reason—I’m fading in and out.
But, Chinese New Year is always very interesting—I’m an ox, so this is the year of the rat. And, um, the ox helped carry the rat over the river, and uh—but the rat jumped off and beat the ox to the other side of the river. So, I’m a little upset about that—the rat kind of cheated me out. But that doesn’t matter; at least I came in second place.
So, the Jade Emperor had this race—I would suggest that you go back and take a look at Advanced Magazine for February, and read all about Chinese New Year. We talk about the tradition of the Jade Emperor, and how he came up with twelve animals for Chinese, for the Chinese calendar.
But, I just thought we’d take a look at the Lantern Festival here in Taipei.
See you next time!
Key Words
Spotlight-n-a strong light, directed at an object.
Fading-v-not clear, losing the ability to be seen.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mahjong for Dummies (or Bill)
Okay, we’re playing Mahjong here—I have no idea how to play. No, but we just won, right? We just won—I have no idea how we won. So.
One of my favorite parts of Mahjong is this.
“It’s L.V., L.V.” (Lester)
“Real L.V.” (Theresa)
This is top of the line Mahjong.
It’s called, um luxury.
Luxury. But you can see, my opponents are deadly serious—this is a serious game. So, alright, my partner is deadly serious about this too.
Okay, alright, I’m getting there.
Gotta grab these things, line ‘em all up, so, okay.
How much money did we win?
“We lose” (Brenda)
I thought we won!
“We still lose” (Brenda)
We won but we still lose?
Okay, I think we got it.
Alright, two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen . . . two more. Okay.
Alright, everything all lined up like this, nice and orderly. Okay, alright.
Okay, who’s next?
“You follow my mom” (Brenda)
Okay.
Key Words
Deadly serious-idiom-intense, very, very serious, no laughter.
Orderly-adj-everything where it should be, very straight.
One of my favorite parts of Mahjong is this.
“It’s L.V., L.V.” (Lester)
“Real L.V.” (Theresa)
This is top of the line Mahjong.
It’s called, um luxury.
Luxury. But you can see, my opponents are deadly serious—this is a serious game. So, alright, my partner is deadly serious about this too.
Okay, alright, I’m getting there.
Gotta grab these things, line ‘em all up, so, okay.
How much money did we win?
“We lose” (Brenda)
I thought we won!
“We still lose” (Brenda)
We won but we still lose?
Okay, I think we got it.
Alright, two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen . . . two more. Okay.
Alright, everything all lined up like this, nice and orderly. Okay, alright.
Okay, who’s next?
“You follow my mom” (Brenda)
Okay.
Key Words
Deadly serious-idiom-intense, very, very serious, no laughter.
Orderly-adj-everything where it should be, very straight.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
"Get the Point?" (MP3 at teacherbill.com)
Okay, I’m here at Dr. Tsao’s Chinese Medical Clinic, and it’s here in Taipei—and I’m getting acupuncture.
So, this is one of my favorite places, right here, in all of Taiwan. I can come in and I can get my acupuncture on my hip.
“Yes, welcome” (Dr. Tsao)
Dr. Tsao is my Chinese medical doctor, gives me acupuncture.
“And your best friend” (Dr. Tsao)
You are my very good friend, yes! You’re kinda like, you’re like a one-stop shop for me, Dr. Tsao. You give acupuncture, and um, you are also my landlord, and, uh, you’re also my Chinese teacher. You kinda, like, do it all. “Thank you” (Dr. Tsao)
Your English has improved.
So, I’ve been doing this for, I dunno, nearly five years, since I’ve been in Taiwan. I don’t know how it works, but, I like acupuncture, and, uh, it works very well for me. I wish I could come here more often. I come here about once a week, and um, it only costs approximately six U.S. dollars for this service, ‘cause it’s covered by national Health Care. And, um, in America this would cost a hundred dollars, at least. So you couldn’t do it very often, but here in Taiwan, you can do it very, very often. If I could, I would like to come here two or three times a week. So, what would be ideal Dr. Tsao? How many times a week? Two or three times?
“I suggest three times a week” (Dr. Tsao)
Three times a week. “It is best” (Dr. Tsao)
Okay, now one thing I want to mention is you know, the difference with Chinese medicine is, Chinese medicine relies a lot on herbs and spices and plants and things like that. And, uh, it is opposed to—as opposed to western medicine, right? That relies on pharmaceuticals—it’s better to use Chinese medicine, right, in many cases. Because the pharm—because the Chinese medicine actually goes better with our body.
So, okay, but you can see there, that Dr. Tsao puts a number of needles in my hip, and in my leg, and in my knee.
It is painless! There is no pain with this. So, right?
“I’m finished now” (Dr. Tsao)
You’re finished now? “Yes” (Dr. Tsao)
Okay, alright. “I will give you heat” (Dr. Tsao)
Put the heat light on my leg, and then, um, later I will have a massage. So, when I come here I get three things;
- A heat treatment before acupuncture, and then I get acupuncture by Dr. Tsao, and I get, um a massage.
“Thank you, thank you very much” (Dr. Tsao)
Thank you Dr. Tsao, for . . .
“You’re welcome” (Dr. Tsao)
For, uh, giving me acupuncture, thank you for being such a good doctor, and such a good friend. “Thank you” (Dr. Tsao)
Thank you.
Alright, okay everybody, that’s it for now—we’ll see ya next time. Bye bye!
Key Words
One-stop shop-n-a place where you can get everything you need, often a convenience store.
Approximately-adj-"about", "around" a certain number, not exact.
Pharmaceuticals-n-medicine, mostly made from chemicals.
So, this is one of my favorite places, right here, in all of Taiwan. I can come in and I can get my acupuncture on my hip.
“Yes, welcome” (Dr. Tsao)
Dr. Tsao is my Chinese medical doctor, gives me acupuncture.
“And your best friend” (Dr. Tsao)
You are my very good friend, yes! You’re kinda like, you’re like a one-stop shop for me, Dr. Tsao. You give acupuncture, and um, you are also my landlord, and, uh, you’re also my Chinese teacher. You kinda, like, do it all. “Thank you” (Dr. Tsao)
Your English has improved.
So, I’ve been doing this for, I dunno, nearly five years, since I’ve been in Taiwan. I don’t know how it works, but, I like acupuncture, and, uh, it works very well for me. I wish I could come here more often. I come here about once a week, and um, it only costs approximately six U.S. dollars for this service, ‘cause it’s covered by national Health Care. And, um, in America this would cost a hundred dollars, at least. So you couldn’t do it very often, but here in Taiwan, you can do it very, very often. If I could, I would like to come here two or three times a week. So, what would be ideal Dr. Tsao? How many times a week? Two or three times?
“I suggest three times a week” (Dr. Tsao)
Three times a week. “It is best” (Dr. Tsao)
Okay, now one thing I want to mention is you know, the difference with Chinese medicine is, Chinese medicine relies a lot on herbs and spices and plants and things like that. And, uh, it is opposed to—as opposed to western medicine, right? That relies on pharmaceuticals—it’s better to use Chinese medicine, right, in many cases. Because the pharm—because the Chinese medicine actually goes better with our body.
So, okay, but you can see there, that Dr. Tsao puts a number of needles in my hip, and in my leg, and in my knee.
It is painless! There is no pain with this. So, right?
“I’m finished now” (Dr. Tsao)
You’re finished now? “Yes” (Dr. Tsao)
Okay, alright. “I will give you heat” (Dr. Tsao)
Put the heat light on my leg, and then, um, later I will have a massage. So, when I come here I get three things;
- A heat treatment before acupuncture, and then I get acupuncture by Dr. Tsao, and I get, um a massage.
“Thank you, thank you very much” (Dr. Tsao)
Thank you Dr. Tsao, for . . .
“You’re welcome” (Dr. Tsao)
For, uh, giving me acupuncture, thank you for being such a good doctor, and such a good friend. “Thank you” (Dr. Tsao)
Thank you.
Alright, okay everybody, that’s it for now—we’ll see ya next time. Bye bye!
Key Words
One-stop shop-n-a place where you can get everything you need, often a convenience store.
Approximately-adj-"about", "around" a certain number, not exact.
Pharmaceuticals-n-medicine, mostly made from chemicals.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
"I'll Be Happy When . . . " (MP3 at www.teacherbill.com)
Hello, Ni hao! I’m here in the sound library, and this is where I pick out music for, um, radio programs, and for our features, - so, and also some other things we pick out music for. So, it’s kind of a neat place.
Anyway, I wanted to talk about something today that we had covered in my Internet English class that I teach. I teach a couple of Internet English classes, and we talked about New Year’s resolutions—part of my last video—and several people said that their resolution was that they wanted to win the lottery.
Well, I don’t think winning the lottery is necessarily a resolution—it’s not something that you can control. But, anyways, I understood where they were coming from, and I love my students, and they gave me some good answers.
But the idea behind winning the lottery is that if we have money, then we’ll be happy—that will make us happy if we win the lottery.
I don’t know if that’s gonna make anybody happy, winning money. I’ve talked about this before. But think about a couple people—for instance, Britney Spears has a lot of money, and I don’t think she’s very happy. If you ever see Allen Iverson playing basketball, does he strike you as a happy fellow?
There’s a lot of people with money who aren’t very happy.
So, people think “I’ll be happy when . . . da, da, da, da, da”, right? “I’ll be happy when I get married”, “I’ll be happy when I have a lot of money”, “I’ll be happy when I have a new job”, “I’ll be happy when I move to . . . Afghanistan”. Right?
People think all kinds of things they’ll be happy “when”.
Why not choose to be happy today? Why don’t wake up in the morning—why don’t you wake up in the morning and say “I will be happy TODAY”?
For many people happiness is a choice. Keep in mind, also, happiness might also be a little bit of a myth—kind of a fantasy that is out there somewhere.
Let me back up to what exactly is happiness, versus what’s more important—purpose. What is your purpose?
If you have a purpose, a clear mission, then you won’t necessarily need fantasies about what will make you happy.
But, anyway, don’t think about “I’ll be happy ‘when something else happens’ “. Why not start off today, or tomorrow, and say “I’ll be happy today”. Tell yourself that when you wake up in the morning.
I know it’s not going to be easy for everybody. Many people have work that they don’t like, or they have to be around people they don’t want to be around. Well, YOU have to solve that problem. The first step is to figure out the purpose in your life, and then that will help you to be happier each day.
Okay, it’s the beginning of 2008—I hope we can make this a good year for everybody. Take care!
Key Words
Necessarily-adv-used to add emphasis, similar to using “really”.
Where they were coming from-idiom-to understand how or why another thinks.
Strike-v-to give or receive an impression or feeling about something.
Myth-n-an old story that may not be factual.
Fantasy-n-a dream, a special story.
Out there somewhere-idiom-off in the distance, maybe beyond our reach.
Purpose-n-meaningful action, rewarding, constructive activity.
Anyway, I wanted to talk about something today that we had covered in my Internet English class that I teach. I teach a couple of Internet English classes, and we talked about New Year’s resolutions—part of my last video—and several people said that their resolution was that they wanted to win the lottery.
Well, I don’t think winning the lottery is necessarily a resolution—it’s not something that you can control. But, anyways, I understood where they were coming from, and I love my students, and they gave me some good answers.
But the idea behind winning the lottery is that if we have money, then we’ll be happy—that will make us happy if we win the lottery.
I don’t know if that’s gonna make anybody happy, winning money. I’ve talked about this before. But think about a couple people—for instance, Britney Spears has a lot of money, and I don’t think she’s very happy. If you ever see Allen Iverson playing basketball, does he strike you as a happy fellow?
There’s a lot of people with money who aren’t very happy.
So, people think “I’ll be happy when . . . da, da, da, da, da”, right? “I’ll be happy when I get married”, “I’ll be happy when I have a lot of money”, “I’ll be happy when I have a new job”, “I’ll be happy when I move to . . . Afghanistan”. Right?
People think all kinds of things they’ll be happy “when”.
Why not choose to be happy today? Why don’t wake up in the morning—why don’t you wake up in the morning and say “I will be happy TODAY”?
For many people happiness is a choice. Keep in mind, also, happiness might also be a little bit of a myth—kind of a fantasy that is out there somewhere.
Let me back up to what exactly is happiness, versus what’s more important—purpose. What is your purpose?
If you have a purpose, a clear mission, then you won’t necessarily need fantasies about what will make you happy.
But, anyway, don’t think about “I’ll be happy ‘when something else happens’ “. Why not start off today, or tomorrow, and say “I’ll be happy today”. Tell yourself that when you wake up in the morning.
I know it’s not going to be easy for everybody. Many people have work that they don’t like, or they have to be around people they don’t want to be around. Well, YOU have to solve that problem. The first step is to figure out the purpose in your life, and then that will help you to be happier each day.
Okay, it’s the beginning of 2008—I hope we can make this a good year for everybody. Take care!
Key Words
Necessarily-adv-used to add emphasis, similar to using “really”.
Where they were coming from-idiom-to understand how or why another thinks.
Strike-v-to give or receive an impression or feeling about something.
Myth-n-an old story that may not be factual.
Fantasy-n-a dream, a special story.
Out there somewhere-idiom-off in the distance, maybe beyond our reach.
Purpose-n-meaningful action, rewarding, constructive activity.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
"Would I Lie to You?" (MP3 at www.teacherbill.com)
Well, here we are in beautiful Taroko Gorge National Park, on the east coast of Taiwan, near Hualien. And this place is just stunningly beautiful—I highly recommend it to anybody. It’s one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever been in my life. It rivals Yellowstone and Yosemite as far as sheer beauty and being spectacular.
So, okay, well, it’s December 31st, and New Year’s is on my mind. So, you’ll probably look at this after New Year’s, or New Year’s Eve.
So, we make “reser”—reservations—we make resolutions, not reservations—we make reservations to go eat at a restaurant. But, for the New Year, we make resolutions about losing weight, or making more money, or changing a job, or finding love. But, maybe we should simplify our resolutions—simplify ‘em.
And, for instance, the one I’m thinking about now, not only for myself, but for everybody to consider is how about a resolution to be honest, and, um, just tell the truth. Be honest with yourself.
So, be honest with yourself, and be honest with others. So, you need to be honest with yourself in evaluating what you do, and what you say and how you impact others, and how you view the world. So, you need to be honest with yourself. But you also need to be honest with others, about others.
We normally don’t tell blatant lies about people, but, or things. But, what we do is often we will tell “white lies”—little white lies. We leave out information, or we make a little change of the information or facts, and we think it’s okay.
Normally, the reason people tell lies is, one, to protect their own “rear-end”. That’s one reason people tell lies. The other one is to make themselves look better, or to get, uh, maybe an edge on a person or some situation.
So, but in the long-run, that doesn’t help us. So, why don’t you make a resolution for 2008 to be honest, with others and yourself. I’ll check back with you later in the year, see how that went. Alright—one more look at Taroko Gorge National Park.
Key Words
Stunningly-adv-surprising beyond expectations, outstanding, very special.
Spectacular-adj-super, fantastic, very special.
Resolution-n-a promise to do something, a goal.
Simplify-v-to keep something easy to understand, easy to do.
Evaluating-v-to analyze, to determine what something is.
Blatant-adj-very obvious, not hidden, clear meaning.
White lies-n-minor changes in reporting facts, or leaving out key information.
Rear-end-n-referring to the self, the person.
So, okay, well, it’s December 31st, and New Year’s is on my mind. So, you’ll probably look at this after New Year’s, or New Year’s Eve.
So, we make “reser”—reservations—we make resolutions, not reservations—we make reservations to go eat at a restaurant. But, for the New Year, we make resolutions about losing weight, or making more money, or changing a job, or finding love. But, maybe we should simplify our resolutions—simplify ‘em.
And, for instance, the one I’m thinking about now, not only for myself, but for everybody to consider is how about a resolution to be honest, and, um, just tell the truth. Be honest with yourself.
So, be honest with yourself, and be honest with others. So, you need to be honest with yourself in evaluating what you do, and what you say and how you impact others, and how you view the world. So, you need to be honest with yourself. But you also need to be honest with others, about others.
We normally don’t tell blatant lies about people, but, or things. But, what we do is often we will tell “white lies”—little white lies. We leave out information, or we make a little change of the information or facts, and we think it’s okay.
Normally, the reason people tell lies is, one, to protect their own “rear-end”. That’s one reason people tell lies. The other one is to make themselves look better, or to get, uh, maybe an edge on a person or some situation.
So, but in the long-run, that doesn’t help us. So, why don’t you make a resolution for 2008 to be honest, with others and yourself. I’ll check back with you later in the year, see how that went. Alright—one more look at Taroko Gorge National Park.
Key Words
Stunningly-adv-surprising beyond expectations, outstanding, very special.
Spectacular-adj-super, fantastic, very special.
Resolution-n-a promise to do something, a goal.
Simplify-v-to keep something easy to understand, easy to do.
Evaluating-v-to analyze, to determine what something is.
Blatant-adj-very obvious, not hidden, clear meaning.
White lies-n-minor changes in reporting facts, or leaving out key information.
Rear-end-n-referring to the self, the person.
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