#10 EdX

Pronunciation Lesson for Native Chinese Speakers

I've watched Japanese Pronunciation for Communication - Pronunciation Lesson for Native Chinese Speakers. The class is form Wasoeda University.
Here is the class URL.

I already knew MOOCs before, and knew that would become a trend. Everyone should know what is MOOCs and what is the advantage for own-self. But the biggest challenge is ENGLISH. Most the MOOCs using English to teach, if you don't have enough English skills than you won't understand.  That is why we have to improve our English skills. After that, we can learn what you want and the newest on the internet. GOOD LUCK, my friends!

#8 TED Talk

The shared experience of absurdity

Charlie Todd

Three words I learned from the talk:

 -rape (v.) to force someone to have sex when they are unwilling, using violence or threatening behaviour

     It's difficult to understand what causes a man to rape.

 -anonymously (adj.)  made or done by someone whose name is not known or not made public

     Police said an anonymous caller warned that a bomb was about to go off.

 -prank (n.) a trick that is intended to be funny but not to cause harm or damage

     When I was at school we were always playing pranks on our teachers.

My comments on the talk :
  We don't have too much time on our hands, so we can occasionally choose to spend it in an unusual way. We will like to take a rest and have fun, but when we grow up we even don’t know how to ‘play’.
I like the point of Improv Everywhere. We can do something make other laugh, even not everybody's going to like everything you do.

#7 English song

Original: Clean Bandit feat. Zara Larsson
Cover: Angelica Hale
  Cover, Angelica Hale (born July 31, 2007) is an American child singer from Atlanta, Georgia. She competed in the 12th season of America's Got Talent, where she became the runner-up.
  "Symphony" is a song by British classical crossover band Clean Bandit featuring Swedish singer Zara Larsson. It is taken as the third single from their upcoming second album. The song was also released as the sixth single from Larsson's second studio album, So Good (2017). It is a classical-pop song. The song has a prominent use of strings and arrangements of "electronic" percussion and "xylophone" style synthesiser lines. It is a dramatic ballad about someone who is in love and wants to be part of his/her "symphony".

----- Lyric -----

I’ve been hearing symphonies
Before all I heard was silence
A rhapsody for you and me
And every melody is timeless

Life was stringing me along
Then you came and you cut me loose
Was solo singing on my own
Now I can’t find the key without you

And now your song is on repeat
And I’m dancin' on to your heartbeat
And when you’re gone, I feel incomplete
So if you want the truth

I just wanna be part of your symphony
Will you hold me tight and not let go?
Symphony
Like a love song on the radio
Will you hold me tight and not let go?

I’m sorry if it’s all too much
Every day you’re here, I’m healing
And I was runnin' outta luck
I never thought I’d find this feeling

And now your song is on repeat
And I’m dancin' on to your heartbeat
And when you’re gone, I feel incomplete
So if you want the truth

I just wanna be part of your symphony
Will you hold me tight and not let go?
Symphony
Like a love song on the radio
Symphony
Like a love song on the radio
Will you hold me tight and not let go?



------  Words I learned  ------

1. silence (n.)
     a period without any sound; complete quiet

2. rhapsody (n.)
    [music] a piece of music that has no formal structure and expresses powerful feelings

3. stringing (n.)
    (a piece of) strong, thin rope made by twisting very thin threads together, used for fastening and tying things


------ Why I like this song? ------

The lyric express feelings directly and vocabulary is not so hard that lots of people can understand quickly and easily. The original one is a little bit relaxed, but cover singer Angelica Hale sings more emotion deeply moving me. A little girl can makes her dream come true, why can’t I?

# 6 ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Just a Haircut, Please!
http://www.esl-lab.com/cut/cutrd1.htm


fancy (adj.) decorative or complicated
  I wanted a simple black dress, nothing fancy.

adjustments (n.) a small change
  I'm just making some adjustments to the hair trimmer.

butchered (v.) to cut an animal into pieces of meat; to kill someone in a very violent way
  They decided Mr Newall was butchered downstairs and his wife in her bedroom.

prank (n.) a trick that is intended to be funny but not to cause harm or damage
  When I was at school we were always playing pranks on our teachers.

decent (adj.) socially acceptable or good
  Is there anyplace in this town that can give a decent haircut and fix this damage?

#5 Free writing

If I could live anywhere

I like to take a trip. Now in our world, apply our science and technology, we can play from Asia to Europe or from Sahara to Himalayan. If I could live anywhere, I can live Taipei this night, I can stay Tokyo tomorrow, or else I can live in the tree, I can live on the moon, or even I can live on the other planet. When that day comes true, I’ll be pretty happy. I can live at the place I want, I can stay where I want to stay. When will that day comes true? Let’s see it.

Tools I use to finish the writing:
1. Google translate: blue
2. Cambridge Learner dictionary: green
3. Linggle: red
4.Google: blue

#4 Collocation

Facebook boss apologises in UK and US newspaper ads

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43532948

scandal (n.)
(an action or event that causes) a public feeling of shock and strong moral disapproval

    Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has taken out full-page adverts in several UK and US Sunday newspapers to apologise for the firm's recent data privacy scandal.

  political scandal
    George Carlin says political scandal or wrongdoing calls for yet another set of euphemisms.

  financial scandal
    It has been a campaign highlighted by financial scandal and party infighting, but it has produced few concrete ideas on how to solve the serious problems facing Israel.

  public scandal
    Henry Starr was laid off from the energy company Enron when its leadership became embroiled in a public scandal.


amid (prep.)
in the middle of or surrounded by

    It comes amid reports Facebook was warned its data protection policies were too weak back in 2011.

  amid much  
    Amid much fanfare at the meeting, they shook hands with President Gbagbo.

  amid fears
    But tensions are high amid fears of unrest and allegations of vote rigging.

  comes amid
    The appointment comes amid anti monarchy protests in the capital.


featured (n.)
a typical quality or an important part of something

    The full-page apology featured in broadsheets and tabloids in the UK, appearing on the back page of the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, Observer, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express.

  content featured
    Several of the festival events content featured literature.

  full featured
    Several of the festival events full featured literature.

  firm featured
    Several of the festival events firm featured literature.

prompted (v.)
to make something happen

    It echoes comments Mr Zuckerberg made last week after reports of the leak promptedinvestigations in Europe and the US, and knocked billions of dollars of Facebook's market value.

  prompted calls
    Monday's killing of Luay Saadi and his deputy prompted calls from Islamic Jihad for revenge attacks.

  prompted directions
    Follow all the safety prompt directions. 
  prompted questions    But local media report the exercise has prompted questions from residents concerned about traffic and other disruptions, and from tourists worried about visiting Chicago.

audit (n.)
an official examination of the accounts of a business

    Following an audit, the DPC said relying on developers to follow information rules in some cases was not good enough "to ensure security of user data".

  spyware audit
    They may also use spyware audit.

  audit committee
    They voted to create an audit committee.

  the audit
    " Our intention is create a foreign port security team, " replied Admiral Collins, " a central team that would be based in Washington and that would be exportable to the various ports, to do the audit, an assessment audit, of the security regime in each one of these ports.

#3 Collocation

Stephen Hawking
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/scientists/stephen_hawking.php


slur
➤ (n.)to pronounce the sounds of a word in a way that is wrong or not clear
➤ (v.)a remark that criticizes someone and is likely to have a harmful effect on their reputation

  make + slur
    It was also stated that she made a slur against his deceased father.
    It is believed Johns made the racial slur at a team bonding session.

  use + slur
    He said the group surrounded him and some used racial slurs .
    Liston claimed the officer used racial slurs .


accomplish
➤ (v.)to finish something successfully or to achieve something
  
  do + accomplish
    Earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.
    Increasing confidence that they know what they can do and accomplish well.


despite
➤ (prep.)without taking any notice of or being influenced by; not prevented by

  despite + yourself
    He laughed despite himself.

    She took the money from her mother's purse, despite herself.


grim
➤ (adj.)worrying, without hope

  dark + grim
    The game 's music is very dark and grim , and the world is without joy.
    I told the guard at the reception desk in the dark , grim entrance why I had come and he told me to wait.

  grim + picture  
     It is a grim picture.
     Conversely, the grim economic picture contrasts sharply with financial markets.


confined
➤ (v.)to limit an activity, person, or problem in some way

  damage + confine
    The environmental damage is not confined to birds and the coast.
    Most of the damage was confined to the utility room, investigators said.

  necessarily + confine
    Investigations may include but are not necessarily confined to the following areas.
    Such a currency is necessarily confined to the country where it is issued: it cannot, when too abundant, diffuse itself generally amongst other countries.