Friday, April 28, 2017

#6 Steve Jobs’ Talk

In this article, I will share some words or sentences that I learned and also my feedback in the Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address speech, I have add the link in the sidebar, feel free to check that out!

Dictionary source: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

Vocabulary:
*commencement: (North American English) a ceremony at which students receive their academic degrees or diplomas.
*tuition: The money that you pay to be taught, especially in a college or university.
*dorm: =dormitory, a room for several people to sleep in, especially in a school or other institution.
*intuition: The ability to know something by using your feelings rather than considering the facts.
*calligraphy: Beautiful handwriting that you do with a special pen or brush; the art of producing this.

Feedback:
After watched to the whole speech, I found that Steve Jobs was a man with great courage and pretty liked this speech.  In his college life, the thing that he scared the most was not unable to graduate but
couldn't learn anything he liked or he wanted.  He had the courage to insist in what he loved, even in the most desperate time in his career.  I can hardly relate his story in my experiences since I really need to graduate from this school as soon as I can, I don't dare to wagering my graduating on the things I really liked, that is also the reason I truly look up to him.  I wish I can insist to do the thing I love as my whole life career, just like what Steve Jobs had done.

Friday, April 21, 2017

#5 English Song Sharing

This time, I'd like to share a song that I like very much -- Limelight, published by Monstercat Media, a company which makes lots of amazing EDM(Electronic Dance Music) songs since 2011.
The singer Danyka Nadeau comes from Toronto, Canada.

Limelight is a soft and positive song, which is different from many exciting EDM songs and can also makes me feel relaxing and encouraged.  With miss Nadeau's crystal voice -- which is so pure and colorful at the same time, this song then has it's spirit.  When I am listening this song, I feel more confident and more willing to do something if I am not so afraid to do.
Hope you enjoy the song!

*****************************************************
Into the Limelight --  Monstercat-Trivecta (feat. Danyka Nadeau)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqbEDgGvnwM

Close my eyes, it's all coming to me
Who said these walls couldn't ever be breached?
We all long for that one thing
A life that's worth living
And tonight there'll be a reckoning

I am ready
Are you with me?

And we ride into the limelight
And we shine in our own right
And we'll fight for the good life
May our voices carry a wind of change
Carry a wind of change

And we ride
And we ride
May our voices carry a wind of change
Carry a wind of change

Should we follow the rules, you and me?
I want to beat the system, unleash me
We all long for that one thing
A life that's worth living
And tonight there'll be a reckoning

Are you ready?
Are you with me?
Oh~

And we ride into the limelight
And we shine in our own right
And we'll fight for the good life
May our voices carry a wind of change
Oh~

And we ride
And we ride
May our voices carry a wind of change
Carry a wind of change

*****************************************************
Vocabulary:
*breach: verb;  An act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship.
Example:  There have been serious security breaches (= breaks in our security system).

*reckoning: noun;  A calculation that you make.
Example:  By my reckoning, we should arrive in ten minutes.

*unleash: verb;  To suddenly release a violent force that cannot be controlled
Example:  Rachel's arrival on the scene had unleashed passions in him that he could scarcely control.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

#4 All Ears English -- Music to Your Ears

In this article, I'd like to share the vocabulary and some phrases that I learned in this episode of All Ears English this podcast:
https://www.allearsenglish.com/aee-720-episode-will-music-ears-youll-learn-add-color-language/
I would also leave some opinions about this podcast.

Vocabulary:
spontaneously: Adverb. Something that is spontaneous has not been planned or organized, but happens by itself, or because you suddenly feel you want to do it.
Example: She laughed spontaneously.

“That’s music to my ears”: Something is nice to be hear.
Example: Her voice is the music to my ears.

“Face the music”: Face to/accept to something which is bad or someone is avoiding to it.
Example: I really don't feel like to finish the assignment, but still, it's time to face the music.

“Ring a bell”: Something that sounds familiar.
Example: His name doesn’t ring a bell. (=I don't recognize his name.)

“Play it by ear”: To do something spontaneously without a plan.
Example: Where should we go for dinner? Let’s play it by ear.

“Toot (someone’s) own horn”: To brag, to show off
Example:
Ugh, that guy loves tooting his own horn! He’s so self-involved!
I don't want to toot my own horn  but I think he likes me.

Opinions:
This podcast use a pretty casual way to introduce many daily useful phrases.  After listen to some other episodes, I think there are few points they can make a little improve to make the whole content better.  There are about 16 minutes for each episode and I heard like 5 or even more minutes about its advertisement, that can make the listener really tired.  About their style, sometimes they use too many "you know" in sentences, sometimes are really annoying since I didn't really got the situation of their life.  All Ears is good, only some little points need to be improve.