Since some of you have worked on an essay entitled "Student Use of Computers", this article on today's Montreal newspaper may be a good read for you.

***Note: there are no "big words" in the whole article. A simple but good expose does not have to rely on using only big words or elaborated phrases. Read through this carefully and see how good prose is written. You may be shocked to find it quite different from what many around you are doing. Perhaps you can see from that how those 30 minute essay exams are doing to your English learning process. In my opinion, those CET4/6 exams are doing more harm than good to the development of good English language skills.***

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Source: The Montreal Gazette, Dec 20th 2005.

Hooked on the web

Some kids take the Internet for granted. They send instant messages, download tunes and chat. But others are into the technical stuff. They're learning how to create their own presence on the Web

J.D. GRAVENOR, Freelance Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 

Some kids take the Internet for granted (i)(roughly=不当一回事). They'll fire up the computer, exchange instant messages with friends, download some tunes or check out a live journal. And when they're finished, they'll shut it down.

(i) Example:  The problem with most marriage is that after a while, the spouses take each other for granted.

Then there is another breed.(ii) They're the ones who roll up their sleeves,(iii) master the technical stuff and set up their very own presence(iv) on the World Wide Web - be it for fun, fulfillment or even profit. (v)

(ii)  Mass murderers are another breed of people whose twisted minds can seldom be comprehended by us.

(iii) Time is over for idle talk; let us roll up our sleeves and get to work. ( "roll up our sleeves"=get down to the serious business of doing something.)

(iv) Although the watchers are not seen, their very presence is felt.

(v)  We should all do lots of reading, be it for fun or serious learning.

Noah Lackstein, a student at Bialik High School, belongs in the second category. At the age of 12, he has already been honing (roughly=sharpen, perfected)  his Web techniques (vi) for about three years.

(vi) DaJi Kong honed his fighting skills at the Shaolin Temple.

"There are some people who think all the Internet's good for is MSN and those other chat engines and games," he said. "I find experimenting with the Web interesting. And I also like spending time on the computer."

He's not alone.

Recently, Noah teamed up with one of his Grade 7(roughly=high school yr 1) classmates at Bialik (name of a high school), Kyle Rosen, to sell other people's items for them on eBay. After listing 10 auctions in a two-week period, they were able split a $120 profit. Not bad for a part-time e-business.

Their classmate, Zack Zoldan, also has a sideline.(vii) He makes custom CD slide shows.

(vii) A teacher by day, George has a sideline as a professional gambler by night.

Before the advent of the Web, someone like him might have started out by distributing flyers(=advertisement leaflets). Today, it makes more sense(viii) to go online, so he built his own website.

(viii) It makes more sense to take your winning and leave while you are ahead.

"It's basically easier to broadcast(=spread, tells everyone) your ideas (ix) and it's a lot cheaper," he said. "And I like doing it."

(ix) Mary is going from city to city to broadcast her ideas of a new way of teaching English.

Of course, not all students are in business. Oliver Mayers, who is also in Grade 7 at the private Jewish high school, established a fantasy sports league on Yahoo.com with the help of some friends.

"Most people who are doing cool things on the Web are doing blogs or things like that," he said. "But my friends and I wanted to be original and do a fantasy."

These boys share a respect for (rougly=hold in high esteem) (x) the Web and what it can do.

(x) Always pay lots of respect for your enemies; underestimating them will be the cause of your downfall.

Susan Regan, a CEGEP(roughly= 大专) teacher at the Publication Design and Hypermedia Technology Program of John Abbott College, has encountered a lot of youngsters who "sleep, eat and breathe"(xi)(rougly=全心全力全意) all things Web.

(xi) If you want to learn English well, you must sleep, eat and breathe all things English.

"They're passionate," she said. "The ones who have a Web presence love it. The other ones are just cruising through.(=gets by/through easily)"

Kelly Woo is one of her star pupils(=best, or most promising student). Woo's early fascination with Web design has blossomed into(xii) a lifestyle - and a promising career track.(=a career with a future.) (xiii)

(xii) From an ungly ducking, Susan has blossomed into an elegant young lady.

(xiii) What started as a boring job for John turned out to be a promising career track.

"I was in Grade 7 or 8 when I decided to learn HTML (the basic Web coding language) to create websites," she said. "I saw the Net as the perfect way of getting my voice heard in the world.

"What sets me apart from (xiv) the MSN crowd is probably the fact that while they spend hours upon hours chatting over the Internet, I am the one with three or four programs open on my computer trying to make the Net a prettier place."

(xiv) What sets Bruce Lee apart from his comtemporary Chinese Kung Fu masters in the United State was his ability to break free from tradition.

Now aged 22, Woo is in her graduating year and is deciding whether to pursue further design training at Concordia University or devote herself fully to the freelance design company she has already established.

address=pay attention to/ deal with (some matter/problem)

sentence maken/P>

According to the modern condition of Chinese society, the concerning pact of elliminating the factory pollution still on the forging stage.

Uncle Yeti,

How can I write wishes card more idiomatically? I had made some sentences/P>

Glorious wishes to you for Chirstmas, New Year and all coming blessing days.

I hope you will be exhilarated and fell springlike warmth form this card that containing my respect and admire! 

Is the first sentence too complicated? Please give me some advice!~

Appreciation pay for the consideration of Uncle Yeti

It seems that the "apart from" in the sentence above means "leave", but whether it has the means "beside of" or "except of"?

e.p. Apart from breathe in the sunshine, he also love listen to the radio to gain refrshment.

http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/usa/american-dream

The American dream

What is the American dream?

Unitary (=one single) definition does not exist–the American dream probably has a different meaning to every US citizen. For some it is the dream of freedom and equality, for others it is the dream of a fulfilled life or even the dream of fame and wealth.

In general, the American dream can be defined as being the opportunity and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if only they work hard enough.

History of the American dream

The first settlers hoped for freedom of religion; in their home countries they had been persecuted because of their religious and political views. Bad living conditions in Europe and the hope for better living standards in America attracted more and more settlers to migrate to the new world(i). The booming US industry during the first half of the 20th century caused the myth “from rags to riches”(=from very poor to being well-off.).  (i) New World=North America; Old World=Europe.

The American dream today

Today’s role of the American dream is a matter of discussion. Some think that the American dream is still a viable element today, for others it is only an illusion.

The American dream focusses on the success of the individuum(ii)(not the wellbeing of the whole population). On the one hand, this has advantages, e.g. lower taxes, little interference of the state. On the other hand, the same advantages are disadvantageous for society: there is no social fond for the poor and there is no serious interest in important issues like environmental protection etc.  (ii)German word; similar in meaning as "individual")

Discussions on the American dream

The American dream is often a topic for essays or debates. The questions raised are usuallyo:p>

Is the American dream still alive?

Is the American dream still working?

Is the American dream still worth pursuing?

If you have to comment on one of these questions, you should first give ‘your’ definition of the American dream. (You already know that there is no unitary definition, so your readers/listeners need to know what exactly you are applying to.) To what conclusion you come in the end is a matter of your own political views–there is no right or wrong here. It’s always good, however, if you try to understand both sides.(typo in original) The following thoughts might be useful when talking/writing about the American dreamo:p>

Do all US citizens have equal opportunities or are there still conflicts concerning the origin or believes of certain groups?

If we say that everyone can become rich if they work hard enough–does that mean that the poor are only too lazy? (Or do we have to take other factors into account, too?)

Why does it have to be the “American dream”? Wouldn’t the same dream be possible in other countries?

What makes so many people want to live in the United States?

If you had the choice, how would you decide: take the opportunity to become rich and successful thanks to low taxes or pay higher taxes from which the jobless can benefit (you might be jobless as well one day, but not necessarily)?

What are the advantages / disadvantages (for the individuum and society) if people only try to pursue their very own dreams?

Imitation of wonderful details above/P>

Unitary opinion does not exist- the One Child Policy has a different meaning to every family. For some it is easy to pick up, for others it is a deterrent of happiesss from big family.

This is an excerpt on "Downsizing"

Is There an Upside to Downsizing?

(Skipped several paragraphs...)

What we call downsizing(i) today is nothing new. A changing economy is as American as pizza (ii). The end of the 19th century witnessed a revolution in agriculture and manufacturing. New technologies created new industries and destroyed old ones. Thanks to(iii) the invention of the automobile, the rubber and petroleum industries came into being, but blacksmiths and wagon companies were downsized and destroyed.

(i)Downsizing: A company or organizing reducing itself in size by getting rid of people, departments, or product lines. Two other popular phrases are "trimming the fat", and "becoming lean and mean."

(ii) As American as pizza. The old cliche used to be "As American as apple pie."  When something is typical of a certain country or culture, you can use the simile of "as xxx as yyy." E.g. As Australian as the kangaroo.

(iii) Thanks to does not necessary mean you have to thank someone or something for something good it has done. All it means is "as a result of."  Good: Thanks to the generous donations of successful multimillionaire alumni, American Universities have lots of scholarship endowment funds.  Bad: Thanks to the shortsightedness of the American Government, the levee in New Orleans broke at the height of the Katrina onslaught.

Job losses and suffering seem to be inevitable by-products of economic and technological change.

Today American society is riding the crest of another revolution, the so-called Third Wave Economy, led by the information and service sectors. Fiber optics and computer software are booming, and so are service industries like express mail delivery and restaurant chains. But many workers feel that this Third Wave Economy has an undertow下层逆流( and they're being dragged down. In the last seven years, almost three million workers have been laid off, this time restructuring ,downsizing and layoffs have reached beyond blue-collar workers and hit ma

nagers and professionals.

Imitation/P>

1. witness/P>

The past two decades witnessed marvellous changes in every spere where humankind can touch.

2. thanks to

Thanks to the energe paid to diandian.net from all settlers on it (containing Uncle Yeti and I), the website has become a hottest area in which individuals love to exchange interest.

[em39]

The every sentence I made is not necessarily excellent, yet, I contend that every advancement needs practical step.

The following is taken from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) wall calendar. It is very well constructed and written. For each full two-page spread, one page is a picture with a short message, while the other page is the calendar with a quote from a famous person that matches the short message. Reflecting the cultural diversity of Canada, four different calendars are available free to their clients: English, French, Jewish, and Chinese.

Notice: (1) No big words are used(i.e.no difficult words; GRE level words. The purpose of the writing is to reach as many people, and not just the highly educated, as possible) ) . Messages are short, to the point, and attention grabbing. (2) Nowhere in the thirteen messages (the 13th is for Jan 2007) is the word  "loan" ever mentioned. (3) Bank customers are clients. See "Customers, Clients, Guests, and Patrons." http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?BoardID=11&ID=16853

From the Royal Bank Wall Calendar

The Canadian social landscape has undergone many changes over the years—from new faces to new business to new communities. RBC has continued to grow alongside our diverse communities and is proud to be a part of this mosaic that is unique to Canada. We invite you to explore this calendar that represents the different lifestyles, ages, and cultures of our many valued clients.

  Jim Westlake,

Group Head, Personal and Business Clients of Canada.

Celebrate

  Since 1869, our clients have played an important role in helping RBC to establish many firsts in Canadian Banking. Today, we are proud to help our diverse communities achieve their financial goals and success through expert financial advice and their right products and services.

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas A.Edison, -1847-1931

Achieve

  For generations, Canadian athletes have been realizing their true potential with the support of RBC, not only at the community level, but also as they reach the Olympic podium and beyond.

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France 1844-1924

-

Freedom

You know where you want to go. Ask us how we can help you get there for less than you’d expect. RBC’s credit specialists can help you select the right financial solution that gives you the freedom to choose how to get there.

“The secret of happiness is freedom…”-Thucydides, ca.460-400 BC  (ca=circa)

Dream

  Buying or renovating a home? The right financing can help save you money. Ask one of our financial experts to design a plan that’s right for you and your family.

“Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” -John Howard Payne, 1791-1852

Empower

You’ve changed over the years. Chances are, so have your financial needs. And so have we—today we continue to find ways to give you more value and better, faster service, no matter how you choose to do business with us.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”- Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862

Success

  Canadian companies compete internationally and right here at home. RBC’s Global Services supports their success by providing companies with a full range of money management and international trade services.

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” –Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867-1959

Discover

  Whether it’s a romantic trip to France, an all-inclusive stay in the Caribbean, or a cross-country road trip, the RBC Rewards program can help make your travel dreams a reality.

“I have not told half of what I saw.”-Marco Polo, 1254-1324

Protect

  For all life’s curve balls (i), trust our wide range of insurance solutions to help protect you as well as your family, business and savings. (i)Curve balls: a sport idiom from baseball.: something  hard to handle and/or unexpected.

“Remember when life’s path is steep to keep your mind even.” –Horace, 65 BC-8 BC.

Educate

  When your kids are ready to head off to university or college, we’ll be there to make it easier with expert advice for you and your family.

“Education is the best provision for old age.”-Aristotle, 384 BC-322 BC

Envision

You work hard to build a successful company. We’ll work hard with you to keep it that way. Our experts can provide you with the support and advice to ensure your company’s long-term success. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”-Helen Keller, 1880-1968

Imagine

Understanding your needs to help you reach your financial goals is our priority at RBC. By providing the right amount of advice and service you need, together we can build a financial strategy that meets your objectives.

“You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream thing that never were; and I say “Why not?’”-George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950

Inspire

RBC supports learning programs for all ages, but our focus is on helping youth stay in school. For some kids, having the opportunity to shine outside the formal classroom is a real boost that keeps them motivated and inspired. That is why we support after-school programs, providing almost 5,000 children with opportunities to build social skills and self-esteem through structured activities in safe environments since 1999.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world.”-Mohandas Gandhi, 1869-1948

Renew

  Start your new year on the right foot. RBC can help by serving your complete banking needs. From personal banking to business solution, our experts can guide you financially with a view to the long term.

“From the end spring new beginnings.”-Pliny the Elder, 23 AD- 79AD

The following is taken from: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/25/content_3966907.htm

There are no difficult words to surmount. Read this to learn terms that one day you might need for describing paintings and Chinese culture.

Painting album by noted Chinese artist fetches 3.8 mln yuan in auction

www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-25 14:44:08

HANGZHOU, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- An ink (墨笔画) landscape (山水画) painting album (画册)by Huang Binhong, a renowned Chinese master, was auctioned off at 3.81 million yuan (about 476,000 U.S. dollars) Saturday in this capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

    The volume, entitled "Sketch album of landscape", is a collection of eight paintings depicting Taoist culture on the Longhu Mountain. They were painted in 1948 when Huang was 85.

    The works were hailed as Huang's masterpieces by leading Chinese artist Pan Tianshou, and has never been seen in public before, according to Hu Xilin with the Hangzhou-based Xiling Seal-Engraving (篆刻) Society Auction Co. Ltd., the organizer of the large-scale auction.

    Founded in December 2004, the Xiling auction firm was a subsidiary to the centennial-old Xiling Seal-Engraving Society, a famous Hangzhou-based academic group that specializes in seal-engraving, a traditional Chinese art.

    A native of east China's Zhejiang Province, Huang (1865-1955) was a master of freehand landscape painting who was well versed (=very good at) in traditional techniques for the use of ink, including shading and layering. His work was also known for its powerful brushwork and its fresh approach to composition.

    Thirteen other works of Huang were also put up at the same auction.

    The auction came to an end Sunday, registering a record business volume of 256 million yuan (32 million U.S. dollars), said the auction firm.

question/P>

1.Whether does this sentence"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourslevs."mean:We are great competent; and if we try our best to do work, the accomplishment will be great.

2. I always cannot distinguish the "only if" against "if only", would you put me a hand?

Thanks for your perspiration

(1) If we all did the things we are capable...=We are all capable of doing more than what we normally perceive ourselves as being able to do. If we actually do everything that is "humanly possible", we would be astonished by what we can accomplish.

(2) If only = 如果  I would go to the movie if only I had the time. 如果我有空， 我会去看电影

If only he were here, things would have worked out.

only if =只有.  I will go to the movie only if you will come with me. =(I go only when you come with me.)

Thanks for asking this question. I have added it as item #35 at "Fine Points in English Usage" . 第 46 楼. Page 5  http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=10179&page=1 Item #36 may also be of interest to you and others: Different in usage between incident and accident.

Appreciate for Uncle Yeti's consideration

Since most people are resting after two big exams ( Dec 24th and Jan 5th), I would not be expecting many people clamouring for new material to read. So I will not be uploading new material for this thread for a while. Meanwhile, for those who are still interesting in this exercise, let me remind you that what is posted here is a sub-set of the ones I have in rainlane. You can go there to look at the news ones that I will be uploading there from time to time. The material there is more diverse.

从实例学写或翻译公司简介及其它翻译例子  1-16 (You can read this also just for the English.)

http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=18461&star=2&page=1

Short and interesting news itemshttp://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=15393&page=1 

and

有帮助写作的短段精读, 不断加新http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=8&ID=15724&page=1

Here is one more article you might be interested/P>

The illusory world of Julienna Chen (about a famous Chinese female magician.)

http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=26&id=15807

Please do.

Dian-dian has  a constant stream of visitors because it is associated with a school. Rainlane is not well known because the name would not ring a bell with the English loving public. However, I must brag a bit about the very fine material we have accumulated there, many of which are unique to our forum. We cannot survive without more members, and I am appealing to yours and everyone else's help in telling people about us. I know this may sound like an ad, but there is no conflict of interest between Dian Dian and Rainlane. We are not recruiting students. [em41] Have you guys heard about the case in China where the owner of a school attack professor because he refuse to teach for them. He then send goons to stab and kill teachers of a rival school. 

  Our site: Section II of http://www.rainlane.com  4 boards: Learning Exchange, Community Lounge, Featured Articles, and Workshop. Wayne's corner is an independent unit. He is a friend of the owners. I don't know him and is not responsible for anything he says or does.

  Keep in mind that you should treat anyone you meet on the Internet as you would treat a stranger.

This is #66 at Rainlane. 第 137 楼 http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=8&ID=15724&star=14

The following is a retyped version by SDJ of Rainlane, with translations of some of the selected words abd phrased put in by SDJ (in his My reading-writing exercise book II （[雪人叔叔的"选集"] 练习笔记）第 79 楼  http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=8&id=17498&star=8#18583

For those of you who like to read more, you can also read #64 about Gong Li ( 第 135 楼  http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=8&ID=15724&star=14  ) or SDJ's annotated version at 第 78 楼 http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=8&id=17498&star=8#18583

  I would also like to draw your attention to SDJ's work （[雪人叔叔的"选集"] 练习笔记 and other of his exercises.  In the two and half years he was at Rainlane, SDJ has been diligently following the suggestions in my "assignments" and worked on making sentences and paragraphs, doing rewritings and essays in the old "read and write" assignments. His writing and communicating skill has taken a giant leap forward as a result.  Being good at language is only a matter of persistence: practice, practice and practice.

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66. Kangs in China under fire 中国的火炕 {(i )See note by Yeti}

Kang under fire: China's Traditional Hot Bed An Environmental Disaster

JOE MCDONALD, AP  Published: Sunday, January 08, 2006

Bundled in padded boots, a knit cap and layers of 几层(*) sweaters, Li Xiulan says that for all of her 73 winters in China's frigid寒冷的 northeast, her best weapon最好武器 against the biting cold严寒 has been a pile of bricks.

Like millions of northern Chinese, Li wakes up every morning on a kang(i) - a traditional brick sleeping platform heated from below by burning straw or coal during the long, dark winter months.

"Without the kang, winter would be unbearable受不了的," she said, bundled in layers of sweaters and warming her hands before the gentle heat of the kang in her grandchildren's bedroom.

Environmentalists worry that kangs waste energy and add to choking air pollution增加空气污染. But people here say it's the only way to survive熬冬的唯一方式 in China's version of Siberia, where the winter sun sets at 3 p.m. and temperatures can plunge to minus 40C.

For centuries, the kang - pronounced "kahng" - has been the centre of winter life冬日生活的中心 in the northeast. Families crowd together挤在一起 on them to sleep under mountains of quilts几床被子.(*) Children play on them during the day. Parents do as many chores as they can on them.

"All day, if there's nothing else to do, we're on the kang," said Zhou Yuyong, a 27-year-old soybean farmer on the outskirts of Huachuan, a town near the border with Russia.

In Beijing and other northern cities, traditional homes with kangs have fallen to the wrecking ball拆除 (=demolished)(look for picture), making way for apartment blocks with steam radiators. Cities have banned the burning of the coal bricks that warmed the kangs and contributed to eye-searing蛰眼的 smog.

(*)Layer of; mountain of: notice metaphors are most effective when you can visualize in your mind the picture of a layer or a mountain. You don't use, e.g. “an army of sweaters” or an “ocean” of quilts. They just don't “look” right. (Read: 第 8 楼 onward is the effective use of group metaphor. http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=11&id=9814&star=1#9814)

But in the countryside, kangs have survived the arrival of (=the tradition continues in spite of the advances of…) electricity, mobile phones and the Internet. Families gather on them to watch satellite television and DVDs.

An estimated 80 per cent to 90 per cent of farm families in China's northeast use kangs, said Wang Hongyang, a professor at the Resource and Environment Institute of the Northeastern Agricultural University in Harbin, capital of China's northernmost province, Heilongjiang.

Scientists warn that kangs waste fuel, pollute the atmosphere and endanger the health of浪费燃料、污染大气并危及...的健康 farm families by releasing carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases indoors.

Towns throughout the northeast are wreathed in smoke环绕在烟雾中 as families fire up their kangs for the evening. More prosperous homes emit the odour of burning coal.

"In order to protect the environment, the government should encourage and guide farmers to give up using kangs," Wang said. "But the kang cannot be phased out逐步淘汰 in a short time because the farmers in these areas depend on them."

The government and environmental groups have sponsored research to produce alternatives using such things as natural gas from decomposing farm waste.

But for many families, the kang is close to perfect近乎完美.

The furnace doubles as同样用作 (=also used as) a heat source for the kitchen stove and burns roots, corn stalks and other vegetation that come free as a free as a by-product of their crops. The bricks soak up heat吸收热量 and hold it for hours, releasing it through the night.

Some tourist hotels in Beijing and elsewhere have tried to lure tourists引诱旅游者 looking for a taste of old China体验中国传统风味 by installing kangs heated by electricity. …

complete article: http://goldsea.com/Asiagate/512/12kang.html

or use google: use the search words kang and Xiulan

Footnote (i) I would like to  point out that the heading "Kang under fire" is a "double entendre" "Kang under fire" : "under fire" because the fire is under the kang, and "under fire" because it is under severe criticism. (BTW,  "hot bed"  is also a double entendre.)