LOOKING FOR WORK?在找工作嗎？

Three ways to find – and get – the perfect job

讓你找到並得到一份完美工作的三種方法

Finding your dream job can be difficult. This month, the search will become even harder as new graduates start looking for work. With many companies still struggling, job hunters have a very difficult task ahead of them. Don’t let that discourage you. There are still jobs out there for those who know what to look for. Consider using these three strategies to find and get the job of your dreams.

The Front Door

A front-door job search uses traditional ways of getting hired. These include checking company website and employment services. Since lots of people use the front door, make yourself stand out. This means understanding what a company really needs and creatively showing you can meet that need. Read about each company you apply to, and adjust your resume for each job. Find out who is doing the hiring, and try to give them your resume in person. Then follow up with a phone call, letter or visit.

dream jobàone job you really want to do

struggle 競爭、奮鬥、艱難地行進

strategyàplan

get hiredàmeans that company hire you

creatively

【Chat room】

job hunters求職者

to job-hunt 找工作，但用這個詞要注意，我們一般是用它的動名詞或現在分詞

job-hunting 而不用它的原形job-hunt

不要講 I job-hunted yesterday. 雖然文法正確但聽起來很奇怪

I went job-hunting yesterday.

I was job-hunting yesterday.

hunt for job

He is hunting for a job.

【Grammar on the go】

Find out who is doing the hiring and try to give them your resume in person.

in person=to make oneself be at a certain place

Find out who is doing the hiring, and try to go meet that person and give them your resume yourself.

If you are one of the ten lucky winners of the new phone, you must appear at the customer service counter in person to claim your phone.

The concert hall is giving out free tickets, but if you want one, you need to be there in person.

【Key word】

discourage使灰心、洩氣

The defeat didn’t discourage the team. They decided to compete in another tournament.

這次失敗並沒有使這支隊伍灰心，他們決定參加另一場比賽

discourageßàencourage 鼓勵

strategy 戰略、策略

The new marketing strategy made the product really popular.

複數型strategies

The general held an emergency meeting to discuss military strategies.

將軍召開了緊急會議要討論軍事戰略

employment雇用、受雇、職業

employ雇用

The employment agent helped Eileen to find a temp job.

職業介紹所幫Eileen找到了一份臨時工作

Rick found employment soon after graduation.

THE MATTERHORN: A SYMBOL OF THE ALPS馬特洪峰：阿爾卑斯山的象徵2

Climbing the Matterhorn

Still, the risks have not stopped thrill-seekers from making the dangerous journey to the summit. During the high season in late summer as many as 120 people climb the mountain each day. There are many different routes on all four sides of the Matterhorn – all are difficult even for experienced climbers. The two easiest routes go up the northeast and southwest ridges. Both have fixed ropes and ladders along the way to help climbers reach the top.

While climbing, it is important to remember safety. Loose or falling rock can injure or kill people during their ascent. A storm can appear suddenly, and the perfect climb can turn fatal. Climbers sometimes hire a guide to help them on their journey up the Matterhorn. A guide’s experience can often help the climber avoid or deal with the many dangers on the mountain.

The sense of achievement after completing the climb has newcomers and experts coming back for more. Without a doubt, the mountain’s memorable appearance and promise of adventure make it a natural wonder of the world.

thrill

ridge

ascentàmove up or climb

memorable

【Chat room】

route (ou可唸成奧，也可唸路)

美國東部比較多人講路、西部唸奧

row 划(唸落)

Let’s go row a boat.

row吵架、爭吵 ( r奧)

He had a row with his wife.

bow 鞠躬 (唸豹)

bow 弓、蝴蝶結 [ec]

Do you know how to tie a bow tie?

【Grammar on the go】

….the mountain’s memorable appearance and promise of adventure makes it a natural wonder of the world.

promise

àto agree to do or not to do something

Dad promised to take us to the amusement park.

promise

Red skies in the late evening is a promise for good weather the next day.

If you see dragon flies fly close to the ground, it is a promise that it will rain soon.

【Key word】

ascent 上坡、登高

The mountaineers made a successful ascent of the mountain due to their careful planning.

這些登山客因為周詳的計畫而成功登頂。

ascent 也可代表地位的提高

His best seller brought him a rapid ascent in the publishing world.

他的書大賣讓他在出版界的名聲快速提升

fatal致命的、災難性的

The fatal disease took thousands of lives during that time.

在那時候這個致命的疾病奪走好幾千人的性命

He made a fatal mistake by not saving this important file before turning off the computer.

memorable令人難忘、值得紀念的

Justin’s memorable performance soon made him a very popular singer.

These photos really captured the memorable moments.

THE MATTERHORN: A SYMBOL OF THE ALPS馬特洪峰：阿爾卑斯山的象徵

Will Switzerland’s famous peak rise to the top of the New7Wonders of Nature?

瑞士這座知名的山峰會登上新七大自然奇景之座的寶座嗎？

In the Alpine region between Switzerland and Italy stands the Matterhorn, one of the most famous mountains in the world. For more than a century, mountain climbers have struggled to conquer the mountain’s difficult trails. Although many have succeeded in reaching the summit, many others have failed. Yet this well-known landmark continues to draw curious visitors and eager climbers year after year.

A mountain with an unusual shape

“Matterhorn” is a German name, coming from the German word matte, which means meadow, and horn, meaning peak. The Matterhorn is unique because of its pyramid shape, which isn’t often found in nature.

All four sides of the mountain are very steep and regularly experience avalanches. Its sides correspond to the four directions of the compass. The north face towers over the Swiss village of Zermatt; the south side faces the Italian village Breuil-Cervinia.

In 1865 Edward Whymper and six other climbers were the first to reach the top of the Matterhorn. Unfortunately four of the climbers fell to their deaths on the trip down. Since then, more than 500 people have died climbing the mountain.

conquer =to deal with something that is very hard, to get over a difficult task

pyramid

avalanche =danger

correspond

face

【Chat room】

爬山英文該怎麼說？

mountain climbing登山

喜馬拉雅山或Matterhorn才可以用mountain climbing

mountain climbing需要全套的重裝備，一去就是三~五天或好幾個禮拜

以上通常是mountaineers 專業的登山家

一般我們的爬山是hiking

hiking in the mountains

例如周末和朋友去爬陽明山就可用

也可以說是climb a mountain

但不能說是mountain climbing

【Key word】

conquer 克服、征服

The British army conquered this village with ease.

這支英國軍隊很輕易地就拿下了這個村莊

After some serious training Susie conquered her stage-fright.

經過正式的訓練後，Susie克服了她的舞台恐懼症。

Charlie has faith that he can conquer his disease.

Charlie有信心克服他的疾病。

correspond對應、一致、符合

接符合的對象 to /with

The final figures of the two charts correspond to each other.

The witness’s testimony doesn’t correspond to the police’s report.

證人的供詞跟警方的報告不符

face 面、表面

An out of control helicopter hit the east face of the building.

失控的飛機撞上了這座建築物東面的牆

You can see so many cherry blossoms on the west face of the mountain.

在山的西面你可以見到許多的櫻花

MANAGEMENT STYLES管理風格2

Joan is at her desk. Jeff comes into her office and sits down.

Jeff: I’ve just come from yet another pointless meeting with Mr. Weston. I really don’t like him as a manager.

Joan: I’m sorry. I know those meetings are frustrating.

Jeff: They are. We never accomplish anything. And he shoots down any ideas we bring to the table. And I’m tired of it. I’m going to start looking for a new job.

Joan: Getting a new job won’t be easy in this economy.

Jeff: Maybe not, but I can try.

Joan:Ａ new manager could be better – or worse.

Jeff: I know. So what can I do?

Joan: Have you talked to him about this?

Jeff: He’ll just get defensive and I’ll ruin our working relationship.

Joan: Not necessarily. Just ask him about what he expects and the way he wants things done. Then he may relax a little.

Jeff: I can try that I gusee.

Joan: Also, try updating him often. That’ll make him feel more at ease since he’ll know what’s going on.

Jeff: Hmm…and if I do that, he might not call so many meetings.

Joan: It’s worth a try!

yet another= even more、more another

frustrating= annoying

shoot down something

economy

defensive

update

【grammar on the go】

And he shoots down any ideas we bring to the table.

Bring to the tableàto bring ideas up for discussion in a meeting

We never know what Donald will bring to the table at our company meetings.

The director welcomes everyone’s comments at the meeting, but please makes sure that what you bring to the table is strictly business.

“on the table” means same thing

The new business proposal is on the table.

【Chat room】

at ease 放輕鬆、安心

put someone’s mind at ease讓某人心安

shoot

shoot down something堅決反對、否決

過去式、過去分詞都是shot

Every proposal Rick made was shot down by his boss.

The idea of loner working hours was shot down immediately.

延長工時的提案立刻的被否決了

Defensive 防衛心重的、懷有戒心的

Jasmine became defensive when I asked her about her grades.

Offensive進攻式的、具有攻擊性的

Offensive language具有攻擊性的言語

Update更新、向某人提出最新的消息

We are updating our department’s finances this week.

我們這星期要提供我們部門最新的財報

We’ll update the latest news of the hurricane every hour on Channel 13.

我們會在13頻道每小時報導暴風雨的最新消息

Management Styles管理風格

Workers must often deal with different kinds of management styles

by Joan Yu

     

In the course of my career, I’ve had micromanagers who checked on every little thing I did. And I’ve had managers who gave me the freedom to do my work in my own way.

  At a previous job, I had a micromanager. He would call me at least once in the morning and evening to inquire how everything was going. Everything that went out required his signature, whether the dollar amount was small or big. When he was on a business trip, he called everybody in the office to check on them. 

In my current job, the only time I see my manager is at the performance review if nothing major happened before that. It was a huge change for me to go from someone watching me 24/7 to no one watching at all. It took me a while to adjust to all that freedom. That freedom comes with a lot of responsibility, however. The manager trusts that I am the person who knows my job best. But if I make mistakes, I am also the person who is held accountable.

24/7 all the time

Adjust

【Chat room】

It took me a while to adjust to all that freedom.

A while 片刻、一會、短暫的

A while / awhile 兩個詞性不一樣

Awhile是副詞，前面絕對不可出現介系詞

For a while

In a while

所以，以上都用a while兩個字

We chatted awhile.

We chatted for a while.

【Key word】

check up on somebody檢查某個人的進度、狀況或效率

Our boss checks up on us almost every hour.

Even though the baby is sound asleep, you’d better check up on him from time to time.

Inquire詢問、查問或調查

One of our customers called to inquire about the arrival time of his order.

我們其中一位客戶打電話來查詢問他所訂的貨物到達時間

Nathan inquired this morning whether he has to work overtime today.

Nathan 今天早上在詢問他今天是否要加班

May I inquire who’s calling? 可否問您是哪一位打來的

Accountable負有責任的、有解釋義務的

Accout解釋、說明、負責

Patricia is only accountable to the CEO.

Patricia只要跟執行長報告就行了

Hold someone accountable 是指認為某個人要負責

Josh was held accountable for the loss.

Josh 被認為要為這次損失負責任

Glowing Trees 發光之樹

Is this our future? 這是人類未來之所繫？

You’re driving down the street at dusk and the streetlights begin to come on – or do they? Something is glowing, but you can’t be sure if it is lights or – could it be – trees? Wait a minute! Is this Earth, or were you transported to another planet when you turned the last corner?

No, this is Earth, and the leaves of the trees are glowing red. As is often the case, this discovery was actually an accident as researchers were trying to create an efficient form of lighting similar to LEDs. They aspired to design something without using phosphor powder, which is toxic to humans and can pollute the environment.

During research in this area, Dr. Yen-Hsun Su of the Research Center for Applied Science, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, implanted gold nanoparticles into the leaves of Bacopa caroliniana, blue waterhyssop. The nanoparticles caused the chlorophyll in the leaves to emit the reddish glow. And as an additional bonus, the leaves will help reduce carbon emissions. Of course, this discovery is just the first step in trees replacing streetlights with the goal of saving energy and protecting the environment. The technology and efficiency need to be improved a great deal; however, Dr. Su is hopeful.

Transport àmove to another place

Aspire to something

Phosphor

Nanoparticleàvery very tiny

Chlorophyll

Emitàsend out

Emission

【Grammar on the go】

As is often the case, this discovery was actually an accident as researchers were trying to create an efficient form of lighting similar to LEDs

l  Just like many other situations

Just like many other situations, this discovery was actually an accident.

l  As it often the case

Billy’s new year’s resolution was to attend a health club every day, but as is often the case, he stopped going by the end of January.

Julie wanted to put her key in a very safe place, but as is often the case, she ended up forgetting where she kept it.

【Chat room】

Dusk 日落後的黃昏

Twilight

Nightfall

日落後接近傍晚的黃昏

Transport 運送、輸送

Water is transported daily from the village down the hill to the military base on the top of the mountain.

每一天水都會從山下的村莊運到山上的軍事基地

These precious paintings need to be transported with special care.

這些珍貴的畫作需要小心的運送

Apire to something 渴望或嚮往

This little girl aspires to a career as a professional tennis player.

這位小女孩嚮往成為一位職業的網球選手

Apire to +verb

Tommy aspires to learn street dance.

Emit散發、發出

Emitted / emitting

The street signs emitted neon light as nights.

街上的(廣告)號誌在夜晚散發出霓虹光

The air-conditioning was emitting a high-pitched noise when it was turned on.

這個空調打開的時候會發出針銳的噪音

Vacation or Staycation? 該出外度假還是在家度假？2

Mark: But doesn’t staying in a hotel automatically put you in vacation-mode? Especially if they have a nice pool!

Paul: Sure, a pool is nice, but our neighborhood has a great pool. And going there is a lot cheaper than staying in a hotel.

Mark: Actually, you can find some good prices out there these days as hotels try to stay competitive.

Paul: Maybe. But to tell you the truth, I prefer sleeping in my own bed. After a good night’s rest, I’ll be better prepared for a new adventure each day.

Mark: But only if you can break your normal routine. They say that when you leave home, the change of scenery makes that easier to do.

Paul: But you have to spend one day to get to your destination and another to het home. For a week’s vacation, that leaves just five days to enjoy. We can relax and enjoy a full seven days off from work!

Mark: Yes, but will a staycation really allow you to return to work refreshed?

Paul: Sure. We’ll get out and do something fun and interesting every day.

Mark: Then no matter whether you choose a vacation or staycation, the emphasis should be on fun and relaxation, right?

Paul: Right!

competitive

destination

refreshed

relaxation

【Grammar on the go】

in vacation mode

in the condition of vacations

mode

I set the air conditioner on automatic mode.

Timothy is in sleep-mode, so you probably shouldn’t call him right now.

If you take Mary to the mall, she will be in shopping mode immediately.

Melanie doesn’t like to do housework, but when she is in cleaning mode, her whole entire house gets cleaned.

【Chat room】

vacation-mode

mode 狀態、渡假

比如說你下禮拜要去渡假，但你已經夢想著坐在沙灘上喝著雞尾酒

那你就是in vacation-mode 進入了渡假狀態

mode 設定的模式

以下為手機設定

vibration mode 震動模式

silent mode靜音模式

另外有一個源自法文的片語

a la mode 意指在甜點上加”一球冰淇淋”
brownie a la mode 加一球冰淇淋的布朗尼

apple pie a la mode 加冰淇淋的蘋果派

【Key word】

competitive 競爭力強的、具有競爭力的

compete 動詞

It’s not easy to excel in such a competitive society.

要在競爭如此激烈的社會中出類拔萃是很不容易的

The cleaning product remains very popular even in such a competitive market.

這個清潔用品即使在如此競爭激烈的市場中依然受到歡迎

refreshed 神清氣爽的、精神恢復的

refresh 使清新

I felt totally refreshed after a hot bath.

泡過熱水澡之後，我覺得完全神清氣爽

After the holiday, Victor came back to work refreshed.

relaxation (n)放鬆、休憩 (不可數)

relax (v)

George rarely has time for relaxation.

relaxation 也可當「消遣、娛樂」，當可數名詞

Gardening is one of Wilma’s favorite relaxations.

園藝是Wilma最喜歡的休閒娛樂之一