常春藤生活英语【77】Friday the 13th

For some people, Friday the 13th is no typical day. It is a day that might bring bad luck. People who believe this is true try to be careful on Friday the 13th. They might not plan big trips or try something risky. But why are they worried? Friday th

常春藤生活英语【92】Creative Cooking

Nowadays, most of the food we eat is cooked in ovens or on stoves. The heat which is needed to cook this food comes from burning wood, gas, or other fuels1. However, natural resources2 are decreasing. When fuel becomes less available, people have to

常春藤生活英语【103】给我数字，其余免谈！

12 Fri Dialogue A Three managers are gathered in a meeting to give their year-end1 reviews to their boss. Mr. Hu: Thank you all for coming today. Who wants to go first? Emily: I will go first, sir. Mr. Hu: Go ahead, Emily. Emily: I manage the expansi

常春藤生活英语【102】圣诞节的真谛

Christmas is a holiday that is over 2,000 years old. When we speak of Christmas, we tend to think of decorations, shiny lights, snow, presents, and trees. But some of these are quite recent traditions. What is the real story behind Christmas? Christm

常春藤生活英语【95】The Early-Bird Trend

It is likely that you have heard the saying, Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. This saying seems to be true, and there are many people who are eager to try out this lifestyle1 for themselves. Here in Taiwan, it is no

常春藤生活英语【86】Beauty and the Beast

New studies show that attractive women who date less attractive men have better relationships. This is because most men stress the importance of beauty while most women stress being treated well. In general, such couples are more supportive1 of each

常春藤生活英语【83】4Real 真英雄真故事

The National Geographic Channel will air a brand new series this month. It is called 4Real, and it is hosted by the world-famous music producer Sol Guy. Sol travels with different superstars to raise awareness about some of the important issues1 of o

常春藤生活英语【82】Destination: Alaska

Dialogue A Tina and Larry are waiting on a dock. Larry: Are you ready for our whale-watching adventure? Tina: I'm ready to go, but I'm a little uneasy. I've always been a bit scared of whales. Larry: Scared of whales? Why? Tina: I don't know. They're

常春藤生活英语【81】恋恋海滩

Going to a beach can be a lot of fun, and in Taiwan, there are plenty to choose from. From north to south and east to west, whether they are next to oceans, lakes, or rivers, beaches are everywhere on this island. The most popular ones, though, are f

常春藤生活英语【80】娱乐泰斗巴纳姆

Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum knew how to catch people's eye and make money. His unique museums and traveling shows made him famous. Also, he came up with the three-ring circus, which made circuses more exciting and impressive than ever before. Barnum

常春藤生活英语【79】长路迢迢

Three years ago, actor Ewan McGregor and his best friend Charley Boorman traveled around the world on their motorcycles. Now, instead of traveling around, they are traveling down. This month, National Geographic Channel will air their amazing adventu

常春藤生活英语【68】Eye Care 1, 2, 3

Our eyes are two of the most important things in our lives. We use them every second we are awake. They help keep us safe, recognize friends, and select things we like. It is possible to lead happy and healthy lives without being able to see, but it

常春藤生活英语【105】FARC人质救援行动

In May of 2001, Ingrid Betancourt launched her campaign1 to become president of Columbia. She took a bus all around Columbia to talk to the people and figure out what their needs were. Nearly a year later, she wanted to meet with the people of the Re

常春藤生活英语【57】善用压岁钱

Teenagers make a fortune on Chinese New Year. Not only do they get red envelopes that are stuffed with money, but they are too young to have to give any. During this time of year, stores everywhere have sales. They do this in the hope that teenagers

常春藤生活英语【58】情人的守护神

St.1 Valentine's2 story started a short time before his death in AD 280. The emperor at the time was namedClaudius. He decided that none of the men in the army could be married. Saint Valentine, whose real name was Valentinus, was a Christian3 priest

常春藤生活英语【59】改变世界的６度Ｃ

News about global warming is everywhere. There are a number of theories and ideas about this environmental crisis. Some of the information is true, some is false, and some is impossible to prove or disprove. Recently, Mark Lynas, a British scientist,

常春藤生活英语【60】The Attack of the Spicy Hot Pot

Joey is nearsighted and he can't see anything clearly without his glasses. One Saturday, he had spicy hot pot for lunch, and then he went shopping in a department store. While Joey was looking around, he suddenly felt a pain in his stomach. He knew h

常春藤生活英语【61】27 Dresses

Jane is great at taking care of everyone in her life. She has even assisted 27 friends in planning their weddings. Now, she is busy helping her sister put together a dream wedding. There is just one problem: Jane is in love with her sister's fiance1,

常春藤生活英语【62】Irish Superstitions

Every culture has its own superstitions1, which are about mysterious events and powers that cannot be seen. Luck and omens2 are the most common superstitions. These beliefs were formed because people didn't have modern science to understand the world

常春藤生活英语【63】Island Folk Tales

Have you ever heard old stories about heroes or magic? Most likely you have, either as a young child or as you got older. These stories are known as folk tales1 and are a part of every culture. Some folk tales from Taiwan are about how famous places