some confusing words

Question:

I don't know how different the words 'Say' , 'Speak' , 'Talk' and 'Tell' are .
Please explain me . Thank you very much.



Answer:

These can be confusing. They mean almost the same thing. The difference is about what is being said and to whom.

Speak - is often used for 'one-way' communication. There is no conversation.

I speak to a group of people.


Tell - is often about giving orders or teaching.

My mother tells me never to cross the street by myself.


Say - is about talking.

I will say "good morning" to you.


Talk - this is about converstion, "two-way" communication.

My friend and I talk about the weather.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1535_questionanswer/page34.shtml



Althouth there are some spelling mistakes, but I think the anwser is quite detailed. It has meaning and examples, and also attach another website. It trully solved my problems.

Return to Innocence

Return To Innocence

Love
Devotion
Feeling
Emotion

Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart, my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence

The return to innocence

If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny

Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence.

That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence

That's the return to innocence


"Return to Innocence" is a 1994 song created by the musical group Enigma.
The single was the first from their chart-topping second album, The Cross of Changes.
In the song, the main vocals are provided by Angel X(Andreas Harde), while the aboriginal Taiwanese chant was sampled from the "Jubilant Drinking Song" without the singers' permission.
Kuo Ying-nan (郭英男) and Kuo Hsiu-chu (郭秀珠), both Amis, were in a cultural exchange program in Paris, France, Europe in 1988, when their performance of the song was recorded by the Maison des Cultures du Monde and made into a CD.
The producer of Enigma, Michael Cretus, later obtained the CD and proceeded to sample it. In addition, the drum beat of the song was sampled from the Led Zeppelin song "When the Levee Breaks".
In 1996, the song was further popularized when it was used in a television advertisement to promote the 1996 Summer Olympics which were being held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, North America.

Steve Job's talk

Assignment 4 -Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

College Life


* hectic–adjective- characterized by intense agitation, excitement, confused and rapid movement

Life is always very hectic when you're trying to work and go to school at the same time.
The week before the trip was hectic and exhausting.


* land a job -vt- to find a job and be hired

It is becoming increasingly difficult to land a job in the field of language teaching.
As soon as I land a job and start to bring in some money, I'm going to get a stereo.



* work (your way) through (school) -verb- think through, in this case, work while going to school to support yourself

Since my parents had no money, I had no choice but to work myself through school
 
Sometimes we just have to work through many new experiences before we understand the language and culture.



* How have you been?



* I'm going to school full-time. (from Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Questions)






A Hiking Family



* make something of oneself -idiom- become successful in a career


My dad never thought I would make something of myself because I didn't graduate from a prestigious university, but I proved him wrong.


* get ahead -phrasal verb- become successful in the business world

If you want to get ahead in life, you have to set clear goals.


* distraction -noun- something that takes your attention away from another activity

Watching too much TV can be a big distraction from building a good relationship with children.


off the top of your head -idiom- think of something immediately without preparation

I felt really embarrassed when I couldn't remember her name off the top of my head.








Adsense



* discreet -adjective- careful not to attract attention or cause embarrassment

Sometimes, doctors have to be very discreet when talking with their family about patients.



* means -noun- method or way

Many advertisers use almost any means to persuade customers to buy their products.



* straightforward -adjective- simple, direct, and clear

 I suggest you use a straightforward approach when dealing with the problem with your girlfriend.



* implement -verb- put into action

The company president decided to implement a new training program to improve employee morale.



* relevant -adjective- having some connection to a certain subject

If a Website is relevant to the needs of its visitors, people will return to use it again and again.







Conclusion

I think it's a useful website! It has not only the listening practices but also a variety of quizs to deepen our impression. It's helpful for our English learning.

Assignment3 - Is there any rule governing the use of "big" and "large"?

Q: Is there any rule governing the use of "big" and "large"?

A:

Big

1. more than average (size/ amount)

2. important/ serious
ex:a big decision

3. popular/successful especially in business or entertainment
ex:she’s very big in Australia.

4. older or more like an adult


Large

1. big in size, aount or number

2. the population/ public/ society/ word

3. issues/ question/ problem/ picture


conclusion

big and large have the same meaning, but large is slightly more formal and more likely to be used in written than spoken English

Assignment 2 - dictionaries

magnitude
noun [U] FORMAL
the large size or importance of something
People were still unaware of the magnitude of the problem.

jolt
verb [I,T]
to move suddenly and forcefully, or to make someone or something do this
The bus stopped suddenly and the passengers were jolted forward.

 

rumble 
verb (SOUND) [I] 
to make a continuous low sound

Please excuse my stomach rumbling - I haven't eaten all day.

The tanks rumbled (= moved slowly, making a continuous noise) across the battlefield.

disrupt

verb

to prevent something, especially a system, process or event, from continuing as usual or as expected

A heavy fall of snow had disrupted the city's transport system.

The meeting was disrupted by a group of protesters who shouted and threw fruit at the speaker.

humanitarian 
adjective / noun [C]

 (a person who is) involved in or connected with improving people's lives and reducing suffering

The prisoner has been released for humanitarian reasons.

The United Nations is sending humanitarian aid (= food and supplies to help people) to the areas worst affected by the conflict.

The well-known humanitarian, Joseph Rowntree, was concerned with the welfare of his employees.

About Me

Hello, dear teacher and all classmates:

I'm Nadia. I'm a freshman in non-major department. I come from Taichung and live in dorm in Taipei now.

I am an energetic person. I wear my hair very short which turns into my personal trait. In my spacious time, I enjoy playing basketball with my friends. Also, I am willing to make every effort to help others. Therefore, I joined the Social Service Corporation last semester, where I've learned a lot and made many friends; but, most important thing there is that I have more chance to help and teach children who study in the remote areas.

I was sincerely pleased to be in the same class with you all. Hope we can enjoy and improve our English ability together.

:-)