2008年4月25日 星期五

buying coffee for starbucks


















a passion for perfection

Coffee is a huge business. In fact, coffee is the second most valuable commodity after oil. We comb the world for the perfect combination of climate, soil, elevation, and agricultural practices that come together to produce a great coffee. When searching for coffees, the only question for Starbucks is this: Which coffees from a given location best represent the perfect intersection of climate and skilled horticulture? It is a search for unmistakable regional flavors, what a French wine-maker would call goût de terroir, the taste of the place. At Starbucks, coffee is a fresh produce, not a commodity. When the inevitable happens and a given coffee estate or region has an "off" year, we simply don't offer that coffee. We make this tough decision rather than offering a lower quality selection to our valued customers. We buy coffee solely on its performance in the cup.→http://www.starbucks.com/ourcoffees/coffee_edu7.asp?category%5fname=buying+coffee+for+starbucks





1.Summarize what the article is talking about:
Producing a great coffee is not a easy job. It has many conditions to consider. And this paragraph mentions the viewpoint of Starbucks.

2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:

i. Are difficult or you new to you: 1)Commodity. 2)Climate. 3)Soil. 4)Elevation. 5)Intersection. 6)Horticulture. 7)Inevitable. 8)Solely.

ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know: We make this tough decision rather than offering a lower quality selection to our valued customers.


3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:
I think everyone knows Starbucks now. When it comes to great coffee and temperamental environment, everyone thinks of Starbucks. Indeed, Starbucks always offers nice service. As soon as the customers go into their store, the clerks give them big smiles. Except for these, I have to say that Starbucks' coffee is also wonderful. If I have money, I love to buy Starbucks everyday.

The World in One City - Toronto




One of the things that makes Toronto special is its range of people and cultures-more than 100 at the last count. Definitely, the best place to get a feel for this city's multicultural mix is to take a stroll here at Kensington Market, downtown's west side.

Whatever you're after, you'll find it here. The area has been a marketplace for over a century. It's paradise for bargain hunters, with some of the most unusual secondhand stores you could hope to find.

One thing you can be sure of in Toronto is great food. The city has over 7000 restaurants, and the competition keeps chefs on their toes. A table here at Sassafraz is the perfect place to spend the afternoon doing some star spotting. → A magazine of CNN Travel



1.Summarize what the article is talking about:

It's talking about Toronto , which is the biggest and busiest city in Canada.


2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:

i. Are difficult or you new to you:1)Get a feel for. 2)Multicultural. 3)Stroll. 4)Be after. 5)Bargain hunters. 6)Keeps chefs on their toes. 7)Spotting.

ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know: Definitely, the best place to get a feel for this city's multicultural mix is to take a stroll here at Kensington Market.



3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:

It's amazing! Toronto has not only great food but great views! I also love secondhand stores, there are many cheap things that you can buy, after all, other one's trash is another one's treasure. By the way, Toronto is often known as 'Hollywood North." If you want to see any movie star, just go to Toronto and see around, you'll find this is where they hide. :D

2008年3月27日 星期四

Wanted:Workers With Foreign Language Skills

Foreign language skills give you an edge in today’s job market. Proficiency in English and Chinese is an especially desirable combination. English and Chinese are the two most-spoken languages in the world.
Many Western companies continue to expand rapidly into Chinese-speaking regions of Asia. At the same time, Chinese-speaking companies are increasing their presence in the West. As a result, both Western and Asia companies need Chinese-speaking workers who have strong English skills. Some local employers, such as Taiwan-based computer company Acer, have even made English their official company language.
Proficiency in both languages can help workers gain access to the best jobs. Many Chinese-speaking companies require that all managers possess excellent English skills.
But a big income and a high-level position aren’t the only perks. A career that requires two language can create other rewarding opportunities. Workers might be given more opportunities to travel or meet people from other countries.
Workers with skills in both languages also benefit the employer. They can help companies avoid the misunderstandings that often occur when people from different cultures do business. Let’s look at two interesting careers in which English and Chinese speakers are in demand.
Web site translators
After English, Chinese is the second most-used language on the Internet. From October 2004 to July 2005, the number of Chinese-speaking Web surfers increased by 18 million.
English-speaking employers want their Web sites translated into Chinese. But Chinese skills alone are not enough. Employers need Chinese-speaking workers who also have the language skills to understand English Web content. Such people will be sought after by Western companies to fill these translation jobs.
Business and marketing researchers
Many Western companies need employees who can market their products to Chinese-speaking customers. Similarly, Chinese-speaking employers need workers who can make their products desirable to Western buyers. Strong language skills are a must in this type of job. A good business sense and marketing know-how are also essential.
The need for proficiency in more than one language is unlikely to change. Knowing both English and Chinese can open up a world of opportunities. Consider how you can use your language skills in your career.


1.Summarize what the article is talking about:
English and Chinese are now in demand. People who are with English and Chinese skills are in demand for jobs in business and marketing research and Web site translating.


2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:

i. Are difficult or you new to you: 1)Proficiency. 2)Perk. 3)In demand. 4)Be sought after.

ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know: Employers need Chinese-speaking workers who also have the language skills to understand English Web content.


3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:
Learning more than one language can lead to better jobs and opportunities to travel and meet people from other countries. I think that having more than one language is not only for seeking work bot also for myself. Like me, I like English, and I learn it. In the future, I want to study abroad; the environment of foreign countries appeals to me, and I want to improve my English.

2008年3月23日 星期日

The obese may fare better after stroke: study

In the study, researchers analyzed data from 21,884 stroke patients in Denmark who had their body mass index (BMI) determined. BMI is an accepted means of determining how fat or thin a person is.(In second paragraph) According to the researchers, the link between obesity and poor disease outcomes, in general, is usually fueled by the presence of other conditions. Obese individuals who are otherwise healthy may fare just as well as, or perhaps in the case of stroke, better than their lean counterparts, they conclude.(In sixth paragraph)→http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080317/hl_nm/obese_stroke_dc;_ylt=AtNVTAIjoPM.7QKZvbA_MzvVJRIF





1.Summarize what the article is talking about:
The article explains the meaning of BMI.


2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:


i. Are difficult or you new to you:1)Denmark. 2)Body mass index (BMI). 3)Outcome. 4)Fuel. 5)Fare. 6)Counterpart.


ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know: BMI is an accepted means of determining how fat or thin a person is.


3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:
The topic of health is more and more important. BMI shows that you're underweight or overweight; overweight is essentially not good, but underweight isn't healthy, either. Many people now love to lose weight, then they think it can make them look more beautiful or more handsome. Although it is true, keep in the idea weight is good to yourself.

2008年3月7日 星期五

A mental test

Title: what Creation Records band are you? (complete with text and images)

1.Which word is most appealing to you?
○Shine
○Darkness
○Dreams
○Star
●Waves
○Tears

2.What's your favorite of these colours?
○Red
○Gold, Silver and metallic colours
○White, Yellow and lighter colours
○Brown, Green and earthy colours
●Black, Purple and darker colours
○Blue

3.Who do you relate to the most?
○Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones)
●John Lennon (Beatles)
○Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
○Lou Reed (Velvet Underground)
○Morrisey (The Smiths)
○Roger McGuinn (The Byrds)

4.Which of these lyrics do you like the most?
○"On the darkside, let the light shine"
○"Everybody is a star no matter who or what they are."
●"It's easy to pretend, It's easy to believe."
○"Need some space to be alone, Need a place to call my own."
○"Nobody ever seems to remember life is a game we play."
○"Im payin' the price of of a drunken night... Im wastin in the twilight zone."

5.Which word is most appealing to you?
Reclusive
○Moody
●Confident
○Modest
○Mysterious
○Flashy

submit↓





You Are... Oasis.

What you lack in originality you make up for in sheer determination. You have found a nice balance between party time and work time. You have the ability to convince the world of anything you want them to believe and you shamelessly do so. You are a purist who has the tendency to live in the past, which is your biggest downfall. If you could only learn to get with the times there's no telling how big you could be. You are destined to go down in history.

the test→http://tinyurl.com/4kcmv



1.Summarize what the article is talking about:
This title of mental test is "What Creation Records band are you?" There are five questions which can be chosen by yourself, and there will be a result after pushing down "SUBMIT".


2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:
i. Are difficult or you new to you: 1)Reclusive. 2)Originality. 3)Sheer. 4)Purist. 5)Downfall.
ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know:1)What you lack in originality you make up for in sheer determination. 2)You are destined to go down in history.


3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:
I think this test is interesting. First the test asks five matterless questions and each question has the other different items. You have no idea about the result in this test. And I found that the result of mine is funny and, well, true.
First, I indeed lack in originality, and of course I make up for it in sheer determination.
Second, I really can find a nice balance between party time and work time. So I played madly in first semester, but still got an "all-pass".
Third, just like the test told me, "You are a purist who has the tendency to live in the past, which is your biggest downfall." Well, I think it's truest about me.
Sometimes I through a test to ponder what on earth the person I am. I think it can help me learn more about myself.

2008年1月5日 星期六

apologize for someone and want a forgivement

I know you are mad at me right now, and I commit I do the god damn thing is a big or huge mistake, and I really feel terrible about it I really am, how can I make it up, I am trying my best for it, I can't imagine that being strangers like right now for ever is a hard thing for me, or just kill myself if this will make you feel better then I will, what I wish was just like being old times, can talk about every thing, maybe it really take times, but I really want it will be the last time and the only time like right now, and every thing will be normal, god I hate it I hate the fucking what I done, if you can give me an response then I will be very satisfied, or you need some make up then I will try my best to make it up, all I want to say I feel very bad about this and your attitude like that I will take it as I deserve it, because it was all my fault, all I want is back to the life what it was like, I wish I really do ! →an article of my friend in his blog http://www.wretch.cc/blog/jacky771026&article_id=13608191

1.Summarize what the article is talking about:

A relationship problem of my friend. He's really pessimistic, and maybe he was too agitated then, so the article he typed is with obscene words. So I, instead of my friend, apologize for you.

2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:
i. Are difficult or you new to you: None of all.
ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know: Maybe dirty words, but I don't want to.

3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:
My respond→
It's so queer. I just finish reading a blog of my friend. Suddenly, I'm eager on an impulse to say "Are you an idiot?". Possibly he has some problems about his relationship, but even if we've talked a lot to him, he just cannot always look on the bright side of life. Instead, he said we're not principles and we cannot realize how he felt. Well, maybe he's right. All we can do is comfort him and give some optimistic suggestions to him, but why he cannot understand and always shut up with his closed heart. More negative he is, then all things he does are in vain. He's too pessimistic, he thinks too much, in the end, he thinks that if he kills himself then that guy will feel better. What are you talking about!? Are you an idiot!? Are you really sure you do it then he will feel better!? The such behavior of yours is called avoidance!!
How to make up relationship?I think it really needs time. You need time to calm down, that guy needs time too. If that guy cannot accept your apology, then just give it up. After all, you've tried your best. What can you do? Just be yourself! Not always think about changing yourself and how to cater to those people, OK? Don't be a fool.

2008年1月4日 星期五

In a study, researchers found that elderly men and women who reported drinking from one to 13 servings of beer, wine, or liquor a week had a 44 percent lower risk of being hospitalized for leg artery disease, compared with elderly men and women who reported no alcohol consumption.(→The second paragraph)  "These results are consistent with the long-standing observation that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart attack, which is also caused by blockages in arteries," Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Brookline, Massachusetts, told Reuters Health.(→The third paragraph)→"The News"http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071228/hl_nm/alcohol_leg_arteries_dc;_ylt=Ap.ij4738YVz42gJA01Mw3A_cbYF

1.Summarize what the article is talking about:
Drinking appropriate beer, wine, or liquor can advantage people to keep their health.

2.Write down any vocabulary words or phrases that you think:
i. Are difficult or you new to you: 1) Liquor.2)Hospitalized.3)Artery.4)Consumption.5)Consistent with.6)Moderate.
ii. Are probably useful for you to learn/know:These results are consistent with the long-standing observation that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart attack, which is also caused by blockages in arteries.

3.Say why you chose this article and how it relates to your life, your experience, you desires, etc:

I have to say that drinking appropriate beer or wine is good for our health. I think it's true, because alcohol can improve the blood circulation. I like to drink beer and wine, so do my parents. Formerly, we drank a little wine before we went to bed. It could make us slept easily. By the way, the study says that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart attack, it's important to hear the news. I think I will suggest my father to be a moderate drinker! :)