Platonic relationship--is that possible

Love this movie~~The Mirror Has Two Faces

especially, adore this song

I Finally Found Someone

I finally found someone
That knocks me off my feet
I finally found the one
That makes me feel complete
It started over coffe
We strated out as friends
It's funny how from simple things
The best things begin

This time is different
And it's all because of you
It's better than it's ever been
'Cause we can talk it though
My favouite line was
"Can I call you sometime"
It's all you had to say
To take my breath away

This is it, oh I finally found someone
Someone to share my life
I finally found the one
To be with every night
'Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you
My life has just begun
I finally found someone

Did I keep you waiting? I didn't mind
I apologise, baby that's fine
I would wait forever just to know you were mine

You know I love your hair
Are you sure it looks right?
I love what you wear
Isn't it too tight?
You're exceptional
I can't wait for the rest of my life

This is it, oh I finally found someone
Someone to share my life
I finally found the one
To be with every night
'Cause whatever I do
It's just got to be you
My life has just begun
I finally found someone
And whatever I do
It's just got to be you
My life has just begun
I finally found someone

In a democracy, voting should be compulsory, do you agree or disagree?

The issue of whether or not voting should be compulsory attracts different points of view. While some people think that it could be the only way to establish a stable society, others concede that the right to vote should not be enforced. Speaking for myself, I am in favor of the former.

The policy of mandatory voting indeed has its positive perspectives. First and foremost, the pursuit of true democracy should depend on the majority vote. As people have the obligation to vote, each election giants its validity. Moreover, compulsory voting might result in less boycotted events. By this I mean, if people do not use their right to vote, they have no right to criticize the government. Last but not least, non-compulsory voting might lead to a strangle hold over power by certain political groups, which may inevitably lead to corruption.

Additionally, we can not deny that in a true democracy existing in a democratic civilization, government has not right to force its citizens to act against their will. Furthermore, what if people do not like any candidates? How can the government manipulate their authority to force compliance? However, people have to be aware that true democracy does not come without effort, and it takes people a long time or even centuries to acquire true freedom. Hence, each citizen has the duty to use their right to vote for their government.

Traveling Light

by Joel Hanson＆Sara Groves

Well I was doubling over the load on my shoulders
Was a weight I carried with me everyday
Crossing miles of frustrations and rivers a raging
Picking up stones I found along the way
I staggered and I stumbled down
Pathways of trouble
I was hauling those souvenirs of misery
And with each step taken my back was breaking
'Til I found the One who took it all from me

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light
Through the darkest alleys and loneliest valleys
I was dragging those heavy chains of doubt and fear
Then with the one word spoken the locks were broken
Now He's leading me to places
Where there are no tears
Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light
Down by the riverside
I laid my burdens down
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light
Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light

The advantages and disadvantages of television

Television has become an integral part of Taiwanese life fro the last decade. However, there is no doubt that television has caused cultural change. While some changes have positive aspects, others have negatively affected our society.

On the one hand, its positive benefits are obvious. To start with, some educational or informative programs give people an easy way to acquire knowledge. People can watch such programs as National Geography, Discovery Channel or Open University programs to enhance their perspective about the world. Moreover, watching television provides people with up-date business concept, as there are tons of commercials on each channel. Additionally, the reasonable price of cable TV provides people with a variety of entertainment, and also provides a great chance for families to increase their interaction.

On the other hand, television may carry some potential drawbacks. The reason for this is that today commercial advertisement is prevalent throughout the television channels, which may encourage people to constantly buy. Hence, people’s values are often manipulated by advertisers, and more and more people are becoming materialistic. Furthermore, too many programs are misleading. For instance, some are full of inapt, violence or sensational materials, which may jeopardize our teenagers. Last but not least, lots of studies carried out indicate that television has the high potential to result in ‘’civilization diseases’’. This is because people spend too much time in front of television, instead of doing other out door activities or keeping in contact with others. Consequently, more people are maintaining an unhealthy life style. Things such as diabetes or poor eyesight are considered linked with watching too television.

To conclude, having considered all the arguments above, personally, I agree that television indeed has its positive aspects in terms of education and entertainment. Yet, the drawbacks of television are difficult to overlook. Therefore, people have to balance their leisure time and not spend much time in front of a cold equipment or become a television addict.

Wonderful tonight - Eric Clapton

Wonderful tonight - Eric Clapton

It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

We go to a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.

It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven

There's a lady who's sure

All that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven

When she gets there she knows

If the stores are all closed

With a word she can get what she came for

And she's buying a stairway to heaven

There's a sign on the wall

But she wants to be sure

'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings

In a tree by the brook

There's a songbird who sings

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

It makes me wonder

There's a feeling I get

When I look to the west

and my spirit is crying for leaving

In my thoughts I have seen

Rings of smoke through the trees

And the voices of those who stand looking

And it makes me wonder

And it's whispered that soon

If we all call the tune

Then the piper will lead us to reason

And a new day will dawn

For those who stand long

And the forest will echo with laughter

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow

Don't be alarmed now

It's just a spring clean for the May queen

Yes there are two paths you can go by

But in the long run

There's still time to change the road you're on

And it makes me wonder

Your head is hummin' and it won't go

In case you don't know

The piper's calling you to join him

Dear lady can you hear the wind blow

And did you know

Your stairway lies on the whisperin' wind

And as we wind on down the road

Our shadows taller than our souls

There walks a lady we all know

Who shines white light and wants to show

How everything still turns to gold

And if you listen very hard

The tune will come to you at last

When all are one and one is all

To be a rock and not to roll

And she's buying a stairway to heaven

lovely song~Islands in the Stream & open up your door

Richard Hawley Open Up Your Door

lyrics~

Open up your door
I can't see your face no more
Love is so hard to find
And even harder to define
Ooh open up your door
Cause we've time to give
And I'm feeling it so much more
Open up the door
Open up your door

Open up the door
I can't hear your voice no more
I just want to make you smile
Maybe stay with you a while
Ooh open up your door
Cause we've time to give
And my feelings aren't so obscure
Open up the door
Open up your door

So open up your door
Cause we've time to give
And I'm feeling it so much more
Open up your door
Ooh open up your door
Love is so hard to find
And even harder to define
Ooh open up your door
I've never been so sure
Ooh open up your door
Open up the door

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton Islands In The Stream

lyrics~

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Baby when I met you there was peace unknown

I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb

I was soft inside

There was something going on

You do something to me that I can’t explain

Hold me closer and I feel no pain

Every beat of my heart

We got something going on

Tender love is blind

It requires a dedication

All this love we feel needs no conversation

We can ride it together , ah ha

Making love with each other , ah ha

Islands in the stream

That is what we are

No one in between

How can we be wrong

Sail away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other , ah ha

From one lover to another , ah ha

I can’t live without you if the love was gone

Everything is nothing when you got no one

And you walk in the night

Slowly losing sight of the real thing

But that won’t happen to us and we got no doubt

Too deep in love and we got no way out

And the message is clear

This could be the year for the real thing

No more will you cry

Baby I will hurt you never

We start and end as one

In love forever

We can ride it together , ah ha

Making love with each other , ah ha

Islands in the stream

That is what we are

No one in between

How can we be wrong

Sail away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other , ah ha

From one lover to another , ah ha

say the way , you can say the way with me

Islands in the stream

That is what we are

No one in between

How can we be wrong

Sail away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other , ah ha

From one lover to another , ah ha

Islands in the stream

That is what we are

No one in between

How can we be wrong

Sail away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other , ah ha

From one lover to another , ah ha

溪流中的島嶼　　肯尼羅傑斯 & 桃莉芭頓

寶貝，當我遇見你時，有一股未知的平靜
我梳好頭髮，啟程去看你
我的內心輕柔
因為有事情將要發生
你做了一些我無法解釋的事情
抱緊我一點，我不會感到痛苦
我的每一次心跳
意味著我倆之間有事情要發生
溫柔的愛是盲目的
那需要全心奉獻
我倆感受到的愛不需言語
我倆可以一起駕馭
在彼此做愛的時候
溪流中的島嶼
那就是我倆的寫照
沒有第三者
我倆不會再錯
與我一起航向另一個世界
相互依賴
從這一個到另一個愛人
如果情已逝，沒有你我活不下去
沒有心愛的人，一切都是空的
當你走在黑夜裡
將逐漸看不清真實的景物
但那不會發生在你我身上，毫無疑問的
我倆深陷愛河，且無路可退
訊息顯而易見
情況將在這一年明朗
你將不再哭泣
寶貝，我絕對不會傷害你
在愛中，我倆自始至終是一體的
我倆可以駕馭它
在彼此做愛的時候

What About Now

While listening to BBC radio i find this great song and watching it in youtub. wonderful video, so inspiring. I prefer watching official Musical video edition(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtgVL__Li2E) but it is not allowed to post on here.

Song Lyrics....

Shadows fill an empty heart
As love is fading,
From all the things that we are
But are not saying.
Can we see beyond the scars
And make it to the dawn?

Change the colors of the sky.
And open up to
The ways you made me feel alive,
The ways I loved you.
For all the things that never died,
To make it through the night,
Love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

The sun is breaking in your eyes
To start a new day.
This broken heart can still survive
With a touch of your grace.
Shadows fade into the light.
I am by your side,
Where love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love, it never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Now that we're here,
Now that we've come this far,
Just hold on.
There is nothing to fear,
For I am right beside you.
For all my life,
I am yours.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

The disaster in Bhopal 1984

I am used to watching or listening news on BBC, as in there usually provides a comprehensive news around the world. There has a programmer--in picture and i saw some photos about Bhopal 25 years on , i was quite shock about these photos, since it is quite difficult to image as such kind of misery disaster happened in the world and felt really sad.

It is considered the worst industrial accident, on 1984 , Dec 3, As the leak of toxic gas by a pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, estimated over two thousand of people have been killed and harm approximate half of million people. The toll still increasing to this day. Up to now, people in there still suffering from high incidence of birth of defects and others illness.

The photos in BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8392358.stm

Free Online Italian Classes

Language school net Italian http://learnitalian.elanguageschool.net/
An Italian course for English speakers abruzzo2000.com/course
Speak 7 Italian http://italian.speak7.com/
BBC Italian http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/
Learning Italian Guide http://www.learnitalianguide.com/
Italian ZapItalian http://www.zapitalian.com/
Italian Free Lessons http://www.transparent.com/languagepages/italian/italian.htm
About Italian http://italian.about.com/
Learn Italian Podcast http://www.learnitalianpod.com/
The Italian Electronic Classroom http://www.locuta.com/eclass.html
Tutorino http://www.tutorino.ca/
Professor Gio http://www.professorgio.com/index.php?section=home&page=home
Italian Tutorial http://www.italiantutorial.com/index.html#grammar

Learn Spanish online free websites

Learn Spanish online free websites

learn spanish faster http://www.learn-spanish-faster.com/

Speak 7 Spanish http://spanish.speak7.com/
Spanish programs http://www.spanishprograms.com/sp/index.html
Study Spanish http://www.studyspanish.com/freesite.htm
Ukindia Spanish http://www.ukindia.com/zspan1.htm
Business Spanish http://www.businessspanish.com/
Learning Spanish online http://www.learn-spanish-online.de/
Spanicity http://www.spanicity.com/
Spanish Resources http://www.casadejoanna.com/
Spanish Tongue Twisters trabalenguas http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/es.htm
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html#
OpenLearn Spanish http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2439
BBC Spanish http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/
Babel Nation http://www.babelnation.com/spanish/
About.com Spanish http://spanish.about.com/
1, 2, 3, Spanish http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111321/
Art Capades http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/capades/
Web Spanish Lessonshttp://www.june29.com/Spanish/
Spanish Vocabulary Builder http://www.angelfire.com/sc/espanol/vocabulary.html
Translator Alligator http://www.funbrain.com/lang/index.html
Spanish Web Resources from the Univ. of N. Texas http://fllc.unt.edu/spanish/
Spanish Numbers http://www.jvlnet.com/~liliana/Spanish_Numbers.html
Spanish Made Easy http://www.davidreilly.com/spanish/
Spanish Language Math Resources http://mathforum.org/teachers/spanish/lessons.html
Spanish Language Exercises http://mld.ursinus.edu/~jarana/Ejercicios/self-check/vocab.html
Spanish Language http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/spanish.shtml
Picture Dictionary http://www.pdictionary.com/spanish/
Spanish Food Dictionary http://www.gomadrid.com/dict/spanish-food-dictionary.html
Spanish flashcards http://spanishflashcards.tripod.com/
Spanish Grammar http://www.businessspanish.com/LECCION/grammarII.htm

Spanish video http://www.lingus.tv/

Spanish Grammar http://www.timandangela.org.uk/spanish/

http://srjordan.wordpress.com/los-videos/

http://spanisheartraining.com/blog/a-great-idea/

http://www.studybeat.com/foreign-language/spanish/

http://clemliu.blogspot.com/

Mind - Memory Study Looks at Why We Repeat Ourselves - NYTimes.com

Mind - Memory Study Looks at Why We Repeat Ourselves - NYTimes.com


interesting news

Space research

Although the risk and cost is far too high to contemplate, space research indeed has its positive and beneficial aspects. Following are my perspectives about exploring space.

One the one hand space research has great benefits for the future of mankind. First and foremost is the exploration of the possibility of inhabiting other planets. As climate change and global warming are becoming worse than ever. Things such as overpopulation, natural disasters and food shortage not only threaten human life but also other species surviving on the earth. Hence, space research is a vital undertaking that might enable people to live in other planets. Furthermore some applications of space research have resulted in advanced technologies that people can apply in many dimensions. For instance, satellites and GPS help people to navigate location and also enable humans to make accurate forecasts which can be used for saving people’s lives. Additionally, space research helps people to get a better understanding about our earth, people can learn much about it by observing how the environment contrasts with other planets. The more we understand, the less threats we face.

Admittedly, it is quite difficult to deny the drawbacks of exploring space. Huge costs in terms of money, effort and professional expertise are needed in order to conduct research. Moreover space travel is exceedingly danger, as astronauts may risk their live doing research.

In summary, I would concede that precious resources many seem more wisely spent on other urgent matters. However, many studies have shown that there have been numerous inventions resulting from space research projects, which have improved our day to day life. Hence, we have to look forward with long-term vision in order to help us live better and longer lives.

compare different the models of public transport in Taipei

Taipei is Taiwan capital and is usually regarded as the economic, political and cultural center. It possesses one of the most convenient and well-developed transport networks in the world. Whether it's the High Speed Rail(HSR), Mass Rapid Transit(MRT), Taiwan railway Administration(TRA) or bus, all facilitate citizens or visitors' life in helping to get around Taipei.

The MRT serves as a metropolitan public transportation system. Its main purpose is to quickly transport people between short distances. It consists of six lines and much of Taipei central downtown areas are near the system. As the inexpensive price of ticket(ranges from $20 to $60 for a one-way ticket), it is convenient, clean and safe way to commute. MRT not only has become more and more popular but has also been successful in reducing traffic jams during the rush hour in Taipei.

Another excellent and economical means to travel in Taipei is city bus. With the low-cost ticket price( $15 to $20 per zone) people can get wherever they want to go. Although buses cover wide areas of Taipei and are cheaper than the MRT, it may be too confusing for people who are not familiar with the bus routes of Taipei. As there are too many routes and each routes is not straightforward. It might lead to time wasting. Conversely, if people know how to take advantage of the bus, it may offer you an easy way to access a number of hiking trails and urban sights around Taipei at a budget price. This is especially true when it connects with MRT via a Yoyo card allowing people to receive an extra discount.

In terms of Trains and HSR, the main function of these tow modes of transport is for long distance conveyance. Accordingly, they connect north and south all major centers along with many suburbs in Taiwan. Although there are frequent departures of trains and HSR, it is more economical to take the MRT or bus to get around Taipei.

To sum up, it seems to me that though the cost of the MRT is slightly more expensive than bus, it is worth the extra money. People will not easily get lost with the MRT and they also need not get a headaches figuring out the many routes or spending time in the busy traffic.

The pros and cons of using credit cards

Credit cards are an integral part of modern life. They have both advantages and disadvantages.

On the one hand, owning credit cards has a number of merits. To begin with convenience is probably the primary reason why people use credit cards. As shoppers don not need to bring much money when they go out nor do they need to worry about running out of cash, credit cards have become increasingly popular in peoples’ lives. Furthermore, people can not only use credit cards to facilitate their purchasing, paying bills or online shopping, but at same time they can earn bonuses, discounts or rewards. Additionally, they offer a wise approach to managing personal expenses, which would help people spend money more prudently.

Seen from another angle, credit cards do have potential risks. First, impulse buying may occur while shopping, as when people pay for something with credit cards, they do not really feel they are spending money. So, the danger is shoppers may spend for too much and buy things without due consideration. Second, the monthly interest rate or bank fees will incur once you start using credit cards. Last but not least, overusing credit cards may have the potential to cause people to get into debt. Since many of credit card holders overspend and end up having to use other cards to balance their debt, a vicious cycle may result in their financial dealings which may see their life spiraling out of control with debt.

On the whole, using credit cards have both positive and negative aspects, from my perspective it is just a matter of how to use them properly and do not let a piece of plastic card control our life.

Which concepts are important in maketing academic field?

The concept of marketing basically involves activities in numerous domains, which change our day to day life. Economics, science, society or politics are all associated with business. As for the marketing in the academic field there are some important lessons for students to study.

First and foremost, the comprehension of consumer behavior is inseparable from the marketing field. Marketing is all about buying and selling. Knowing consumer behavior can help people get a better understanding of how the purchasing decisions are made, leading to, building marketing plans and planning strategies for the product and service to successfully cater for different customer demands.

In my view another aspect of the marketing field is cultural awareness. Thanks to the impact of globalization, marketing opportunities are increasing faster than ever. For the purpose of extending an organizations’ marketing opportunity in global areas, knowing each local laws, rules and customs will help an organization to be better aware of which business model is most suitable in an area. More precisely, customizing business in different areas is needed as every region has different culture and customs.

Furthermore, the skill of managing competition is part of the marketing field. Learning how to handle rivals and cope with the relationship between a firm's role and the competitive environment can help companies create their competitive advantage successfully. By this I mean people will know how to adjust their business plans and strategies to distinguish their target of market from others.

An understanding of all of the above aspects is,in my perspective, needed for students who study in marketing.

Which is the best option of paying higher education?

Higher education can be funded in several ways such as the following. First all costs are paid by the government. Second, all costs paid by the students. Third, all costs are paid by the government loan which students have to pay back after graduation. Please discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of all these three options and decide which is the best.


In current society, we all agree that higher education can provide people with a greater chance of success. But when it comes to who should pay for higher education people hold different view. From my perspective, government should fund their citizens’ education.

On the one hand, there are numerous benefits that might accrue if government pays educations fees. To begin with, more people would be able to access the chance of higher education, since they can depend on sound education system provided by their government. Hence, more experts would be produced. Specifically the overall educational level wound be improved via producing more professionals, which is not only good for citizen’s quality of life. In other words, there would be more professionals if higher education places are available.

On the other hand, some people think students should not depend on a handout from the government to pay for their courses. As government might incur a financial deficit in order to pay for all education bills. It seems that methods of individual or government loans can alleviate this problem because those people who are taking higher education courses rely on themselves. Despite this fact, it is worth noting that some student may choose to give up their schooling as they could not afford such incredible tuition.

To conclude, regarding this issue what sore of methods is the best? My own view is that although the government might face financial risks. I still believe that the government has the obligation to provide higher education to those citizens who are eager to learn and keen one more knowledge.

The advantages and disadvantages of having a dog.

It is said that ''a dog is man's best friend''. Owing a dog certainly brings many joys and benefits. However, I would not say having a dog does not have any drawbacks. The following are some of the positive and negative aspects of owning a dog.

On the one hand, the benefits to people’s lives of owning a dog are obvious. For one thing, a person’s life wound become more pleasant and relaxing through raising a dog. This is because they can take care of them, play with them and be interested in them, which helps to reduce daily stress and enhance their leisure time. For instance, for some people who are living alone, having a loyal companion in their life might help them to reduce the feeling of isolation. Likewise, some studies have shown that having a dog in a person’s life lowers the risk of suffering heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Additionally, owing a dog can increase social interaction with family and others. This is especially true for families with children, as children can be trained to have a sense of responsibility and showing sympathy to others.

Seen from another angle having a dog does have some disadvantages. First, there is high cost of maintenance. Thing such as damage dogs from eating things, food, grooming and vet bills will all come as a result of owning a dog. Second, dogs might take a while to train, so you have to shower them with your attention all the time, because it might mess up your house, pee and leave hair everywhere. Last, dogs cry and bark a lot. You might feel annoying when they are barking and also have to worry that the barking might disturb your neighbors.

After comparing the above, it seems to me that the advantages of owning a dog outweigh the disadvantages providing that you are ready for the responsibility and commitment of dog ownership.

useful websites recommend

NEWS websites
Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/
China post online http://www.chinapost.com.tw/
Taipei time http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/
Taiwan news online http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/index_en.php
The economist http://www.economist.com/
Mail online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Australia new online http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/
VOA news http://www.voanews.com/english/index.cfm
America.gov http://www.america.gov/
The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/?reload=true
Time http://www.time.com/time/
The New York Times http://global.nytimes.com/
Msnbc http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
CNN http://edition.cnn.com/
Ottawa citizen http://www.ottawacitizen.com/index.html
Business week http://www.businessweek.com/
Good http://www.good.is/
The associated press http://www.ap.org/
Huffington post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Philadelphia news http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Asia wall street journal http://asia.wsj.com/home-page
China daily website http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
Scmp http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/
Bukisa http://www.bukisa.com/
Discovery Chanel http://dsc.discovery.com/
Nature http://www.nature.com/
Science American http://www.scientificamerican.com/
Science news http://www.newscientist.com/
Physorg.com http://www.physorg.com/
http://www.mongabay.com/
Earth under fir http://www.earthunderfire.com/index.html

Learning English
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
http://www.englishclub.com/index.htm
http://www.elllo.org/
http://www.taisha.org/
http://esl.about.com/cs/toefl/a/
http://www.examenglish.com/
http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/default.htm
http://www.esl-lab.com/
http://www.onestopenglish.com/index.asp?catid=59495
http://www.studyworld.com/
http://efreeway.avcenter.ntu.edu.tw/freeway/postgraduates/index_postgraduates.html
http://www.youtube.com/BBCWorldwide
http://www.engvid.com/
http://www.usingenglish.com/
http://www.writefix.com/
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

China Learning English website
http://www.putclub.com/
http://www.yingyu.com/
http://liuzhuobest.cc.topzj.com/forum-39757-1.html
http://bbs.ielts999.com/
http://www.tncvs.tn.edu.tw/englishteachingweb/English%20Teaching%20Online.htm


Taiwan Learning English website
http://tpec.fun-day.com.tw/index.asp
http://wise.edu.tw/resource/course/english/index.htm
http://www.fun-day.com.tw/wap/index.asp
http://etlc.wtuc.edu.tw/resources/menu.html
http://tw.earlybird.com.tw/
http://www.1390.com.tw/free/pot.htm
http://www2.scu.edu.tw/foreign/english/sound/index.htm
http://www.liveabc.com/site/Online_Store/resource/p_dictionary/dict_dex.asp
http://ce.etweb.fju.edu.tw/self_learning/study/skill.htm
http://www.toeicok.com.tw/study/free_data.php#free001
http://www.lttc.ntu.edu.tw/academics/links/listening.htm

Idiom website http://www.idiomsite.com/
The Garden of English Idioms http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/idioms/idioms.htm
Grammar Q & A http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/faq/faq.htm


Learning English Blog
http://hi.baidu.com/zhimaomao
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/masterenglish-englishmaster/
http://fangxia.blog.bokee.net/bloggermodule/main.jsp?bokeeName=fangxia

IELTS
http://www.elc.polyu.edu.hk/IELTS/
http://www.ieltshelpnow.com/index.html
http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/ielts/reading/
http://club.51ielts.com/
http://www.ielts-exam.net/
http://ieltspaul.com/index.html
http://artefact.lib.ru/languages/eng_textbooks_ielts.shtml
Writing about Graphs http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/

Online dictionary
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=17581&ph=on
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Free Books Download
http://bucee.net/
http://www.cnshare.org/
http://allfreedownloadlinks.com/
http://www.ebookee.com/
http://www.ebookee.com.cn/
http://www.uphost.cn/
http://www.quanpc.com/
http://forums.ebook-share.net/
http://get4share.com/forum/
http://book.ddown.org/
http://www.avaxhome.ws/
http://englishtips.org/
http://www.zineworm.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

http://www.freshwap.net/ebooks/

Where I would like to be in five years from now

On the one hand, five years is over a blink of the eye. On the other hand there is a lot that can be done in this period of time. There are several things I hope to accomplish in the next five years.

On the professional front I would like to acquire a marketing master degree from a top world university first before moving on to my next career position. During this period of study I expect I could learn at least two other languages apart from English, which not only help better my prospects of working for an international firm in the future but also broaden my personal network of relationships.

From a relationships point of view, perhaps after accomplishing the above I will start a family. Since the stage of being married is part of life. Finding someone to spend the rest of your life with, having children and taking care of them would complete my life. Without that it seems that life lacks deeper significance.

Furthermore, spiritual accomplishment is truly important as one gets older. Having a spiritual belief to rely on people are might likely satisfied with their present, since life sometime is quite difficult. If might stand at cross road, lose our direction or we don’t know how to go on, keeping a belief inside of our heart may offer some relief.

Above is how I imagine my life in five years time in order to realize my dream.

Apple iPod AIDA

Are you looking for a prefect gadget? Do you want an exercise partner? Do you need a travel mate? Then you must have this amazing device-iPod! It is a sophisticated and elegant multimedia player from Apple. Look! It is so beautiful. It has a streamline design in silver or black. It is basically made of metal-- aluminum and stainless steel. Believe me, it is the most beautiful companion whenever you go.

Want to know more? Let’s take a look at what other functions it has! First, it has 120GB memory, so it can store up to 30,000 songs or 150 hours of video. This is enough for a day’s journey. When it comes to movies and video clips, its 2.5-inch LCD screen makes video come alive. You may download movies, TV shows, and video podcasts from the iTunes Store with a little money, then watch your favorite programs on your iPod Classic anywhere, anytime.

You will appreciate iPod’s sound quality. Even if you connect it to your car stereo, music still sounds perfect! Don’t worry about running out of power. The iPod has a lithium-ion battery so that it can play 36 hours of music! Besides, it only takes 2 hours to restore 80% of power.

All in all, the Apple iPod Classic is your best choice. Enjoy music everywhere you go, I promise you will enjoy every moment in your life with iPod Classic.

What are the important factors in maintaining good health?

Having a healthy body is everyone’s dream. It can not only prevent us from being sick, but it also gives us an enjoyable life. There are many ways to stay healthy. Basically, I classify them into three steep. Firstly, we can do exercise, secondly, we should have a balanced diet and last, we need to have sufficient sleep.

To begin with, an important factor is exercise. Exercising for at least thirty minutes every day can accelerate our metabolism and improve blood circulation. It also helps us to reduce stress, making us more energetic. Therefore, we should do such exercises as walking, jogging and stretching three times a week.

In terms of a balanced diet, it is recommended that one should eat at least five groups of fruit or vegetable daily. They contain plenty of necessary nutrition, which is one of essential factors to maintain our body function. Moreover, keep away from junk food, which only offer you fat. Other things we should avoid are eating too much and eating two to three hours before going to bed.

The final factor in staying health is to have enough sleep. Sufficient sleep not only reduces depression but makes us relaxed, which is good for our memory. If we get adequate and good quality sleep, we will have energy to tackle our daily problems.

All of the above are three important factors in maintaining good health. Whatever methods we choose we should remember that keeping fit is a lifelong career, we should not give up if we want to have a better life.

The symbol that means the most to me

What symbols can define a person? Religion, political colors or a person’ name, there are lots of symbols that can be present someone. In my perspective, a vivid personality is probably the best symbol of a person. In this essay I am going to talk about Steve Jobs. Knowing his outstanding achievements and his success story has made a great impression on my life.

Steve Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco, California, and he dropped out of college because he could not afford the tuition. Then he started a company with his friends in a garage when he was twenty years old. After 10 years, this company, “Apple Computer”, had grown into a $2 billion dollar company with over 4000 employees. However, at the age of 30, Jobs was fired. Instead of leaving Silicon Valley, he started all over again with his passion. Although he lost Apple, he did not lose faith and continued to pursue what he loved and created technologies- NeXTStep and Pixar. Meanwhile, Apple was under immense pressure from Microsoft and lost billions of dollars in 1996. He was asked to come back to Apple and was named CEO in 1997. Under his leadership, Apple regained profitability and became a world-renowned firm.

The symbols of Steve Jobs are not simply the iPhone, iPod, Mac or his companies, more important is his enthusiasm for creating new technologies, the strong will power for surviving crises along with his charming personal style. These aspects of his personality have resulted in his achievements and the products that he has created for us.

From my perspective, Steve Jobs symbolizes the power of personality. Without his determination and vision, the Apple firm would not have succeeded and become the icon that it now is.

Should gambling be allowed in Taiwan?

Recently, whether or not casinos should be allowed in Taiwan has become a controversial issue, which has triggered heated debated. While some individuals say Taiwan will gain numerous benefits with the establishment of casinos, others hold the perspective that allowing gambling will incur costs in the fields of society, crime and environment. Personally I am in favor of the latter view.

On the one hand, allowing gambling business is a good chance for a country to stimulate its economic. To begin with, government can utilize the tax income form these businesses to increase revenue, which will allow the government to improve social welfare services, the infrastructure sector and provide a sound education system. Moreover, more job opportunities might be provided by gambling industries, thus, the unemployment rate will decrease at the same time. Last but not least, casinos would be a great source of income to replace tourism during the winter months.

Seen from another angle, paying a price will be the consequence of legalizing casinos in Taiwan. Many believe that operating these businesses will create a culture of gambling. By this I mean that people are encouraged to gamble indirectly and some people may become addicted. As a result, the government would have to spend a fortune later to help these addicted gamblers kick their habit. Furthermore, legalizing gambling may leads to high crime rates and environmental degradation.

In general, there are advantages and disadvantages of building casinos. In my opinion, I think the government should deeply consider all conditions and the welfare of its citizen before legalizing gambling businesses in Taiwan.

What are the disadvantages and advantages of international aid?

Everyday, we see a great deal of money being given to less developed countries. Yet, at the same time people ought to consider whether or not foreign aid is really needed for a country to be lifted out of poverty. In fact, there are both upsides and downsides of giving international support. In this essay I am going to present the merits and demerits.

On the one hand, foreign aid provides poor nations extra capital to finance their development. Infrastructure, education and living standards can be improved in these receiving countries so that citizens can have a better life. For example, good infrastructure leads to good transportation, sound education provides more knowledge and expertise, sufficient food helps a nation out of famine. Moreover, some international assistance comes for the sake of preventing people suffering from infectious disease such as Aids pandemic, Chikungunya fever… etc.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages of foreign support. Firstly, those receiving countries may thereby rely on international aid and ask for more and more help. Furthermore, aid might encourage corruption to occur. Some precious resources may not go to those people who are truly in need of help, instead aid may be misused by some certain groups. Last but not least, foreign aid that is given for political purpose might lead to conflict between donor countries and recipients.

Overall, it is my belief that if international aid is based on giving long-term benefits and is well planned and orchestrated, it will bring more advantages than disadvantages.

The best news I have ever received

Life has a tendency to be both bitter and sweet. One particularly sweet movement for me was when I received an offer from my dream university. It means I am going to be part of special community.

I have been accepted in to a university, with over one hundred years of history and an elegant and picturesque landscaped camps, it has a good reputation all around the world. As result of its excellent teaching it produces lots of high achievers in many fields every year. Because of this background it ranks in the top forty universities in the world as well as attracting more and more students who study hard to get in.

It will be an important step in my future career, because having this precious opportunity not only can allow me to access a great deal of teaching resources for this best university but also expose me to a diverse multi-culture learning environment.

What makes a good student ?

Some people say learning doesn’t come easy, it takes lots of hard work. Indeed, I believe there are several essential qualities that define what a good student is.

First and most importantly is strong –self discipline, A good student doesn’t need anyone to force them to learn, since they can study unsupervised and are always eager to gain knowledge. For instance, they question everything they learn from their teachers or text books and they actively involve themselves in their study. As a teacher for them, just provide guidance and wisdom to help them along their path to knowledge.

Being a good student also requires being good at time management. They wisely use their time in everything. Especially, when studying they focus fully on their lessons, they do not just bum the midnight oil hoping to pass the next days’ test. Since they know getting adequate rest is a vital part of healthy learning.

Moreover, having a good and balanced social relationship is what a good student striving for. They use learning to get closer to people and tech each other. Learning makes a good student become humble instead of using their knowledge as a tool or power to show off to others.

Things you can not live in without

Life is such a complicated journey that people need do seek a good way to navigate it. There are lots of things people are looking for in order to be successful. What are the things that I can not live without are goal, relationship, money.

The most important aspect in my life is to have goal. If I lack it I think I would lose my way in life’s journey, since I would not be able to find any purpose in life. Once I have a goal I have the motivation to live my life meaningfully.

In terms of relationships,I could not image life would be living without them. Family, friends and colleagues, are part of my everyday life. We take care ad support each other, you learn from them, I think that is one of mission of life.

Also, I can not deny that money is a significant factor in lives. Having steady finances, not only can I do the thing I like without any worry, but I can also help and support other s. In other words, money allows people to become independent.

In conclusion, I know it is not easy to have all above, so I have to find a balance, the lost either means life is not complete.

To buy a house or not buy a house, that is the question.

Most people dream of owning their own house. However, it is not a decision to be taken lightly. Despite the security of home ownership, I don’t desire to own my own home. Here are the reasons why.

The principal reason for my view is that owning a house is a long term commitment. As you have to tie up your income. It means you have no freedom to have good time. Those things such as traveling, studying or socializing become unattainable. Moreover, you have the stress form needing to work if you buy a house by taking out a mortgage. Specifically, Such as a long term loan forces you to work and you can not afford the consequence of losing your job, since you have the pressure of relying on your monthly salary to pay it. Even if the job makes you unsatisfied or makes you want to quit, you have no choice but to compromise and continue working. The final factor in making me not want to buy a house is the high cost of maintenance, For example, once you own your home, you have to spend plenty of money on decoration along with needless material goods for the sake that you want to make it complete.

Above all, it is my belief that buying a house at this moment is not a wise decision. Although owning a house might be a long term investment that forces you to save, the risk of losing value is far too high to contemplate.