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.