The Price of Fame 成名的代價‏

Jesse loved hip-hop and in his room, he had posters of his favorite rappers like Eminem and 50 Cent. One day he decided to work hard and see if he could be a rapper, too. He spent most of his free time writing raps down on paper. After a few months, he had enough of them to put an album together. Jesse then called his friend, DJ Gizmo, to help him record a demo CD. When the CD was finished, he handed it out to all of the record companies he could think of.
傑西非常喜歡嘻哈樂，他的房間裡掛滿了海報，海報上是他最喜歡的饒舌歌手，像是阿姆和五角。某天他決定好好努力，看他是否也能當個饒舌歌手。他花了大半的空閒時間把歌詞記在紙上。幾個月後，他寫的歌曲足夠湊成一張專輯。接著傑西打電話請他的朋友──DJ吉默來幫他錄製試聽CD。錄完之後，他就把CD發送到所有他記得的唱片公司。
A few weeks later, Jesse got a phone call from Damon Hill, the boss of the most famous record company in New York. Damon wanted to sign him to a million-dollar contract. Jesse couldn't believe it. He was finally making it big like his idols. He changed his name to Sisco and flew all the way to New York. It took six long months to record his first album. He spent all of his time doing concerts and going on radio shows. Little by little, he began to talk to his friends less often.
幾個禮拜後，傑西接到一通由戴蒙‧希爾打來的電話，他是紐約一家最出名唱片公司的老闆。戴蒙想要跟他簽下一筆百萬合約。傑西簡直不敢相信。他終於就要跟他的偶像一樣飛黃騰達。他改名為西斯可，並一路直飛紐約。他花了整整六個月的時間錄製他的首張專輯。開演唱會、上廣播節目也佔據了他的每分每秒。慢慢地，他開始越來越少跟他朋友說話。



Building Your Vocabulary

►sign　vt. 簽約雇用
The baseball team has just signed a new pitcher.
那支棒球隊剛簽下一名新投手。



Phrases for Learning



1.put...together　　湊出∕整理出……
Jeff put the clues together and solved the crime.
傑夫將線索拼湊起來，偵破這樁案件。
2.hand...out　　分發∕散發……
My job was to hand the flyers out on the street.
我的工作是在街頭分發傳單。
3.make it big　　變得成功∕有名
The singer made it big when she had a hit song.
那位女歌手的歌曲大受歡迎，因此一炮而紅。
4.all the way　　一路直達；大老遠
Max went all the way to New York just to watch a Yankees game.
麥克斯大老遠到紐約去，只為了看洋基隊的比賽。
5.little by little　　逐漸地；慢慢地
Little by little, the couple started to work their problems out.
這對戀人開始慢慢地解決彼此間的問題。



參考字詞

1.hip-hop　n. 嘻哈樂
2.poster　n. 海報
3.rapper　n. 饒舌歌手
　rap [ rAp ] n. 饒舌歌
4.demo　n. 試唱帶（本文中作形容詞用）
5.contract　n. 契約，合同
6.idol　n. 偶像



Tips In Use

...help him record a demo CD.
（……幫他錄製試唱CD。）
...all of the record companies he could think of.
（……所有他記得的唱片公司。）
上述兩個句子中的 record 用法不同，唸法也不同。第一句中的 record 作及物動詞用，唸時重音須擺第二個音節。第二句的 record 則為名詞，重音擺第一個音節。
例：
1.record　vt. 錄下；記錄
Karen recorded the professor's speech on a tape.
（過去這幾個月吉兒已換了三次工作。）
2.record　n. 唱片；記錄
I always keep a daily record of the money I spend.
（我總會把每日的開銷作紀錄。）

The Chinese Zodiac 十二生肖‏

When someone asks you what sign you are, do you say Scorpio or Dragon? Chinese people have their own zodiac chart. Unlike the Western zodiac, it's based on a 12-year cycle according to the lunar calendar. Each year is represented by a different animal. These animal signs in order are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Many legends explain how the Chinese zodiac came about. The following is a very popular one. 
當有人問您屬什麼，您會說天蠍座還是屬龍？中國人有自己專屬的生肖表。和西洋星座不同的是，中國生肖是以農曆來計算，十二年為一輪。每年都以不同的動物為代表。動物的生肖順序為鼠、牛、虎、兔、龍、蛇、馬、羊、猴、雞、狗、豬。十二生肖的由來眾說紛紜。以下是一個廣為流傳的傳說。
One day, all of these 12 animals were quarrelling about who should be the first animal in the Chinese zodiac. They argued all day long and could not come to an agreement. Finally, the gods suggested that all 12 animals participate in a race to see who would come in first. The race started at one side of a river and all the animals had to swim to the other side. 
有一天，這十二種動物全都為了誰應該是十二生肖的排頭而吵架。牠們整天爭論不休，無法取得共識。最後，眾神建議十二隻動物比賽賽跑，看誰能拔得頭籌。比賽始於河的一畔，而所有的動物都必須游到對岸。 
 
 
 
Building Your Vocabulary 
 
1.represent　vt. 代表，象徵
The color red represents passion.
紅色代表熱情。
2.quarrel　vi. 爭吵
If you guys want to quarrel, go outside.
你們如果要吵架就到外面去吵。 
 
 
 
Phrases for Learning 
 
1.in order　　照順序
Don't mess up the books. They're all in order.
別把書弄亂了。它們全是依序擺放的。
2.all day long　　整天
Don't play video games all day long.
不要整天打電動。
3.come to a(n) agreement/decision...　　達成共識∕決定等
It's hard for us to come to a conclusion.
我們很難下結論。
4.participate in...　　參與……
Nina and I will participate in the march.
妮娜和我將參加這場遊行。 
 
 
 
參考字詞 
 
1.sign　n. 星座（本文中亦引申為『生肖』）
2.Scorpio　n. 天蠍座
3.zodiac　n. 黃道帶（指太陽、月亮及主要行星於其中運行的假想帶，以一年為運轉週期，依特定的時間劃分為十二等份，各有其所屬的名稱和象徵圖案。本文中也引申為『十二生肖』。）
the signs of the zodiac　n. 黃道十二宮，十二星座
4.cycle　n. 週期；循環
5.rooster　n. 公雞 
 
 
 
Tips In Use 
 
One day, all of these 12 animals...
（有一天，這十二種動物全都……）
本句中的"one day"表『（過去的）某一天』，可等於"the other day"，此時用過去式。"one day"亦可表『（將來）總有一天』，等於 someday，用於未來式。此外，"some other day"表『改天』，用於未來式。例：
　A stranger came here one day.
= A stranger came here the other day.
（某天，有個陌生人來到這裡。）
　One day I'll carry out my dreams.
= Someday I'll carry out my dreams.
（總有一天我會實現我的夢想。）
　I'll go see that movie some other day.
（改天我再去看那部電影。）

A Christmas Carol 聖誕頌‏

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is considered a classic. It was written in 1843 and became an immediate hit. The popularity of the story helped bring back lost traditional Christmas values, such as love and kindness. The main character in the story is Ebenezer Scrooge. For years as a businessman, Scrooge had only pursued wealth. He had lost the value of friendship, love, and, most of all, Christmas spirit.
查爾斯‧狄更斯的《聖誕頌》（又譯：小氣財神）被視為經典名作。本書著於1843年，並立刻造成轟動。故事受歡迎和普及的程度，幫助人們重拾傳統的聖誕價值觀，像是愛和慈善。故事的主角是伊本芮塞‧史克魯奇。身為多年的商人，史克魯奇只追求財富。他早已失去友誼及愛情的價值觀，最重要的是，他失去了聖誕精神。
The story of A Christmas Carol begins on Christmas Eve. It is the seventh anniversary of Scrooge's old business partner's death. Scrooge and his employee, Bob Cratchit, are counting money in his office. Bob asks if he can take the rest of the day off. Scrooge agrees but is angry about it. When Scrooge gets home that night, he is surprised when the ghost of his old partner shows up to warn him. If Scrooge's bad attitude towards others continues, he will also end up being a miserable old ghost.
《聖誕頌》的故事始於一個聖誕夜。當天正是史克魯奇生意上老夥伴逝世的七週年。史克魯奇和他的員工鮑伯‧柯烈契特正在辦公室裡算錢。鮑伯問說他當天剩下的時間能否休假。史克魯奇雖同意，但卻很生氣。當晚，當史克魯奇回家看見他老搭擋的鬼魂現身來警告他時，他簡直嚇了一大跳。假使史克魯奇對別人惡劣的態度持續下去，他最後也會變成一個可悲的老鬼。 
 
 
 
Building Your Vocabulary 
 
 
 
1.immediate　a. 立即的
The victims need our immediate help.
受害者需要我們立即的援助。
2.pursue　vt. 追求
James forgot who he really was while pursuing fame.
詹姆士在追求名望時迷失了自我。
3.warn　vt. 警告
Jeff warned me not to press this button. 
傑夫警告我不要按這個按鈕。
4.miserable　a. 極不愉快的；痛苦的
Al is feeling miserable because he has a cold.
艾爾感冒了，所以他很不舒服。 
 
 
 
Phrases for Learning 
 
1.bring back... 　　恢復……
Some people suggest bringing back the electric chair to reduce the crime rate.
有些人建議恢復使用電椅來減低犯罪率。
2.show up 　　出現
All of Betty's friends showed up at her party.
貝蒂的朋友全都出現在她的派對上。 
 
 
 
參考字詞 
 
1.carol　n.（耶誕）頌歌；讚美詩
2.popularity　n. 流行；受歡迎
3.anniversary　n. 週年紀念
4.employee　n. 僱員
5.attitude　n. 態度 
 
 
 
Tips In Use 
 
Bob asks if he can take the rest of the day off. 
（鮑伯問說他當天剩下的時間能否休假。）
有關『請假』的片語，尚有下列：
take a leave of absence　請假
apply/ask for leave　　請假
take sick leave　　請病假
on personal leave　　事假中
on sick leave　　病假中
on vacation　　　休假中
I want to apply for personal leave.
（我想請事假。）

New Year's Celebrations 歡喜慶新年‏

Fireworks, parties, and excitement are just a few words that cross our minds when we talk about celebrating the New Year. It is a time for celebration all over the world. However, people in various places celebrate the New Year in different ways.
煙火，派對和興奮之情都是講到慶祝新年時，所會想到的字眼。新年是個普天同慶的時刻。不過不同地方的人有不同的慶祝方式。
The New Year is an important time to share with loved ones. In the southern part of the world, it occurs during the summer. People in Australia and New Zealand hold parties and barbecues on beaches with family and friends. This is a popular way to ring in the New Year in this part of the world.
新年是和我們所愛的人共度的重要時刻。南半球的新年正值夏季。澳洲及紐西蘭人會與親朋好友在海灘上舉行派對或烤肉。在南半球，這是迎接新年非常普遍的方式。
When the clock strikes 12, cries of "Happy New Year" are heard everywhere. There are numerous fireworks displays on beaches and from famous landmarks. Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia and the Skytower in New Zealand are both flooded with people. People visit these two famous spots to watch the fireworks. Many music festivals also take place outdoors. Different bands play to packed crowds in celebration of the New Year.
十二點整的時候，到處都可以聽見有人大喊『新年快樂』。海灘及著名的地標都有許多的煙火秀。澳洲的雪梨大橋及紐西蘭的天空之塔都會湧入許多人。人們到這兩處著名的景點觀賞煙火。戶外也有許多的音樂慶典。不同樂團在爆滿的人群前演奏以慶祝新年。
 
 
 
Building Your Vocabulary 
 
1.numerous　a. 很多的
The detective found numerous clues about the murder at the scene.
偵探在命案現場發現了許多線索。
2.packed　a. 擁擠的
Ken went home on a packed bus yesterday.
阿肯昨天搭了一班塞爆的公車回家。 
 
 
 
Phrases for Learning 
 
1.cross + 所有格 + mind　　（想法等）出現，掠過
Pedro didn't even cross my mind while I was writing the invitations.
我在寫這些邀請函時，甚至連想都沒想到佩卓。
2.ring in the New Year　　（鳴鐘）迎接新年
Let's ring in the New Year by going on vacation.
咱們去度假來迎接新年的到來吧。
3.be flooded with...　　擠滿……
This beach is always flooded with tourists.
這座海灘總是擠滿了遊客。
4.take place　　發生；舉行
When will the meeting take place?
這場會議將於何時舉行？ 
 
 
 
參考字詞 
 
1.landmark　n. 地標
2.harbor　n. 海港，港灣 
 
 
 
Tips In Use 
 
Many music festivals also take place outdoors.
（戶外也有許多的音樂慶典。）
outdoors 為副詞，表『在室外地』，用法與 indoors（在室內地）相同。而 outdoor 及 indoor 均為形容詞，為『室外∕內的』的意思。upstairs（樓上的；在樓上地）與 downstairs（樓下的；在樓下地）則是形容詞和副詞皆須加 s。至於 uptown（在住宅區的；往住宅區地）和 downtown（在鬧區的；往鬧區地），形容詞及副詞皆不加 s。
例：
Patty loves to spend time outdoors, but her husband prefers indoor activities.
（佩蒂喜歡待在戶外，不過她先生比較喜歡室內活動。）

The New Kid on the Block 菜鳥新同事‏

Dialogue A　
Alice and Jerry are talking in the office.
愛莉絲和傑瑞在辦公室聊天。
Jerry： Hey, Alice. Who's that?
傑　瑞：嘿，愛莉絲。那是誰啊？
Alice： Oh, that's Gordon. He's the new kid on the block. He was hired last week.
愛莉絲：哦，那是高登。他是新人。上週錄取的。
Jerry： Wow, he's so young! He probably doesn't have any experience.
傑　瑞：哇，他好年輕喔！他大概沒什麼經驗吧。
Alice： Yeah, but our company needs new blood. I don't want it to become old and boring.
愛莉絲：是啊，不過我們公司需要新血。我可不希望公司變得既老套又乏味。
Jerry： That's true. Maybe this kid will breathe new life into this place.
傑　瑞：沒錯。這小子或許能為這裡帶來新氣象。
Alice： I hope so.
愛莉絲：希望如此。
　Dialogue B　
Alice is having coffee with Gordon.
愛莉絲和高登在喝咖啡。
Alice： So, you're pretty new to this job. Do you think you can handle the work?
愛莉絲：那你對這份工作還挺陌生的。你認為你處理的來嗎？
Gordon： Well, this is my first real job, but I graduated at the top of my class.
高　登：這是我的第一份正式工作，但我可是班上第一名畢業的。
Alice： School is very different from the real world. It's a whole new ball game.
愛莉絲：學校和真實世界是很不一樣的。這可是兩碼子事。
Gordon： I know. I'm a little nervous. What if I make too many mistakes?
高　登：我知道。我有點緊張。萬一我犯太多錯該怎麼辦？
Alice： Don't worry. We'll all help you. We hope you'll help us break new ground.
愛莉絲：別擔心。大家都會幫你的。我們希望你能幫我們開創新局面。
Gordon： I bet I'll learn a lot here.
高　登：我相信我在這裡一定會學到不少東西。



Building Your Vocabulary
1.the new kid on the block　　菜鳥，新手
George isn't the new kid on the block anymore. He has worked here for a year already.
喬治再也不是菜鳥了。他已經在這邊任職一年。
2.new blood　　新血
Let's get some new blood on our team.
咱們來替隊上找些新血吧。
3.breathe new life into...　　為……帶來新氣象
This vacation has breathed new life into our relationship.
這段假期為我們的關係注入了一股新活力。
4.be new to...　　（某人）對……不熟悉∕尚未習慣
Ted is new to Taipei city.
泰德對台北市還很陌生。
5.a whole new ball game　　完全不同的情況
I used to be a teacher, so being a salesman is a whole new ball game for me.
我以前是老師，因此當業務員對我來說是完全不同的行業。
6.break new ground　　開闢新的領域；作出新發現
Miles Davis broke new ground in jazz.
邁爾士‧戴維斯為爵士樂開創出新風貌。



Tips In Use

What if I make too many mistakes?
（萬一我犯太多的錯該怎麼辦？）
What if...should...?　　要是……的話要怎麼辦？
本句型乃表示對未來狀況存疑的假設語氣。if 子句多置助動詞 should。例：
What if it should rain?
= What might happen if it should rain?
= What could we do if it should rain?
（要是下雨了怎麼辦？）
注意：
"what if"之後亦可用現在式，故上列例句可改寫成：
What if it rains?
= What may happen if it rains?
= What should we do if it rains?

Youtube一夕成名‏

If you want to share movies with the world, you don't need to be a famous movie star. With YouTube, anyone can make their own videos and put them on the Internet. Three friends founded the website http://www.youtube.com in February 2005. These former PayPal co-workers set out to start the company in a garage. Over a year and a half later, they sold it to Google for US$1.65 billion.
如果您想和全世界分享電影，您不必是個有名的電影明星。有了YouTube，人人都可以把自製的影片放上網。三位好友在2005年二月時創立了www.youtube.com這個網站。這些之前在PayPal工作的同事，在一個車庫裡著手創辦公司。一年半之後，他們以十六億五千萬美金的天價將公司賣給了Google。
How does it work? YouTube is a free video-sharing website. People upload their videos, which can be watched right on YouTube's web page without another video player. You can also link its videos to your own personal sites. YouTube is very popular because it is free of charge and user-friendly. A hundred million video clips are viewed every day, and nearly 20 million different people visit YouTube each month.
它是如何運作的？YouTube是一個免費的影片分享網站。人們上傳影片，使用者不需透過影片播放器就可以直接在YouTube的網頁上觀看這些影片。您也可以將其影片連結到自己的個人網站上。因為YouTube免付費又易於使用，所以它大受歡迎。每天有一億部短片被人觀賞，而且每個月有將近兩千萬人連上YouTube網站。
At first, big American TV stations like NBC and CBS were annoyed that people were watching their shows for free on YouTube. However, the site became so popular that these stations now have official pages on YouTube. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them."
一開始，美國各大電視公司如NBC和CBS等，對於人們免費在YouTube上看他們的節目感到生氣。但是該網站實在太受歡迎了，導致現在這些電視台在YouTube上都擁有自己的官方網頁。常言道：若你阻止不了別人做某事，那自己也加入一起做。


Building Your Vocabulary

1.upload　vt.（將電腦資料）上傳
Tim uploaded his photos to his own website.
提姆將他的照片上傳至自己的網站上。
2.annoyed　a. 惱怒的
Mr. Chen was annoyed that his son lied.
陳先生很氣他的兒子說謊。
3.official　a. 官方的；正式的
According to the official news, the mayor will visit Singapore.
根據官方消息，那位市長將出訪新加坡。



Phrases for Learning

1.set out to + 原形動詞　開始……
We set out to paint this wall.
我們開始油漆這片牆。
2.free of charge　免費
You can pick these flowers free of charge.
你可以免費摘取這些花朵。
3.As the saying goes, 主詞 + 動詞　常言道……
As the saying goes, "Honesty is the best policy."
常言道：『誠實為上策』。



參考字詞
1.former　a. 前任的
2.user-friendly　a. 易使用的
3.clip　n. 短片



Tips In Use

PayPal
PayPal 是線上拍賣公司 eBay 旗下的公司，提供網上收款及付款服務。PayPal 是屬於信用卡支付款項的系統，有以下兩種付款方式：使用信用卡和使用 PayPal 帳戶內的餘額。若帳戶內沒有餘額，就只能以信用卡支付款項。相反的，若帳戶中有餘額（例如有買家付款到帳戶內），使用者可以把餘額放在帳戶裡當購物基金，也可以把餘額提領出來。
PayPal以快捷、安全、方便為號召，一旦使用者設好線上帳戶，往後的交易就只需透過 email 便可輕鬆進行。如此機制可免除在線上使用信用卡時，每交易一次就得經歷一次的繁複手續，並同時降低帳號資料被駭客盜用的風險。由於 PayPal 能幫助使用者解決跨國交易時收付款項等較麻煩的問題，並加速網上交易的步伐，因此受到拍賣網站賣家和買家的歡迎。這使 Paypal 目前擁有約一千萬名註冊使用者，去年透過它完成的交易金額便達三十五億美元。現在，全球正慢慢掀起一股 PayPal 的熱潮。



Tips In Use

...put them on the Internet.
（……放上網。）
Three friends founded the website...
（三位好友……創立了……這個網站。）

本文提到許多與網路相關的用語。以下為大家做介紹：
link　vt.　　　　　　連結
post　vt.　　　　　　張貼
download　vt.　　　　下載
homepage　n.　　　　　首頁
(web) page　n.　　　　網頁
video player　n.　　　影像播放器
(video) blog　n.　　　（影像）部落格，網誌
Internet (= net)　n.　網際網路
site (= website)　n.　網站

第三者

One of my Ss asked me a question...... 
( S = my student; Y = me )
S: What's the English for the Chinese " ²Ä¤TªÌ "? 
Y: I'm not sure are there any vocabularies or phrases for " ²Ä¤TªÌ " in English but you can explain the meaning of " ²Ä¤TªÌ " to your friends. In chinese, it means someone who gets involved with someone who's already in a relationship.
S: That's too complex! You can say " the third person ". 
Y: Well, I think that's pidgin English. It doesn't really have that meaning in English.... 
S: No kidding! See, I'm reading this English book by Jolin Tsai.
Y: I see. Anyway, Jolin Tsai says that " the third person " is the right way to say it in English.
 
And then I asked 3 of my coworkers....
C1: A relationship is between 2 people. If a third person gets involved it is called a " love triangle ". England they would call the third person a " bounder ". " Adultery " is a word that means that the 2 people of the " love triangle " were married. The proper meaning of " third person " is a literary term. It is used when describing a stroy about 2 other people, " spoken in the third person ".
C2: In most case I may hear of " the other woman " or " the other man " and these are the nicest term I would hear about a third person secretly getting invloved with someone in a relationship. And of course when there are three who willingly have sexual relationship experience at the same time many use the French term " menage a trois " or in American slang, a three way.
C3: She's totally wrong. I guess she didn't have an eidtor. What qualifies her to write about English, anyway?
Y: Hummm.... I think she studied English in college...?!
C3: Oh really? I studied Chinese in college, but I wouldn't even think about writing a book on it.
Y: Well, Taiwan's publishing industry is just like that. Famous people can get stuff out, even if it's not good.