NPR_Cities Take On Kyoto Challenge to Cut Emissions

Cities Take On Kyoto Challenge to Cut Emissions

by Kathleen Schalch

All Things Considered, July 31, 2007 · Mayors across the nation are trying to do something meaningful in their communities to address climate change. More than 600 have pledged to try to meet the target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions set by the Kyoto Protocol, even though the federal government won't make the commitment.

One city not waiting on Washington is Boulder, Colo., a sunny college town with lots of bike paths, mountain vistas and activists. Mayor Mark Ruzzin says residents are alarmed about global warming and want to take action.

"We don't need to study it for another five years. We don't need to play politics for another five years," he says.

So Boulder has created the nation's first carbon tax — a charge that's added to electric bills because the electricity comes from coal-fired power plants.

more info:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12375985

A letter to an Italian restaurant owener

Last Saturday night, you took your date to an Italian restaurant for a romantic dinner. You were very disappointed by its food and service. Write a letter of complaint of 150-180 words to the restaurant’s foreign owner. In your letter, provide the following information:

Why you are writing this letter?
What happened and when?
What complaint you had about the food?
What you think the owner should do and why?

Dear the owner of the restaurant,
The letter I wrote is about my unpleasant experience in your restaurant last week. That was my first time to try Italian food in your place. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a miserable memory. The day we went was for the date with my girlfriend. Although I made the reservation about two week ago, we had still waited for one hour to get in. When I was walking in, the carpet was slippy and I almost stumbled on the staircase. In addition, the silverwares were full of scratch and looked like hundred years old. The light was dim and blinking. I couldn’t feel any romantic atmosphere a good restaurant supposed to have.
The services were poor either. We finally got the order after a continuous calling. Again, we were disappointed to the over-cooked meats and wrong orders.
The food didn’t satisfy us either. How could the bland soup tasted like water? And the steak was too hard to chew. It tasted just like a flat tire. The desert was the only thing we didn’t complain about. I insist your reply to my complaints. I suggest you should really consider the improvement of both the food and service of the restaurant. By doing so, you will have more customers and I’d like to come back sometimes in the future.

article sharing --Freedom from Fear-- Declaring War on Extortion Rings

Dear all,

There's the article I'd like to share to you folks. It's about the news of 詐騙集團. There are some useful vocabs we can learn from. Check out and enjoy it. One thing to remind, for the terrible mistake on the pre-test been made last week. We have to take it AGAIN ! It's on tomorrow morning at 11:00. Hopefully you all get the information. For more info, please call KO-JEN.

good day

robin

Freedom from Fear-- Declaring War on Extortion Rings

In the middle of April when Su Jia-chyuarn became the new interior minister, he immediately put primary emphasis on a full-fledged assault on extortion rings that fake kidnappings to extort ransoms. He invited the heads of the High Court Prosecutors' Office, the National Police Administration, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Directorate-General of Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Finance's Bureau of Monetary Affairs to attend a focus meeting on the issue. A nationwide sweep will aim to restore to the public lives free of fear.

for more:

http://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/show_issue.php?id=200459305062E.TXT&table=2&cur_page=1&distype=

you can also have the Chinese version !

picture description -- garden

There's a woman in the picture picking flowers in an indoor garden. Although I don't the name of flowers, they are beautiful. It's getting more and more popular for people live in a city to have a small garden to grow something they like. They may not really have it, yet they rent it from landowners. It's a trend that people want to grow vegetable or fruits their own which without the worry of chemical remains toward those they buy in stores. Also, some love the way to be a farmer and specialize the farming stuff.
It's hard to make a farmer dream come true in a city. However, there has been a change these years. Many people are willing to rent a little farm and take care of it. For them, there's a fun to dig and seed. The triumph of having their crops grow through their cares is tremendous. It requires a great effort to grow crops. First, you need to water them and arrange/set a well-organized place for them to grow. To fertilize crops from time to time is necessary for them need enough nutrients to grow well. Once you reap your crops well-grown, you would be in love to be a farmer. --city farmer

picture description --gift unwrapping

The two kids in the picture seems to unwrap their gifts in boxes. It's always exciting to open a gift for a surprise. We give the gift for someone we admire or love and appreciate his or her goodness. Parents might have many chances to buy gifts for their children. Kids love the gifts! The secret in a gift is always worth to wait and look forward to. Although some don't indulge children with fancy gifts, others feel positive to give the gifts as a reward.

For me, I sometimes buy gifts for kids as birthday present or prize when they perform excellent. Kids are sensitive to be aware what gifts they have from the one who gives them. While they are unwrapping a gift, there are different reactions there. While some tear it carefully and preserve the gift well, others are hunger to dig the gift out without a mercy. (the opener)

picture description --escalator

escalator
In the picture, there are two men on a escalator. You can see the equipment set in places such as department stores and MRT stations. It's a thoughtful design for people to get upward and downward with less effort. Also, it provides efficiency for busy and lazy people. Although some argue that it could be dangerous to hurt people when they accidentally fall on the stairway, many experience its benefits for most of time.
The escalator in the picture is long and deep. It saves time to go down from the other end above through a escalator. There's a rule when people take the escalator. It's polite to stand on the right side and make the room for someone who can move through on the left. For a security concern, people are not allowed to run or jump on the moving stairs. I enjoy taking the escalator. I like the feeling it moves me from up and down in a stable way.

good stuff sharing !!!

有一本書或許對寫作考試有幫助
大家可以參考看看
雖然書名是針對托福考試
但我覺得此書對寫作可以建立概念
且有100篇作文可以參考
而且是外國老師編寫的
句子用法或會更貼切
書名是電腦考托福寫作突破2003-2005 哈佛留學書店
ps我不知近年是否有出新版的(如2006-........)
有興趣的同學可以去書店找找
From Crystal

1、美國托福名師親自撰寫的寫作步驟、策略與忠告。

2 、考前準備的關鍵單字、句子與片語。

3、100篇托福寫作範文。

4、了解電腦考托福寫作4大類型。

5、了解電腦考托福寫作5大準則。

6 、了解最佳的電腦考托福寫作文章結構。

more info:

http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010267970