October Reading: Emotional Intelligence

Joe Mande grew up idolizing his favorite comedian, Eddie Murphy. So when Mande started doing stand-up in clubs around New York five years ago, he tried to imitate his style. Murphy bounced around the stage in loud leather clothing and told rapid-fire jokes in his signature manic voice. But when Mande tried using that same frantic energy, he could tell the audience didn’t respond the same way that Murphy’s did.
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Find the full text at:

http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive/2009/September/EmotionalIntelligence.aspx

Notes:

Joe Mande
►Please refer to the link:
http://joemande.com/post/153322515/bio

Eddie Murphy
►Please refer to the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Murphy

stand-up also standup /ˋstændˏʌp/ [adjective, only before noun]

►stand-up [comedy] involves one person telling jokes alone as a performance
--a stand-up comedian

►a stand-up meeting, meal etc is one in which people stand up
--We had a stand-up buffet.

►a stand-up fight, argument etc is one in which people shout loudly at each other or are violent
--If it came to a stand-up fight, I wouldn't have a chance.

►able to stay upright
--a photo in a stand-up frame
--a stand-up collar

stand-up also standup /ˋstændˏʌp/ [noun, uncountable]

►stand-up comedy
--Mark used to do stand-up at Roxy's Bar.
►a comedian who does stand-up comedy


Someone (never) can tell also someone can (never) tell [spoken]

►Used to say that someone can(not) be certain about what will happen in the future
--But when Mande tried using that same frantic energy, he could tell the audience didn’t respond the same way that Murphy’s did.
--People can tell if you’re posturing or trying too hard.

Hanukkah

►An eight-day Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of Lights. Please refer to the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Dreidel

►a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Please refer to the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreidel

Harvest (Word of the Day, 2009/10/21)

Nina Chou

harvest /ˋhɑrvɪst/
►[uncountable and countable] the season for crop gathering
--The strawberry harvest starts in April.
--The apple harvest has begun. 

►[countable] amount of crops gathered
--This year’s rice harvest was very poor.
--A good harvest of strawberry is expected this year.

►a result or consequence
--The new medicine is the harvest of thirty year’s research.
-- I’m now reaping the harvests of my wrong decisions.

harvest festival [countable]
►a church service held in the autumn to thank God for the harvest
--People used to come here at night at harvest festival time and pray and dance.

harvest moon
►the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox.
--Does the harvest moon always occur in September? No, It depends on the date of the full moon with relationship to the equinox.

harvest /ˋhɑrvɪst/ [intransitive and transitive]
►gather or reap
--Try to harvest the fruit before first frost.
--When will you harvest your wheat?

harvester /ˋhɑrvɪstɚ/
►someone who gathers crops
--And like the swallows that harvest the thin fields of air, we must become harvesters of ever more intangible fields.

combine harvester
►a machine used by farmers to cut grain, separate the seeds from it, and clean it
--Instead of driving a modern combine harvester, he's using a binder to cut the corn into sheaves.

Another useful examples :
--Bring in (reap) a good harvest 獲得豐收
--Yield a rich harvest 成果豐碩
--Expect a plentiful harvest 預期豐收
--An abundant [ an ample, a good, a large, a plentiful, a rich, a splendid] harvest豐收
--A bad [ poor, scanty, wretched ] harvest 歉收

Autumn Leaves (Learning by Singing)

Autumn Leaves is one of the most beautiful popular songs I’ve ever heard. Originally, it’s a 1945 French song titled "Les feuilles mortes (The Dead Leaves)".

The music was composed by Joseph Kosma, a Hungarian-French composer. The French lyrics was written by poet Jacques Prévert.

Following is an English Translation for the French Lyrics.

Les feuilles mortes 
(The Dead Leaves)

French Lyrics: Jacques Prévert

Oh, how I wish that you would remember
The happy days when we were loving friends!
At that time life was more beautiful,
And the sun more brilliant than today.

The dead leaves are gathered in a shovel.
You see, I haven’t forgotten!
The dead leaves are gathered in a shovel,
Memories and regrets as well.

And the wind from the north carries them off
In the cold night of oblivion¹.
You see, I haven’t forgotten,
The song you sang to me.
This is a song that resembles² us.

You who loved me, I who loved you,
And we lived, the two of us, together.
You who loved me, I who loved you,
But life separates those who love each other
Very gently, without making noise.
And the sea erases on the sand
The footsteps of separated lovers.
--------------
1 oblivion/əˋblɪvɪən/
►when something is completely forgotten or no longer important
-- And by the end of the war, the issue had fallen into oblivion.

►the state of being unconscious or of not noticing what is happening:
-- He longed for the oblivion of sleep.
-- He had drunk himself into oblivion.

2 resemble/rɪˋzɛmbl/[transitive not in progressive or passive]
►to look like or be similar to someone or something
-- It's amazing how closely Brian and Steve resemble each other.
-- He grew up to resemble his father.

* reassemble/riəˋsɛmbl/[easy to confuse with “resemble”]
►[transitive] to bring together the different parts of something to make a whole again, after they have been separated
--The equipment had to be dismantled and reassembled at each new location.

►[intransitive] if a group of people reassemble, they meet together again after a period apart
--Parliament reassembled after a seven-week break.
--------------

Let's listen to the French version sung by Juliette Gréco.

The following French-English hybrid version was sung by the blind Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and his fiancee Veronica Berti.

The English lyrics was written by American songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1947.

Autumn leaves

Lyrics: Johnny Mercer

The falling leaves drift by the window,
The autumn leaves of red and gold.
I see your lips, the summer kisses,
The sunburned hand I used to hold.

Since you went away the days grow long.
And soon I'll hear old winter's song.
But I miss you most of all, my darling,
When autumn leaves start to fall.

Let's listen to Frank Sinatra.

The Discovery Files: Mind Scans (Learning English with Science)

For podcast please visit:

http://nsfgov.http.internapcdn.net/nsfgov_vitalstream_com/podcast/mind_scans.mp3

Audio transcript:

I Think I'm Having a "Where's Waldo"¹ Moment.

I'm Bob Karson with the discovery files -- new advances in science and engineering from the National Science Foundation.

Looking for a friend in a crowded room? Are you likely to scan the room, moving from face to face? Or take in the whole scene, hoping your friend's face will pop out at you? If you said, "scan the room," neuroscientists² at MIT would likely agree, based on a new study.

The researchers monitored brain activity of monkeys, who were given the task of finding a certain tilted colored bar on a computer screen filled with many colored bars. Rather than looking at the big picture, the monkeys shifted their attention in sequence -- like a moving spotlight that jumped from location to location.

The team found that the spotlight shifted focus 25 times a second and that the shifting was regulated by brain waves. It seems these waves may provide a clock that tells the brain when to shift attention from one stimulus to another. They might also keep different parts of the brain on the same page at the same time -- much the way computers use an internal clock to synchronize³ the different components inside.

The scientists say that if we could find ways to direct brain waves, it could be of immense⁴ help to patients with A.D.D.⁵, even speed up the cognitive powers of the brain.

Or help me find my keys.

Play audio

For the original, please visit:

The Discovery Files

-------------------

Notes:

1. Where's Waldo
^►It’s a game. The intent is to find a man named Waldo. For more information, visit the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where's_Wally%3F

2. neuroscientist/ˋnjυroˏsаɪəntɪst/
►A scientist who studies the brain and the nervous system

3. synchronize /ˋsiŋkrənаɪz/[intransitive and transitive]
►To happen at exactly the same time, or to arrange for two or more actions to happen at exactly the same time.
-- Colourful flashing lights synchronize the sound.

4. immense /ɪˋmɛns/
►extremely large [= enormous]
--Regular visits from a social worker can be of immense value to old people living alone.

5. A.D.D.
►= Attention-Deficit Disorder

5.1 Deficit /ˋdɛfɪsɪt/
►The difference between the amount of something that you have and the higher amount that you need.

5.2 disorder /dɪsˋɔrdɚ/[countable]
►[medical] A mental or physical illness which prevents part of your body from working properly.

September Reading: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

How speech evaluations can help - or hurt.

from the August 2009 Toastmaster

Some time ago I presented a three-hour workshop called “Push-ups for Self-Esteem.” After the session, the meeting planner and I looked over the evaluations. The first three I picked up were from people who had graded the workshop “poor” on everything: the room, the food, the location, the hotel and the speaker. The third person even wrote, “I have been more stimulated at a Tupperware party!”

Find the full text at:

http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive/2009/August/The-Good.aspx

Click on the link below to listen to the interview with the author, Carol Dean Schreiner, DTM:

http://www.toastmasterspodcast.com/members/toastmasters/blog/VIEW/00000017/00000236/Toastmasters-Podcast-006-Interview-with-Carol-Dean-Schreiner-DTM.html

Notes:

the rest of the stack
►the remainder
-- a hard disk can be replaced with flash memory while all the rest of the stack stays unchanged.

what/why/how etc. on earth ...?

►[spoken] used to ask a question when you are very surprised or angry

-- What on earth did you do that for?

die down
►To lose strength; subside
--The winds died down.

drive home
►carry out or perform; "deliver an attack", "deliver a blow";
--The boxer drove home a solid left"
►make clear by special emphasis and try to convince somebody of something; make something completely clear to someone
-- drive home a point or an argument
--I'm trying to drive home these basic ideas
--He didn't have to drive the point home. The videotape had done that.

gloss over
►to avoid talking about something unpleasant, or to say as little as possible about it
►cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error
--She tried to gloss over her mistakes
--It is bad policy to gloss over the difficulties.

pick on somebody/something
►to behave in an unfair way to someone, for example by blaming them or criticizing them unfairly
--Why pick on me every time?

in any case
►whatever happens or happened
--I don't see why I couldn't do it. In any case, I'm going to try.
--He's too young to come and in any case I want him to spend the time with Mom.

take advantage of somebody
►to treat someone unfairly in order to get what you want, especially someone who is generous or easily persuaded
--Don't lend them the car - they're taking advantage of you!

take advantage of something (to do something)
►to use a particular situation to do or get what you want
--I took advantage of the good weather to paint the shed.
--You'll want to take full advantage of the beachfront clubs.

Humor (World of the Day, 2009/9/16)

Humor / humour /ˋhjumɚ/ [uncountable]

►the ability or tendency to think that things are funny, or funny things you say that show you have this ability

˙sense of humor

--It’s vital to have a sense of humor in this job.

˙somebody’s brand of humor

--The host puts the contestants at ease with his own brand of humor.

˙black humor (=jokes, funny stories etc about the unpleasant parts of life)

--A little black humor never hurts.

˙Schoolboy humor (=jokes, funny stories etc that are silly and rude but not offensive)

--Isn't he a bit old for this type of schoolboy humor?

˙dry/deadpan humor (=when someone pretends to be serious when they are really joking)

--Some people find it harder to catch a deadpan humor, which makes it more charming.

˙wry humor (=when someone jokes about something bad or difficult)

--The film shows the challenges that confront teachers, but it does so with a subtle and wry humor.

˙a flash/trace/touch of humor (=a small amount of humor)

--He showed flashes of humor that delighted the audience.

►the quality in something that makes it funny and makes people laugh

--He failed to see the humor of the situation.

˙in a good/an ill/a bad humor (= in a good or bad mood)

--At eighty her eyes still sparkled with good humor.

Humor / humour /ˋhjumɚ/ [transitive]

►to do what someone wants or to pretend to agree with them so that they do not become upset

--'Of course,' he said, humoring her.

--Children go through defined periods of oppositional behavior and may need humoring out of them.

Humorous /ˋhjumərəs/ [adjective]

►funny and enjoyable

--The film has some mildly humorous moments.

Humorously /ˋhjumərəslɪ/ [adverb]

Humorless /ˋhjumɚlɪs/ [adjective]

►too serious and not able to laugh at things that other people think are funny

Humorlessly /ˋhjumɚlɪslɪ/ [adverb]

Humorist / ˋhjumərɪst/ [countable]

►someone, especially a writer, who tells funny stories

--Her brother is quite a humorist.

Conflict (Word of the Day, 2009/9/2)

By Jessie Tseng

conflict (verb) /kən'flɪkt/ (used without object)

conflict(s) – conflicted – conflicted

► to come into disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition

-- The account of one eyewitness conflicted ith that of the other.

-- My class conflicts with my going to the concert.

► to fight or contend; do battle

-- Companies often conflicts over the interests.

conflict (noun) /'kɑnflɪkt/

► a fight, battle, or struggle, esp. a prolonged struggle.

-- the Arab-Israeli conflict

► controversy; quarrel

-- conflicts between parties

► discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles: a conflict of ideas.

-- She found herself in conflict with her parents over her future career.

-- John often comes into conflict with his boss.

► incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another

-- a conflict in the schedule.

► [Psychiatry] a mental struggle arising from opposing demands or impulses.

-- There is a conflict between two sides of his personality.

-- Her diary was a record of her inner conflicts

Related forms

confliction (noun)

conflicted (adj)

►unable to decide what your feelings or opinions are about something.

-- I am ___________ to make the right decision.

conflicting(adj)

►similar with contradictory

-- It’s a ___________ findings with earlier results.

Phrases

conflict of interest(s)

► a situation in which someone cannot make a fair decision because they will be affected by the results.

► a situation in which something that is good for one person, but is bad for another person

-- In the conflict of interests, we often could see the cruel side of human nature.

conflict diamond

► It’s similar with blood diamond. Some countries in Africa in battles situation(belligerent交戰國),they will sell the diamond they exploit in their land in the national markets for raising the fighting funds.

Comparison

conflict vs. battle vs. fight

conflict

► "Conflict" usually happened when there are more than one individual who have different opinions, and they all disagree with other people's thoughts it can be used between two persons, groups or countries. The usage range is widest of three.

-- This is an irreconcilable conflict.

-- Armed conflict is likely to break out between the two countries.

battle

► The main differences is often used to describe a situation that using real swords, guns, or other weapons.

-- The ringleader (元兇）was shot to death in a gun battle.

-- His younger brother died in battle during World War II.

fight

► It’s usually used in person-person body or opinions argument. The usage is narrowest and not formal.

-- Who won the fight?

-- Their fights were always over money.

-- He has plenty of fight (戰鬥力) in him.

role conflict vs. role strain

► Role conflict is a special form of social conflict that takes place when one is forced to take on two different and incompatible roles at the same time. Consider the example of a doctor who is himself a patient, or who must decide whether he should be present for his daughter's birthday party (in his role as "father") or attend an ailing patient (as "doctor"). (Also compare the psychological concept of cognitive dissonance.)

► Role strain characterises a situation where fulfilling a certain role has a conflict with fulfilling another role. For example, you found your teacher made a mistake and should you report that? If you did, you might disgrace him and if you didn't, you might not fulfill your role as student. While role conflict takes place across different role sets, role strain happens within the same role set.