Today's Special： Brian's Mailbox (Questions regarding life issues) Please try to answers those questions as the following.
Question One： Do you consider yourself a confident person？Why or why not？
Yes, I do. Because I had failed in things several times from childhood to adulthood. Since then, I have been practicing a lot for almost everything, including my work and some professional techniques over and over again. Therefore,I've improved my relationships with others and embraced my life as well as moments for solitude. I am now leading a confident life. What about you？
Question Two： What's the most efficient approaches to making friends with strangers？
Under the circumstances of socializing with a bunch of strangers, I might withdraw from the crowds and therefore cringe at the corner for observing people who might be attracted to me or admiring my thoughts. Perhaps I could be acquainted with friends who share a lot in common with me and we should hit it off then. We can strike up a conversation regarding fashion, work, and the campus life.
Question Three： Have you identified your passion yet in life？ Is it possible to realize your dream at the early stage of your career？
Most people are pursuing richer lives full of luxury enjoyments and parties as if they were the centers of the world crowning them as the King or Queen entitled to privileges. In my case, I'd rather do whatever at will; However, I haven't found one for my ideal job or dream by far, but I am firmly convinced that there'll be one in the future.
Question Four： Why did you plan on raising children instead of remaining single with more freedom in hand？
People born with the ability of loving others and expecting to be loved in return are showering others with great affection, such innate ability ingrained in human nature and solidified in further education. For instance, I've been learning how to be a mother and re-experiencing a brand-new childhood as an adult. It's simply pure and lovely to feel loved and give it at the same time. And all of a sudden, you've found reasons fighting for your life and his/hers. It's a miracle from the above, a grand scheme of things beyond our scopes. Familiarity breeds contempt. Whenever having quarrels with my baby daughter, I felt torn for hurting her feelings. I wish I could protect her as long as humanly possible.
Questions Five： What's the longest hours have you waited for someone？ What's the occasion？
Last month, on my way home around the dusk, I felt really exhausted that day after meeting up my friends at a tea house so that I phoned my family to pick me up at the station. Little did I know why my mother who answered the call and promised to give me a ride didn't show up as scheduled, I had thought she was supposed to be there for me, but there's no soul as I could spot. After having been stood up for half an hour, I gave up the idea of being treated as a fool in public. Yes, I went home on foot and felt terribly betrayed or abandoned like a stray dog unleashed by my owner who never returned to fetch me at the community park.
Question Six： What kind of people do you feel repulsive about？ Why？
I really dislike the smell of cigarettes because the passive smoke can not only be tickle my throat, pollute the whole living environments but also killed people around you, especially your family.
Question： Seven： What have I learned from the trip to New Zealand？ ( A boy student went on a study tour by himself for the first time traveling abroad)
I have learned to travel alone and deal with all problems in the process of taking my flight from Taipei to New Zealand via Wellington. It was my first time with no one familiar to me starting the trip so desperately and nervously. Before I arrived there, I was helped by a great number of strangers and that made feel so eager to learn English well as soon as possible. I did grow more independent on my way home after the whole program. It was truly rewarding but appalling to me. Let's book myself on the next flight to somewhere. I will do much better than the first time.
< Being Self-Conscious is Not my Fault but a Downfall！>
You might hear the similar things from your beloved ones, coworkers, or family quite repetitively like "How come do I get so vulnerable to get myself stressed out and ride on the roller-coaster of the mood swings in just a day？" "All encounters shall be wonderfully rewarding and positively sweet, but NOT in my case." The truth is that we might consider walking on the street with our chins-up, but somehow the glimpses or unexpected eye-contact can be really offensive as if those pedestrians or bus drivers behind the windows could possibly see through my souls, leaving me totally naked in their brains and studying me like the physicians checking the patients' limbs or doing the knee's reaction test. Being ''paranoid'' is an understatement. You might wonder why I took so many information or ''seemingly existing criticism'' so seriously that I am shackled to it so vulnerably. Let me walk you through the whole thing from the very start. We were all born in a society full of CONTRAST. Which category do you fall into, top performers or underachievers whose criteria mainly depend on subjective observation or collective awareness of an individual？ You parents always appeared so dissatisfied with your academic performance at school no matter how much you've progressed. It's another nightmare when all the relatives were gathered together during Chinese New Year in Chinese culture or the Christmas time family members have your neighbors or whoever is able to make it to the celebrations. When a gang of strangers barged into your premise, they started to point their fingers at every single thing in sight, trying all means of degrading your achievements after long-year efforts and putting you into a difficult position when compared with your siblings, cousins, or someone you've never heard of. They just knew how to belittle you in the bone. Perhaps they can put'' Mentally Abuse others'' on the resume which might be a selling point during a job interview. Human nature simply works like that and you just cannot run away from them.
Recently, one of my best friends, Emily, was in a total dilemma with her fianc？, a mild-tempered and caring person willing to clean the whole house without any complaint. Everything seemed perfect in the process of dating each other. Something went wrong that she started being invited to his fianc?晹's family reunion every weekend. That's terribly annoying！
Any Citizen Digital Certificate IC card holder can apply for「Entry/Exit Dates Certificate」online
As long as aged 18 or above and holding a chip-embedded Alien Resident Certificate card issued by MOI, an alien can apply for 「Alien Citizen Digital Certificate」.(hereafter referred to as 「Alien Certificate」) National Immigration Agency, MOI announced that the service of 「Alien Certificate」officially kicks off on Apr. 25 and the applicant can visit any service center of NIA for application. Once obtaining the「Alien Certificate」, the foreigner living in Taiwan can enjoy the e-government services through the internet and appreciate the convenience and friendliness in Taiwan even more.
National Immigration Agency was quoted as saying： "For a long time, the foreigners based in Taiwan usually have had to visit government offices in person and could've done the business after their identities having been verified. It was an extremely onerous and time-consuming ordeal for them. However, from now on, thanks to the service of 「Alien Certificate」which can verify the identity of its owner through the internet, the foreigners can cut back a lot of their time going through the procedures and will be entertained with the convenience, swiftness and high security provided by the infrastructure of Taiwan government."
It is estimated that NIA's service centers around Taiwan will launch the service of application for「Alien Certificate」since Apr. 25, 2016. Any alien aged 18 or above can apply at any service center of NIA with his/her chip-embedded Alien Resident Certificate card. The holder of 「Alien Certificate」 IC card can utilize the 「Certificate of Entry/ Exit Dates Online Application」service at NIA's website. The application procedures of 「Alien Certificate」are as follow：
1.Apply in person： The applicant must bring his/her Alien Resident Certificate card.
2.Pay online： The applicant must go to the "Alien Customized Page" at MOICA's website and make the payment(IC card fee NTD250 +postage NTD25) with credit card within 15 days of application.
3.Activate IC card： The Alien Citizen Digital Certificate IC card will be mailed to the applicant's address. Once receiving the IC card, the applicant shall go to the "Alien Customized Page" at MOICA's website to activate the IC card online.
The validity of「Alien Certificate」is 5 years. The IC card will show the name of its holder and expiration date and can be used as ID on the internet. It will take 10 working days to mail the IC card on Taiwan mainland and take another 2-3 working days to offshore islands.(only domestic mail is available) If an alien acquires citizenship and still needs the Citizen Digital Certificate, he/she must go to Household Registration Office personally to apply for the certificate all over again as Taiwan citizen. For more information, please go to MOICA's website（http：//moica.nat.gov.tw） for reference. Customer service hotline： 0800-080-117; business hours： 07：00~23：00.
平日走到街上，感覺地面都在冒煙，真的是有幾分夏天氣息。要是太久沒有補充水分，身體狂sweating(正在流汗的)就很快dehydrated(身體缺水或幾近脫水的狀態)，這可是很危險的！Heat這個單字大家都常看到，但同學卻很少學習相關的用法！開頭就要跟大家來好好分享：「HEAT」！
1. It's heating hot out there and you could scorch an egg on the hood.
外頭快熱暈人了，根本就可以在車蓋上把蛋給烤焦了！
2. Turn off the heater, or it might cost you an arm and a leg.
把暖氣關了，不然總費用可是所費不貲。
3. If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.(人生劇場警語)
待不下這麼熱烘烘的廚房，就別來這邊工作了！(意指：一個人要是沒有能耐，就提早離開職場吧！)請同學務必背起來這個五星級超好用佳句！
A：You never know how my supervisor has been treating me with such heavy workload and demand that no one in the office be allowed to leave earlier if work done. What a world！(我那個上司老是丟給我繁重工作，還命令每個人工作完成也不能先離開辦公室！太扯了！)
B：To level with you, it's how the society works. If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Talent shouldn't be confined with such humble compensations, right？(平心而論，這個社會不就是這樣嗎？如果你真的受不了這種狀況，就辭職好啦！像妳這樣優秀的人才真是被虧待了，對吧？)
4. Please heat the baguette and the chicken roll for me, thanks.(想加熱剛剛點的法式麵包和雞肉捲，謝謝！)
5. The recent studies indicated that the heat wave in Europe had claimed at least dozens of people in the past years; what's worse, approximately five hundred locals in Pakistan succumbed to(屈服於…) the heat wave this year. 最近研究指出：歐洲過去幾年的熱浪至少奪去二十多人性命；更嚴重地，在巴基斯坦最近有五百多人死於今年的這場熱浪中。
6.The heating debate over the development project in one of Taipei's nature reserve.關於台北自然保育區改建案引起極大的爭議。
&以上同學可以看到HEAT本身有不同的搭配詞語並且也可以用很活潑的語氣用在不同交談場合和時機。
<文法測驗題目>請找出句中不符合文法的句子喔！別急著看答案
1. The modern (A)skyscrapers, though (B)visually pleasing, (C)they have been heating and cooling systems that required closed windows and additional cost of maintenance and (D)consequently waste money.
現今高樓大廈雖然看起來挺壯觀，緊閉窗戶額外定期維修的費用，來配合暖氣及冷氣設備運作，這筆花費會相當的驚人。
2. Most commuters in Europe tend to go to work by undergrounds.
大多在歐洲的通勤族都會搭地鐵上下班。
3. The prestigious university that founded in 1971 with few resources have been advocating equal right for education and liberty.
在1971年創立知名校院起初資源短缺，不遺餘力倡導教育平權及自由平等。
4. This program will offer you with great opportunities of operating multi-media learning materials.
這個課程會提供實際操作多媒體教材機會。
5. Among all candidates, Cathy overshadowed others with her witty talks and exhibition of professional skills.
在眾多面試者中，凱西憑著慧黠言談和專業技能技壓群雄。
6. This typhoon had left many residents to be homeless and desperately starved.這次颱風讓許多居民無家可歸且飢寒交迫。
7. This restaurant has a good reputation for hospitability service and intricate cuisines which my colleagues highly recommended.'
這家餐廳令人感到賓至如歸和提供精緻菜餚，同事大推！
8. You might consider Harvard University as the best school for advanced educations.
<文法測驗題目Answers>
1.(C)→have been 2.undergrounds →underground 3. founded →was founded 4. with →X (offer sb. sth.) 5. Among →Of 6. to be →X 7. hospitability →hospitable 8. as →X