李韋樺, HW, u1587, team CHOCO

"In music, you just can't escape when something is beautiful," Ray Charles once said.

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 ~ June 10, 2004), was a legendary singer, pianist, and composer. He was such a creative person that I can't help falling into his music!

Ray had a hard time in his childhood. His mother died when he was young, and he lost his sight at the age of seven, but these events didn't keep him away from his talent.

He broke so many rules of music at that time. Country, blues, jazz, R&B and even funk, Ray has set the standards of them for more than five decades. He devoted himself to create new music styles. Ray has released over 250 albums, and many of them are top sellers in a variety of musical genres. He also won many awards due to his dedication to music.

Even though Ray has passed away for 3 years and no more music pieces will come out; but to me, he is definitely a creative person that will never be forgotten.

李韋樺-HW4-1587-team CHOCO

Part I. About the Bluemen performance

A. Transcribe the complete text.

Your attention please. Thank you for choosing Earth as your planetary vehicle. We hope you enjoy the many wonderful features of this planet as you hurtle through the cosmos. Please note, however, that in the event of continued inaction in the face of global warming, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. Also, please take a moment to locate this planet's emergency exists. As you can see, there aren't any. Earth. To America! Can you hear? Sending out a message loud and clear. Can you hear?

B. What do you think of this performance?

What a brilliant performance! I have heard of this group, BLUE MAN, a few years ago. I was impressed when I saw their performance at the very first time. It is not until today do I realize that they bring not only entertainment but also education to us. I love the idea of using things like tubes to make strong beats, which I think is also appeal to everyone. "Global Warming" is a global crisis which everyone knows but pays little attention to. They choose this theme as their topic in order to catch the viewers' attention, so that everyone could face this problem again seriously and try to do something about it.


Part II. About global citizenship

A. In what ways do you think you are already a global citizen?

Through the innovation of new technologies, such as the Internet and communications satellites, the whole world becomes a "Global Village". It's convenient to catch up with the world's latest event by using these inventions. I don't always have time to watch TV news, but I'll glance at the headlines on the homepage of YAHOO website. In this way, I can at least get a superficial view of the world affairs. Therefore, I think I'm already a global citizen.

B. How can you become a better global citizen?

Whenever I think of those homeless polar bears in the North Pole(because the glaciers melt away swiftly), I do my best to save this planet. I turnoff the lights as soon as I leave the room, reuse things that can be used again, reduce the amount of the wastes I make, and so on. I'll also try to remind my family and my friends of the seriousness of global warming. As long as everyone bears the responsibility of saving this planet, I believe the world will become better and better.

李韋樺-HW3 (CEEP 1.1)-u1587-team CHOCO

According to my CEEP (Homework 1), I should have done several things. However...

• 1. I did watch CNN in the morning, but not every morning. Sometimes I link to their website (http://edition.cnn.com/) and take a look at the latest news. There are also some vedios on their website.
• 2. I haven't had a chance to talk to foreigners. Maybe I should try that so called "English Corner" some time.
• 3. I did read the English magazine Advanced for a few days, but did not keep on reading it. Maybe I should read it right after finish typing the blog!
• 4. Well, I didn't write any English diaries or English essays in these days...

What a shame that I barely follow the plans I have made...

李韋樺-My English Level In CEF-u1587-team CHOCO

I think my English level in CEF is between B2 and C1.

READING part :
Sometimes I read New York Times in 聯合報. I may not know every single words in the newspaper, but I know what the articles are about. Similarly, when I read novels, even though there are always some new words to me, I know what the characters had said or done, and I think that's enough to me. All I need now is to learn more words, which enables me to understand the articles faster and more precisely.

LISTENING part :
When I watch HBO (or CINEMAX, and so on), I not only read the Chinese subtitles on TV screen but also pay attention to the terms they use in their conversations. I often find some intersting terms which are composed of several easy words! Also, I enjoy listening to music. Instead of reading the lyrics, I always listen carefully to the singers and try to figure out what they are singing. Usually, I can get 80% correct in my guessing. (It's an interesting game!)

Due to these reasons, I think my English level in CEF is between B2 and C1.

李韋樺-My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan

My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan for 2007-2008 School Year

Since English is an international language, I made several plans to improve my English ability.

First, I would watch CNN every morning before going to school. In this way, I can not only improve my listening ability but also know what is happening around the world.

Second, even though I don't have any foreign friends, I would grab some chances to talk to foreigners on the road. It sounds interesting to talk to strangers!

Then, I would read some English magazines like Advenced to improve my reading ability and to learn more vocabularies. After all, the more words I know, the easier it will be to read English articles.

Also, if possible, I would write either English diaries or English essays frequently (maybe 2~3 times a week), since WRITING is the weakest ability among these four abilities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to me.

These are just the plans I made. I hope I could reach these goals!!