Luis國際資訊事務所

Show Real Asia 亞洲真風貌

Gucci...$100! Nike sneakers...$300! DVDs of the movies that are currently in theaters ...$50!　These are the words that vendors across Asia scream, trying to entice people to buy their products. The only problem is that these things may look, feel, and smell real, but they aren't. They are counterfeit1 goods.
　　This month, National Geographic Channel tackles the big business of bogus items in Faking China. The market for high quality reproductions2 generates plenty of revenue for antique dealers3. Master forgers4 can even make a career out of duping museum curators5 and experts. Be sure and tune in to Faking China so you know when someone is faking it.
　　Gucci……100元！Nike運動鞋……300元！院線片DVD……50元！
這些都是亞洲各地的攤販在叫賣中，為了誘惑人們買東西所用的字眼。但問題是，這些商品看起來、感覺起來或是聞起來都幾可亂真，但其實不然。它們全是仿冒品。
　　本月份，國家地理頻道在《贗品王國》中，帶您直擊商機龐大的仿冒業。高檔贗品的市場為古董商家帶來源源不絕的收入。仿冒大師甚至能騙過博物館館長和專家，賺進大把鈔票。敬請鎖定《贗品王國》，您才能分辨出哪個是假貨。

Breaking the Code　破解達文西密碼

Since its release in 2003, The Da Vinci Code, a novel written by American author Dan Brown, has sold over 17 million copies and been translated into dozens of languages. The book has captured the imagination of the masses, appealing to the detective that lies within us all. Combining the elements of a fast-paced mystery novel and conspiracy theory tale, the book has raised eyebrows and caused a worldwide sensation.
　　Robert Langdon, a well-respected professor at Harvard University, is the protagonist of The Da Vinci Code. In Paris to deliver a lecture on his work as a scholar in the field of religious symbolism, he has an appointment to see the curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauni€鋨e. Unbeknownst to Langdon, Sauni€鋨e has been murdered at the Louvre and his body is found posed like Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing, the Vitruvian Man. A cryptic message as well as a series of other clues have been arranged to help unravel a mystery. The French police summon Langdon to the Louvre under the pretext of helping them solve the murder.
　　The Da Vinci Code is a page-turner that leaves readers burning for more. While readers have embraced it, critics have denounced the work and many of the facts as nonsense. Fiction or not, one name rings out above them all, the true Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci.

單子:

1.capture　 vt. 捕獲；贏得

A Hairy Situation　你有什麼『毛』病

Many people believe that there's nothing worse than a bad hair day. Bad hair days are ones _(1)_ nothing seems to work to make your hair look normal. Standing in front of the mirror for hours _(2)_ trying to make your magnificent mane look just right is a common routine for millions. Isn't it a blessing that most of us don't have the same daily dilemma with the hair on our arms and legs?
　　Hair growth is caused by hair cells that form on a continuous basis. These hair cells _(3)_ inside the hair follicles. As new cells are formed, old cells are pushed out. The cells that are pushed out die and these dead cells are the hairs that we can see. The length of our hair _(4)_ on the duration of the "growth phase." This is the period of time that new cells are programmed to grow. After the growth phase comes the "rest phase." During the rest phase, new cells will temporarily stop _(5)_ while the existing hair will fall out and a new hair will take its place. The growth phase then starts again.
　　The growth phase for the hair on our head lasts for several years, while _(6)_ for hair on our arms lasts only a couple of months. This explains the _(7)_ in the length. Thank goodness that it's not the other way around or we might all end up looking like balding gorillas!

──by Jenny Chou

Stop Bugging Me!　惱人的害蟲

You awake to a cockroach crawling across your pillow. At lunchtime, you drop a piece of sandwich and soon _(1)_ ants have carried it off. By the end of the day, you will have swung an electric racket twenty times, killing several mosquitoes mid-flight. Pests. They seem to be plentiful and ever-present. Can anything be done?
　　Total elimination is impossible, but you can _(2)_ some precautions to secure your home. Ants and cockroaches seek out food, so you should keep an airtight lid on un-refrigerated food and keep open food bags securely _(3)_. Sweeping floors and wiping the table after meals are good added precautions. Ant and cockroach sprays can catch these pests unaware and kill them quickly. Spraying a small amount around windowsills and cracks can prevent them from entering the premises. If you're _(4)_ on time, many kinds of sticky tape or powdered poisons can take care of business for you.
　　Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide humans exhale, so it's easy for them to _(5)_ us. Citronella candles, smoke, and mosquito nets create a shield they are unlikely to penetrate. If your primary _(6)_ is with their destruction, you may use a bug zapper or mosquito racket to quicken their demise.
　　Above all, preparedness and cleanliness are the best defenses _(7)_ pests. If you create an unwelcoming environment, the pests will move on.
──by Trudy Barnes

The Tall and Short of It　高人一等的秘密

Amazingly, we start off as tiny creatures of 40-50 centimeters in height. Throughout childhood and puberty we continue to grow and by adulthood, the _(1)_ of us are between 120 to 170 centimeters tall. What are the factors involved in producing such a dramatic change in such a short period of time?
　　Genetics _(2)_ a key role in determining a person's potential height. But a number of environmental factors can also have a hand in _(3)_ tall we actually become. Nutrition, sleep, and exercise are also major factors. These three have a strong influence on the amount of growth hormone secreted, which in turn has an effect on our future height.
　　During adolescence, people experience a growth spurt. This is when an individual can grow _(4)_ practically overnight. During this time, they should maintain a high protein, high calorie diet to maximize their height potential. Apart from a _(5)_ diet, it is wise to get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Lastly, one should get involved in sports, especially basketball, cycling, and swimming, which are all good for helping _(6)_ the body during the growth period.
　　In today's image-conscious society, not being as tall as everyone _(7)_ can be a blow to one's confidence. But remember that confidence comes from within. If you stand tall and think tall, then most likely you will also feel tall!
──by Jenny Chou

A Bright Idea　靈光一閃

Watch any old cartoon, and you're bound to see a villain trying to outwit his innocent victim. _(1)_ As the story unfolds, our hero says, "A-ha!" and a light bulb appears over his head as he figures out what he's going to do to outsmart the bad guy.

　　This "light bulb moment" is something that we have all experienced at one point or another. _(2)_ Researchers have been trying to discover what exactly happens in the brain when we get an idea out of the blue, or when we know, as if by magic, the answer to a difficult question. John Kounios, a psychology professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, says that sudden bursts of insight actually set off "lights" in our brains. _(3)_ The subjects were given numerous random things and asked to show their connection. _(4)_ This light was actually electrical activity in the part of the brain that makes connections among unrelated things.

　　Cartoonists have known for ages what brain researchers are just now discovering. _(5)_ In essence, when you're trying to be smart, you usually are.

A Perfect Knit　編織熱

When many people think of knitting, they picture their grandmother working away to create a sweater that will be unfashionable and extremely hot. However, knitting is becoming a hip skill that is nothing like _(1)_ your grandmother does. Hollywood stars Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and the character Charlotte from the hit HBO series Sex And the City, have _(2)_ knitting. These celebrities confirm the growing popularity of this craft.

　　Knitting has become particularly _(3)_ among college students. Students at the University of Pennsylvania enjoy knitting for a variety of reasons. Some use it as a form of relaxation while _(4)_ see it as a creative outlet. Knitters at the university even claim it helps them concentrate during class. Knitting has become so popular that Smith College in Massachusetts now offers a _(5)_ in knitting.
　　Students aren't the only ones jumping on the knitting bandwagon. Working professionals, women and men _(6)_ , are getting in on the craze. The new knitters tend to _(7)_ fast-paced lives, and knitting is a form of meditation. In coffee shops and empty offices, knitting circles have sprung up where people can come together, chat, and knit a pair of socks.

　　Though knitting a piece of clothing may not be everybody's idea of a fantastic evening, for many it is the perfect way to end a hectic day.

Mr. Johnson sat in the international terminal for two days, unable to board his flight due to forgetting a few essential travel documents. These two dreaded days in the airport could have been avoided if Mr. Johnson had only prepared in advance. By _(1)_ the advice below, your next adventure will be delightful rather than depressing.

　　If you plan to fly in the future, there are some precautions you should _(2)_. First and foremost, be sure to call the airline a few days before departure to confirm your _(3)_. This gives you priority on an overbooked flight. _(4)_ Mr. Johnson, make sure you have all your necessary documents, tickets, and identification before you set out for the airport. On the day of departure, plan to arrive at the airport at least two hours before takeoff on international flights. As an added measure, check in at the ticket counter_(5)_ your flight is posted.

　　Passport theft is common. Keep your identification and travel documents in a convenient, yet secure location. _(6)_ of people standing too close to you and report anyone who asks you to transport a package or bag aboard a flight.

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The Seven Wonders of the World　世界七大奇景

Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC), the best-known ruler of Babylon, is credited with gracing a Babylonian palace with gardens that enchanted soldiers and spectators of the time. Even though the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, little information exists on the specifics of these gardens. Archeologists have even debated their precise location. Those who had provided information about the gardens never actually saw them with their own eyes. Their writings were based solely on the stories of soldiers and other travelers. Nonetheless, it is believed that viewers had to look straight up to see the botanical splendor of the hanging gardens.

　　While Nebuchadnezzar was dazzling the people of Babylon with gardens, Rome was fast at work creating a wonder of its own. Zeus was the god of gods and every four years athletes competed at a shrine built in his honor. There were several temples erected over the years, but it wasn't until 470 BC that one befitting his greatness was finally under construction. The original temple was simplistic in design but after consideration, it was decided that a four-story statue of Zeus would make the temple worthy of a god of Zeus's magnitude. One aspect of this statue that caught the attention of historians is that Zeus was built seated in such a manner that if he were to stand up,he would un-roof the palace, thus signifying the power of the Greek god.

What’s the rate?
（費用是多少？）

各種「費用」，包括水電費或計程車費等，都是日常生活中的小事。而「費用」的英語也依照支付的內容而有所不同。了解支付費用的內容，才能用對適當的英語字彙。

not「不」
no + 名詞、代名詞「不、沒有」
nothing「沒有任何東西」
nobody「沒有任何人」

◎ 主題概念

1. 表示「持續」的疑問句
Have you lived here for a long time?
（你已經在這裡住很久了嗎？）
Yes, I have.∕No, I have not.
（是的，住很久了。╱不，沒很久。）

1.I have studied flower arranging for a long time.
（我學插花已經很長一段時間了。）

2.He has managed to master English.
（他終於精通英文了。）

1.To challenge oneself is extremely important.

2.Challenging oneself is extremely important.1
挑戰自己是非常重要的事。

1.We want to have a table near the window.
（我們要靠窗的桌子。）