How to make "Zhong Guo Jie"

this is a chinese traditional handmade called "Zhong Guo Jie"

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How to make Flower Sushi

what a beautiful Sushi, follow this video and make your own sushi !

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The 5 Easy Steps to Building Your Vocabulary

There are a lot of good strategies for building your vocabulary — learning the meaning of suffixes, prefixes, and roots of words, going through word lists and making flash cards for the words you don’t know, and signing up for a daily “Word of the Day” email from a website likeMerriam-Webster.com, to name a few.

But since I personally find it hard to motivate myself to study etymology, considered my flash card days over when I left law school, and know I wouldn’t open my Word of the Day email consistently (despite a pang of guilt each time), let me share my favorite vocabulary-building method. It’s a simple and classic one that helps you build your vocabulary gradually and naturally – without too much extra exertion. While it’s been around a long time, I first discovered it through one of those old cheesy, but wise, instructional films that I love:Here’s how it works:

The slow but earnest Mr. Willis tries to advocate for the building of a park, but has trouble expressing himself. In fact, the lady on the left was heard to mutter, “Whatcha talkin’ about Willis?”

1. Read. Reading is the single biggest thing you can do to increase your vocabulary (and of course it offers a whole host of other benefits as well). Without specifically trying to study vocabulary, you encounter tons of new words, the meaning of which you can often glean from the context in which the word is situated (although you shouldn’t rely exclusively on context – see below). Reading offers not just an awareness of words, but a real feel for them.

Mr. Willis takes up reading to boost his vocabulary — checking out books on everything from home decorating to his printing business.

The broader and more challenging your reading selections, the beefier your working vocabulary will become. Strive to read both nonfiction and fiction. Instead of only browsing content-aggregator sites, read entire articles in high-caliber newspaper like The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, and magazines like The Atlantic. Also dip into periodicals on different kinds of subjects like The Smithsonian or Scientific American.

2. Listen. You can also pick up new words from the people you talk with and listen to. This is, after all, exactly how you learned words back when you were a toddler. Our son Gus is always picking up new words from things we say, trying to figure out the context, and then trying them out himself (it’s excellent motivation to curb your cursing!). Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes he gets it wrong – often to comedic effect.

Of course, the effectiveness of this listen-to-learn method depends on who you surround yourself with. Challenge yourself by associating with well-educated people, watching interesting lectures, and taking the harder classes in school, even if doing so makes you uncomfortable. Iron sharpens iron, and the vocabulary of those with keens minds will rub off on you.

Mr. Willis begins to jot down words he hears and reads that he doesn’t know the meaning of.

3. Write down words you read and hear that you don’t know. Reading and listening are the ways you expose yourself to new words. Once someone uses a word you’re unfamiliar with, or you come across a new word while reading, write it down in a pocket notebook (or your smartphone).

Mr. Willis transfers his new word list to a special vocabulary notebook.

4. Look up the word in a dictionary and write down its meaning in a vocabulary notebook. Whenever you hear or read a new word, you should always stop and try to figure out its meaning from the context in which it is given. But a word can have multiple meanings and shades of meaning, the author or speaker could possibly have used the word incorrectly, and even if you do guess the right meaning, you may quickly forget it. So don’t stop there. Once you get a chance, look up the new word you wrote down in your pocket notebook in a dictionary (new dictionary apps make doing this possible on the go), and then write it and its definition in a larger notebook dedicated to learning new vocabulary. Keep the definition short and put it in your own words – you don’t really understand something if you can’t explain it yourself.

You can customize yours with some cool stickers.

It’s also important to jot down the pronunciation of the word – not with fancy symbols, but phonetically in a way you will understand. For example, for the word “oblique,” you could write its pronunciation as “oh-bleek.” What’s great about the advent of online dictionaries is that they often have a button to click to hear the word being spoken aloud. Knowing how to correctly pronounce a word is crucial – dropping big words into conversation, but saying them incorrectly is worse than not saying the words at all. Once you’ve written down the proper pronunciation, say the word aloud several times.

You might also write down some of the word’s synonyms, and even draw a picture that can help you remember its meaning.

5. Use the new word several times in conversation as soon as you can. This will really help sear the word into your mind.

Mr. Willis redoes his presentation, this time dropping in words like “vacillate” and “ultimatum” and the crowd goes wild. Way to go Mr. Willis!

Catering Your Vocabulary to Your Crowd

Once you start building your vocabulary, you may be tempted to throw out the big words you’ve learned every chance you get.

But just as important as expanding your vocabulary, is learning to use it appropriately. A large vocabulary is not accumulated for showing off; it’s a tool that allows you to communicate more effectively. Using the wrong vocabulary at the wrong time negates this function.

If you use big, uncommon words with your friends while watching a football game, they might not understand you, and definitely will think you’re putting on airs. Ditto for when you’re first getting to know someone — a purposeful display of your large vocabulary will make people think you’re smug and pretentious. At the same time, you don’t want to fill your speech with slang words when you’re being considered by a panel of faculty for a professorship. And while you do want to use technical terms when discussing your invention with fellow scientists, you don’t when trying to sell your idea to a layman venture capitalist.

You get the idea. Cater your vocabulary to the circumstances and pick words that will allow you both to express yourself and make yourself understood, while being engaging and setting your listener at ease. Never assume a shared vocabulary and know your audience!

Finally, always remember Mark Twain’s famous admonition to not “use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.” And occasionally, even using a nickel piece is fine; if “awesome” or “epic” really is the best word to describe how you feel about something, then go for it – pompous vocab police be damned.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/10/03/the-importance-of-building-your-vocabulary-and-5-easy-steps-to-doing-it/

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Understanding Beginning Writing Skills in Preschoolers

By Kristin Stanberry It’s easy to keep track of your preschooler’s growth in height and weight. But how can you measure your child’s development in other areas? For instance, can you tell if he or she is learning and mastering age-appropriate writing skills? As your child’s parent and first teacher, there is no one better to observe and gather information about the progress she is making during the preschool years. The questions and tips that follow will help you understand what type of early writing skills your 3- and 4-year-old child should be developing and how you can support her budding writing skills. Is your child developing age-appropriate writing skills? The most important thing for parents to remember is that writing during the preschool years is, well, messy! The goal is to help children understand how writing works, that it connects in meaningful ways to reading, and that it communicates information, through words and symbols. Do you know what basic writing skills your child should be learning and mastering at ages 3 or 4? Review the following questions, and note how your child is doing in each area. Does my child: Express ideas and stories through pictures she draws? Use pencils, crayons, and markers for drawing and writing? Copy and draw lines and circles, and symbols like “X” and “+”? Attempt (with some success) to write some of the letters in her first name? Show an understanding of how writing and drawing help us communicate and function in everyday life? Encouraging early writing skills at home Now that you understand some of the beginning writing skills your child should have, you can reinforce those skills and help her make further progress. It’s easy (and fun!) to practice writing with your child throughout the day. Here are some activities to try: Let your child use writing tools such as pencils, washable markers, chalk, and crayons. Gather and organize these materials, along with some paper, in a box that your child can decorate and have access to. Encourage your child to use drawing to express ideas and tell stories. Show your child that written words are a part of daily life. From grocery lists and email messages to billboards and signs in stores, writing is everywhere! Teach your child to print her first name. (Be patient, as this will take practice.) This is very empowering for a preschooler! Label your child’s belongings with her name. And, let your child label some of her own things (such as a notebook or crayon box). Let your child mold clay letters for hands-on practice shaping letters of the alphabet. Help your child create a pretend menu using pictures of food from newspapers and magazines Note: If your child has a regular babysitter or daycare provider, be sure to pass these tips along to the caregiver. Promoting early writing skills at preschool There is a growing emphasis on structured learning in today’s preschools and while there is still plenty of play time, time in school tends to follow a more rigorous curriculum than in the past. To keep track of how well your young child is learning to write, you’ll want to: Ask your child’s teacher how writing is being taught and practiced – and whether your child is doing well or struggling. Find out what specific early writing skills your child will need to master in order to have a successful start in kindergarten. Collect samples of your child’s writing in the work and projects she brings home, display them at home, and discuss them together. Encourage your child to talk about school and learning, and try to gauge how she feels about writing. Cause for concern? Where to turn for advice and assistance If you’re worried that your child’s writing skills are below-average for her age group, rest assured that not all preschoolers learn to write at the same pace. However, you may want to seek help if your child: Dislikes and avoids writing and copying. Is late in learning to copy and write. Has trouble remembering the shapes of letters and numbers. Frequently reverses or otherwise incorrectly draws letters, numbers, and symbols. Discuss your concerns with your child’s preschool teacher or other personnel at your local school district. Your child’s pediatrician might also be able to provide guidance. And, be sure that your child has undergone vision and hearing screenings. If you’re concerned that your child may have a learning disability or delay, you should contact your public school system and request (in writing) that a diagnostic screening (at no cost to you) be conducted (available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-literacy/understanding-beginning-writing-skills-in-preschoolers

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How to be a better reader

The importance of reading

Reading is an extremely important skill. It is by reading that you learn much of what you need to know for your different school subjects. Reading is also an excellent way to improve your general English. You can only learn from reading, however, if what you read is not too difficult. For this reason, it is important to know what makes texts difficult and how you can improve your chances of understanding them.

What makes texts difficult to understand

Most of your reading difficulties will be caused by a problem on the list below. Of course, when two or more of these problems happen together, your chances of understanding will be even smaller.

• the text has many unknown words
• the text has long, complicated sentences
• the text is about a topic you know nothing about
• the text is about a topic you find boring
• the text has small print, long paragraphs, no pictures
• the text has been badly written
• you are feeling tired
• you are distracted
• you don't know the important cohesion markers
• you don't know why you have been asked to read the text

How to understand more of what you read

You can do nothing about some of the reading difficulties: for example, you can’t change the print in a book or make poor writing better. But there are many things you can do that will give you a better chance of understanding what you read. Here are some suggestions:

1. 1. Know your reading purpose - The way you read a book or a text depends very much on your reasons for reading it. This is why it is so important to know your reading purpose. You should read a question in your math exam differently from an entry in an encyclopaedia which you are looking at quickly to find out the date of an event. The kind of reading you do in class or for your homework is different from how you read a novel for pleasure in the summer vacation.If you know your reading purpose - perhaps by looking first at the questions you must answer after reading - you can choose the best reading method.
   If your teacher gives you something to read and doesn't tell you what you need to find out from the text or what you will do after the reading, ask her (or him)!
   
2. 2. Choose the appropriate reading speed - ESL students often take a long time to do their work because they read everything slowly and carefully. Often, however, one of the following speedreading methods will be the best choice:
   
   
   • Skimming - this is reading a text quickly to find out what information it contains. You should skim when, for example, you want to check if a text has the information you need to answer some questions or write a project. It is often enough to look at the first (and last) sentences in each paragraph.
     
   • Scanning - this is reading quickly to find a specific piece of information. You should scan when, for example, you are looking for the answer to a question which you know is in the text.
   In general, students should be trying to increase their reading speed. (Click to do some speed reading practice.)
   
3. 3. Get background information - Find something out about the topic you have to read. The more background information you have, the easier it will be to understand the text. You can get this background information background in your own language. For example, if you are studying the Italian Renaissance, you could read an encyclopaedia or textbook in your own language to find out the most important details about this historical period. Your parents may also be able to give you useful background information. Talk to them in your language.You can sometimes get background information from the text itself. Many writers include a conclusion or summary; if you read this first, it may give you a good start.
   
   
4. 4. Use all the information in the book - Good textbooks are well-organised, with titles, sub-titles, introductions, summaries or conclusions. Many books also have pictures with captions. Look at all these first before starting to read.Another aspect of good writing is that each paragraph has a topic sentence. A topic sentence is a sentence, usually the first one in a paragraph, that contains the main idea of the paragraph. If you concentrate on understanding the topic sentence, this may help you to understand what comes next.
   
   
5. 5. Increase your vocabulary - Of course, reading itself is an excellent way to improve your vocabulary, but there are many other things you can do. (More advice on learning vocabulary.) The better your vocabulary, the easier you will find your reading.
   
6. 6. Use your dictionary sensibly - A common mistake of ESL students is to look up each unknown word in the texts they are given to read. Occasionally this is necessary - for example, when reading examination questions. But it takes a long time and can be very boring. It can even make understanding more difficult because by the time you reach the end of the paragraph you have forgotten what you read at the beginning! (Advice on how and when to use your dictionary.)
   
7. 7. Learn the important words that organise text - When you read texts in your science or history books, you will find that most good writers organise their writing with cohesion markers (also called transition words). These are words that connect different parts of the writing and help writers structure their thoughts. If you learn the important cohesion markers, you will find it easier to understand the text.Here are some important cohesion markers: also, therefore, except,unless, however, instead, (al)though, furthermore, moreover,nevertheless, on the other hand, as a result, despite, in conclusion.
   
8. 8. Choose the right place to read - You can’t really expect to understand a difficult book if you are trying to read in the same room with the television on and your little brother distracting you. The same goes for reading in the bus on the way to school. You also can’t expect to read a textbook and listen to music at the same time. Try to find a quiet and comfortable place with good light, and your dictionaries and other materials nearby.
   
9. 9. Choose the right time to read - If you have a difficult text to read for homework, it’s probably best to do this first. If you leave it until last when you are tired, you will find it even more difficult.
   
   Important: If you have tried the advice above and you still cannot understand a text, then it is simply too hard for you. Stop reading and ask someone to help you (your ESL teacher, for example!). Nobody likes to give up, but you will just be wasting your time if you continue to work at a text that is beyond you.
   

   What to read

   Most of the time you have to read what your teachers tell you to read. But as you know, reading is an excellent way to improve your English, and so you should try to do some extra reading each week. Here is some advice on how to choose what to read:
   
   
   
   
   • Try not to read something too difficult - There should be no more than about 6-10 new words per page; reading for pleasure should not be hard work!
     
   • Reading easy books is good for you -You will improve your reading skills even if you read simple books, as long as you read lots ofthem. (But you may find you don't really enjoy stories written in English that has been over-simplified.)
     
   • Try to read some non-fiction - Reading non-fiction books or magazines will help you learn some of the words you need to do well in your subject classes. There are millions of pages of non-fiction on the world wide web!
     
   • Choose something that is interesting to you - This is clear. In fact, if you are really interested in a topic, you will probably be able to understand texts that would normally be too difficult for you.
     
   • Surf the internet - You can learn a lot of English just by surfing around on the websites that interest you. This is particularly true if the webpages contain pictures that help you understand the writing.

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How to Be a Good Listener

Listening is an essential part of communication and listening is very different from hearing. Not to be mean but, sometimes there are people in the world who are chatterboxes. A chatterbox is a person who can never stop talking. You may be one at times. These types of people talk too much and aren't very good listeners. Reading this article can change that, so read it well! Being a good and patient listener helps you solve many of life's problems and see the world through the eyes of others. It enriches your understanding and expands your capacity for empathy.It also increases your contact with the outside world helping you improve your communication skills. As simple as listening (and acknowledging) may seem, doing it well, particularly when disagreements arise, takes sincere effort and lots of practice.

Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf... - Native American Proverb

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Listener

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