E-Concussion

Part 1 Limericks A limerick is a poem that has 5 lines. It tells a little story that can be funny or silly. Lines 1,2 and 5 will end their lines with the same sound and will also have the same number of syllables. Lines 3, 4 will end their lines with the same sound and will also have the same number of syllables. Now here’s an example of a Limerick Line 1: There was a small boy from Taipei (the sentence has 8 syllables and the word Taipei ends in a long a sound.) Line 2: Who was eating crabs on the bay (the sentence has 8 syllables and the word bay ends in a long a sound.) Line 3: When he was done ( the sentence has four syllables and the word done ends with an un sound ) Line 4: He sadly sung ( the sentence has four syllables and the word sung ends with an un sound) Line 5: There are no more crabs for today (the sentence has 8 syllables and the word today ends in a long a sound.) "There was a small boy from Taipei. Who was eating crabs on the bay. When he was done He sadly sung, There are no more crabs for today.” (Your work is posted on E-Colum.) Part 2 Do You Know These Troublesome Co-workers? By Robert Half International What do prairie dogs, credit thieves and slackers have in common? They’re all types of co-workers who can undermine your efforts at work. And, unfortunately, these personalities are prevalent in many offices. In fact, according to a recent Robert Half survey, nearly one-third of professionals said they work with someone who is rude or unprofessional on the job. Your relationships with co-workers can directly affect your on-the-job satisfaction -- and career success -- so treat everyone as professionally as possible, even those who may rub you the wrong way. Here are some examples of difficult colleagues you may encounter in the office and suggestions on how to best cope with each of them: The Belittler Belittlers routinely tear others down in order to build themselves up. Put-downs, demeaning remarks and disparaging comments are common trademarks of this person. Coping strategy: Your confidence is the Belittler’s weakness, and he or she will back off if you stand up for yourself. Try refuting a Belittler’s criticism by asserting yourself, using facts where possible. For example, if he or she puts down one of your ideas, say, “It’s something that’s worked for X, Y and Z, and it also is more cost-effective than what we’re doing now.” The Credit Thief Insecure about their status, Credit Thieves boldly steal your ideas and grab the glory when a project is successful. Curiously, they’re nowhere to be found when things go wrong. Coping strategy: Keep a written record of your activities and accomplishments, and give your manager regular status reports about the projects you’re working on. And don’t hesitate to correct misperceptions. (“Actually, I did the research; John helped input the data.”) The Noisemaker Be it making long personal calls, forgetting to silence their cell phone ringers, playing music or talking with others using their “outside voice,” Noisemakers can’t help but disturb others. Coping strategy: Do your best to insulate yourself from the sound. If you have a private office, close your door. If you work in a cubicle, try putting on headphones or moving to an empty office where you can concentrate in silence. If the situation persists, speak to the person and kindly ask him or her to keep the noise down, explaining that it’s preventing you from getting your work done. The Saboteur Saboteurs have a knack for leaving colleagues in the lurch. Similar to Belittlers, they like to make others look bad. Their tactics aren’t always overt, so you may not realize you’re working with a Saboteur until a critical deadline arrives. That’s when you discover you’re unable to complete your part of the project because the Saboteur has withheld important information. Coping strategy: Be sure your supervisor or project manager knows the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and insist on regular progress reports so that Saboteurs can’t take advantage of lapses in oversight. The Rumor monger Rumor mongers like drama and often spread half-truths or lies by talking behind others’ backs. This is an especially dangerous type of co-worker because he or she has the ability to tarnish your reputation. Coping strategy: The best defense is to avoid engaging in any kind of mean-spirited gossip. Remember, if you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all. If the Rumor monger starts swapping stories with you, avoid falling into the trap and instead excuse yourself as quickly as possible. The Slacker This person may try to pass off tasks to other staff members. The Slacker often claims he or she is “too busy” to help out, yet will make time for long chats and Web surfing during office hours. Coping strategy: If you lead a project team, be sure this person carries his or her weight by documenting the responsibilities of each member of the group and asking for regular status reports. Hold everyone accountable for their portion of the project, and be firm with deadlines. The Prairie Dog There’s nothing quite as distracting -- or, at times, alarming -- as when an individual pops his or her head over your cubicle wall, seemingly out of nowhere, or drops by your desk unannounced. It typically happens when you’re on deadline or just about to write down a brilliant idea. Coping strategy: Let the person know that, while you’d like to talk, you have a lot to do at the moment. If possible, schedule another time to meet, such as during lunch or after work. And, to prevent further interruptions, consider hanging a sign outside the entrance to your workspace, notifying people that you’re busy and when you’ll be available again. If one of these descriptions reminds you of yourself, it might be time to re-evaluate your own behavior and adjust it as necessary. Remember, when it comes to working in an office environment, the more you respect others’ time and space, the more likely they’ll be to return the favor. Vocabs in the article: Prairie dog: a small furry North American animal that lives underground Slacker: a person who is lazy; not work well or quickly enough Undermine: to weaken or destroy gradually Prevalent: existing commonly, generally or widely in a particular place or at a particular time Rub: to slide up and down or round and round Belittler: someone who cause you to seem small or unimportant Demeaning: to cause someone to lose one’s sense of personal pride Disparaging: to speak about without respect; make someone sound of little value Back off: to draw back; to step back Refuting: to prove that someone or something is mistaken or incorrect Assert: to state or declare forcefully Misperception: the action of perceiving been mistaken Insulate: to be isolated from influences Cubicle: a very small division of a larger room Persist: to continue in a course of action or way of behaving, firmly and perhaps unreasonably, in spite of opposition or warning Saboteur: a person who practice sabotage *sabotage: intentional indirect or secret action to prevent or ruin a plan Knack: a special skill or ability, usually the result of practice Lurch: to move with irregular swinging or rolling movements Leave sb. In the lurch: leave a person in difficulties Tactic: a plan or method that is intended to gain a desired result Overt: action in public not secret Lapse: a small fault or mistake Oversight: an unintended failure to notice or do something Monger: the seller Tarnish: to make or become dull, disorder, or less bright Swap: to exchange goods or position so that each person can get what they want Accountable: responsible; having to give an explanation for one’s action Seemingly: judging by facts as one knows them Drop by: 順便拜訪 Orphanage Plan 1. Date: at the beginning of April 2. Purpose: share English and Love 3. Content: Interesting teaching of English—combine English, dance, singing and a drama… 4. First Step: After getting the orphanage’s permission, we’ll pay a visit there in March first.