Online Class Notes (Jesse) [R]

Vocabulary

I’m tired
It’s tiring

concept – idea that you need to learn

ohh that’s right – you remember now

fall in line – to follow the rules
eg. the students should fall in line in class

OK / I see = new things you now know
I know / Yeah = things you already knew before

customary – customs – a traditional thing people of a country do

antique – a really old thing like clothing / cups / plates etc
eg. i went to an antique shop and bought something that was 100 years old

legitimate – real / official
eg. I’m a legitimate English teacher

unconventional – not normal / doesn’t follow standards

niche – not many people do it
eg. teaching shanghainese is a niche job

quirky – a little strange, and funny – not normal – positive

props – fake things in movies and tv shows
costume – clothes in movies and tv shows

mainstream – sth normal people do
eg. iphones are a mainstream product

offbeat = not normal, like trends, interests, hobbies, feeling

kooky = quirky + hard to understand and a bit crazy

bucks the trend – to stop following a trend

shrink – shrunk
eg. as you get older you shrink

graphics – the way sth looks (movie / game)

solitary – by yourself / alone

spectator sport – a sport people love to watch

die hard – to absolutely love sth
eg. I’m a die hard English student

arena – the place that a sport / performance is played

revenue – money that a company makes
eg. the revenue for the month is 100,000 RMB

generated – to make sth (money, picture on a computer)
eg. my phone generated a picture when I took a photo

Vocabulary: the usual and unusual 词汇: 寻常的和非同寻常的事物

What comes to mind when you think of a museum? Perhaps you picture an imposing building in a rather traditional design made of high-quality stone? Perhaps you imagine one of the classic concepts, such as the museum of natural history, the museum of fine art, or the national museum – its exhibits displayed in a time-honoured style and falling in line with convention.

Some people might consider these customary institutions the best way to safeguard the future of typical educational topics. A museum of antique breadboards, they may say, does not constitute an orthodox or legitimate exhibition. But according to the Museums Association, a museum is defined as a place enabling “…people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment.”  And so of the 2500 estimated museums in the UK, a few are bound to be considered a little unconventional, eccentric or even niche. No matter how atypical your interest, there’s a museum for you!

What about Neil Cole’s Adventures in Science Fiction? This quirky museum of classic science fiction was opened by founder Neil Cole. Visitors to this Allendale attraction in Northumberland can see items ranging from props used in the BBC series Dr Who to part of Thor’s costume from the Avengers movie. “Science fiction has become more mainstream so I thought people might want to see this,” says Mr Cole.

If clocks are more to your taste, why not visit the Cuckooland Museum? Set up by brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski, this Cheshire collection of over 600 cuckoo clocks is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world – and all from the Black Forest region in Germany.

Finally, you could visit the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in London. This offbeat, alternative institution bucks the trend of educating visitors through written explanations alongside its curios. Instead, it displays all of its kooky treasures, which include dodo bones, shrunken heads and a collection of McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, with no explanation at all.

These are just a few examples. There are many more wonderful institutions out there that march to the beat of their own drum. All you have to do is go and find them!

There are many ways we can enjoy sport – watching it on TV or a smartphone, attending an event at a stadium or even playing the game. But for those who enjoy getting competitive with their computer gaming, there are realistic-looking games with lifelike graphics to be played without leaving home. It’s this type of sport – if that’s what we can call it – that has become big business. And interest in it has gone to a new level.

Initially, grabbing a joystick or controller and playing a game was a solitary activity. But around 20 years ago computers became cheaper and the internet became faster, which made it much easier for more people to get involved with computer gaming. This led to gamers connecting with each other around the world, so they could go head-to-head online. It also became a spectator sport, with people watching others play. The whole experience has been given the name ‘esports’ – electronic sports.

Now, huge esports tournaments take place all over the world in big arenas with large crowds. Die-hard enthusiasts, who have become first-rate players, are now well-known – some play together in teams. Its top stars can earn millions of dollars a year, without even breaking into a sweat!  And fans from around the world tune in to watch the action online. The global audience is now estimated at more than 200 million and growing. Annual revenues from esports, currently around 650 million dollars for events, continue to rise with billions more generated through video games sales.