Online Class Notes (Li)[S]

Vocabulary

entrepreneur: someone who starts their own business 企业家，创业者

eg. Steve Jobs is a well-known entrepreneur.

contemplate: to think deeply about something

eg. His words got me contemplating about my life.

eg. Life without them is too hard for me to contemplate.

social norms: behaviour that is expected in a specific situation

eg. Do you think that everyone should conform to social norms?

eg. Different cultures have different social norms.

dictate: to give orders or tell people what they must do 企业家，创业者

eg. The authorities dictate that you must not drive after you drink.

eg. Rules dictate that only running shoes can be worn on the track.

wordy: too many words

eg. Her writing is too wordy.

conform: to be similar or the same as something

eg. Most people think that conforming to social norms is the way of life.

eg. The animals’ behaviour conforms to a common pattern.

that’s the end of my speech

I cannot explain/communicate/convey it well in English

think about/contemplate sth

So/as such/for this reason/as a result

deliver/give/make a speech

average score/satisfactory score

we don’t have to memorise

Grammar

swimming pool – singular (without s)

swimming pools – plural (with s) 

the swimming pools in this gym – specific (these swimming pools)

swimming pools are dirty – general (all swimming pools)

present perfect: have/has + present continuous

I have been thinking about something – I was thinking and I still am thinking

I have been searching for a job – I was searching and I am still searching

She has been looking for her friends – She was looking and she is still looking

I had been searching for a job – I was searching but not anymore

I had searched – I had searched but not anymore

She had left – She already left

two verbs together joined by to 

have to study/like to eat/need to sleep

She likes to eat ice-cream

Recently, I always think about some questions like, “Why do I live? Why do I live in the earth” or  “What do I do this for?” I just finished the exam and I really want to get the best grade now, maybe due to the stress. So I begin to think those questions. So I want to know why I want to do best and what for but I get no answer. I watched the speech and it’s by a brilliant entrepreneur. What he said make me want to reflect and he said “….When we finally have time we have neither the money nor the health”. So I realised we maybe have the things that we may have forgotten which are the very important things in life. We know nothing about earth, nothing about death, we nothing about why we’re here. I think, what I think is useful for everyone before you do the things, you should think, “Why am doing these things?” Maybe there is no meaning of life. We want to get a good job and a good job is what the people destiny. What the standard of good or bad, that’s all people to destiny. I really want to know what I really want. I don’t want to do the social destiny.

Revised: 

Recently, I have been thinking about/contemplating some questions such as, “Why do I live? Why do I live on Earth” or  “What do I do this for?” I just finished my exams and then I will have the next exam. I really want to get the best grade now because I am stressed. So I begin to think about those questions. As such/For this reason/As a result, I want to know why I want to get/achieve the best grades and for what reasons, but I have no answer. I watched the speech and it’s delivered by a brilliant entrepreneur. What he said got me reflecting. He said:

“When you look at the way that we distribute our lives in general, you realize that in the periods in which we have a lot of money, we have very little time. And then when we finally have time we have neither the money nor the health”.

As a result, I realised we might have things that we may have forgotten which are the very important things in life. We know nothing about the earth, nothing about death, and nothing about why we’re here. I think it is useful for everyone before you do something, you should think/consider, “Why am I doing this?” Maybe there is no meaning of life. We want to get a good job and a good job is what society wants us to do/dictates. Standards are set based on social norms. I would like to know what I really want. I don’t want to conform to social norms. 

Pronunciation

entrepreneur – en-thraw-pra-nah