THỬ SỨC VỚI 1 ĐỀ SPEAKING PART 2 TRONG QUÝ 2/2021 (THÁNG 5-8)
Không có gì bất ngờ lắm khi một đề Speaking part 2 trong cuốn “Câu hỏi & Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking theo chủ đề” lại xuất hiện trong bộ đề dự đoán quý 2.
Mời các bạn cùng tham khảo nhé. Cô Loan sẽ sớm cập nhật list đề dự đoán quý 2 đầy đủ nhất cho mọi người.
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Describe a product or application which is based on artificial intelligence
You should say:
What it is
What it is used for
How it is used
And what you think of it
You know, artificial intelligence is gaining its popularity in modern life because of the convenience it brings to us. I desired to own at least one, so I had been tightening my belt to possess a household appliance that operates based on AI. This is a house-cleaning robot.
I bought this robot on the Internet and only 3 days later, it became one of my family members. In fact, I could say that it is the most hard-working member of my family, and also the cleanest. It never refuses to work when I activate and tell it to clean the house, and it’s also so diligent since it can focus on cleaning up to 4 hours without complaint, no matter how dirty my room could be.
It can remove pet hair, automatically navigate around obstacles like chairs or tables’ legs. If I want it to clean the house when I go out, all I have to do is to set up a mapping plan, a time limit and turn it on. I’m pretty sure that the floor will be bright and shiny when I come back. More intelligently, this robot can autonomously recharge its battery and come back to its home when it has finished work. I mean that its operation is totally automatic, without any control or monitoring of humans.
As for me, this is the state-of-the-art technological device that I could grasp the opportunity to buy. It’s really a labour - saving device. Thanks to this gadget, I never have to worry about tedious household chores like laundry or cleaning. Besides, I have more time to pursue other interests and be immersed in some real page-turners, so I still think it is a perfect purchase.
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gain popularity /ˌpɒp.jəˈlær.ə.ti/ (verb phrase): ngày càng phổ biến
tighten my belt /ˈtaɪ.tən/ /belt/ (idiom): thắt lưng buộc bụng
diligent /ˈdɪl.ɪ.dʒənt/ (adj): chăm chỉ
obstacle /ˈɒb.stə.kəl/ (noun): vật cản
autonomously /ɔːˈtɒn.ə.məsli/ (adv): tự động
state-of-the-art /ˌsteɪt.əv.ðiːˈɑːt/ (adj): tối tân
labour-saving /ˈleɪ.bəˌseɪ.vɪŋ/ (adj): tiết kiệm sức lao động
purchase /ˈpɜː.tʃəs/ (noun): sự mua sắm, đồ mua sắm
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Đọc thử: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lH3pUZxyDRBdEzizvLjpXADt80K3Czim/view?usp=sharing
Đặt mua sách: https://ielts-thanhloan.com/san-pham/ebook-luyen-ielts-speaking
dirty noun 在 Eric's English Lounge Facebook 的最讚貼文
「收賄」、「白手套」英文怎麼說?
Accept bribes? White gloves?
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《中華民國刑法》
Article 122
A public official or an arbitrator who demands, agrees to accept, or accepts a bribe or other improper benefits for a breach of his official duties shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than three years but not more than ten years; in addition thereto, a fine of not more than two million yuan may be imposed.
A breach of official duties shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or with imprisonment for not less than five years; in addition thereto, a fine not more than four million yuan may be imposed.
1. public official 公務員
2. arbitrator 仲裁人
3. accept a bribe 收受賄賂*
4. a breach of official duties 違背職務**
5. be sentenced 判處
6. imprisonment 監禁;關押
7. a fine 罰金
8. impose 強制實行
第 122 條
公務員或仲裁人對於違背職務之行為,要求、期約或收受賄賂或其他不正利益者,處三年以上十年以下有期徒刑,得併科二百萬元以下罰金。
因而為違背職務之行為者,處無期徒刑或五年以上有期徒刑,得併科四百萬元以下罰金。
全國法規資料庫: https://bit.ly/2Dk8Ia4
*bribery: https://bit.ly/31bwsFj
**breach: https://bit.ly/3k5qcHJ
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那「白手套」呢?
White gloves? Not really...
The term "white-glove" is typically used as an adjective. It means providing a very high level of service, or involving a lot of care about small details:
白手套(white-glove)通常用作形容詞。表示提供非常高的服務水準,或與諸多照護細節有關:
➣The cruise company does not want to risk alienating the other passengers who don't get the white-glove treatment.
郵輪公司不想冒險讓其他未接受白手套待遇的乘客變得疏遠。
➣We know that when extra attention is required, our white-glove delivery service will not disappoint.
當您有特殊要求,我們的白手套配送服務一定不會讓您失望。
—Cambridge Dictionary
https://bit.ly/3hZTw0r
Wait…that doesn't fit our context!
★★★★★★★★★★★★
According to the South China Morning Post, the expression “white gloves,” when used as a noun, was coined in Taiwan!
“The innocuous-sounding euphemism ‘white gloves’ generally refers to a middleman or outfit that launders dirty or corrupt money under a seemingly legitimate front - dirty hands concealed by a pair of white gloves. The expression, coined by the Taiwanese, is catching up fast on the mainland as rampant corruption is exposed at all levels of the bureaucracy.”
9. coin (v.) 創造(新詞或新的表達方式);首次使用(某一詞語)
10. innocuous-sounding 聽起來無害的
11. launder (v.) 洗(贓款) ; money laundering 洗錢
12. legitimate front 合法的地帶; 僞裝(人或機構的)僞裝;假裝的樣子
13. conceal 隱藏
14. catch up 了解(或討論)最新情況
15. rampant 猖獗的;蔓延的
16. bureaucracy 官僚體制;官僚主義
據《南華早報》的報導,「白手套」作為名詞的用法,首見於臺灣!
「聽起來無害的委婉用語『白手套』通常是指中間人或公司,他們在看似合法的地帶清洗髒錢或賄款——髒手則藏於白手套當中。這種由臺灣人首創的表達方式,正在中國迅速傳開,因為猖獗的腐敗現象已於官僚體制的各個層面暴露出來。」
詳見《SCMP》:https://bit.ly/3i2cqUA
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我個人會用「middleman」或「go-between」。
請注意,「middleman」是指批貨後轉售他人者,或協助他人安排商業交易者。該詞本身並不具有任何犯罪或不法行為等負面意涵(negative connotations),亦須有上下文才足以呈現「白手套」的概念。
另一方面,「go-between」是在雙方無法見面或不想見面時,將消息從一人(或一個團隊)傳給另一人(或另一個團隊)的人。例如,聯合國代表將充當兩國領導人的中間人(或掮客)——「go-between」,而它的搭配你可以用「act/serve as a go-between」。「go-between」 的一個同義詞是「intermediary」。
❖再次提醒各位,若缺乏前後文,這些用語就不能完全代表「白手套」的涵義。底下我將舉出一些在腐敗情況中所使用的例子。
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I. middleman
"Many of these middlemen stay on the right side of the law, offering advice and connections. But others cross the line. They grease the palms of officials and local managers, and they put a buffer between the payoff and the client, offering plausible deniability if the authorities catch on."
17. connections 社會關係;人際關係;可資利用的熟人
18. cross the line(行為)越過界線
19. grease (v.) 用油脂塗;給⋯⋯加潤滑油
20. buffer 緩衝物;起緩衝作用的人
21. payoff 賄款;遮口費
22. plausible deniability 合理推諉
「在這些中間人裡,有許多人站在法律這邊,提供建議與人脈。但其他人卻踰越了界線。他們成為官員與地方經理人的潤滑劑,並在賄款與委託人之間置入緩衝物,起到合理推諉的作用,以防當局上門。」
詳見《紐約時報》:https://nyti.ms/39MMwkM
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II. intermediary
"For China’s elite, a 'white glove' is an intermediary who launders your money; they handle the dirty deeds, while you keep your hands clean. 'White gloves' are often well-connected Westerners, such as former top politician Bo Xilai’s two European fixers, British businessman Neil Heywood and French architect Patrick Devillers. Using a BVI shell company, the two men helped Bo’s wife Gu Kalai buy a 7 million euro French mansion and rack up rental fees on it."
23. elite(社會)上層集團;掌權人物;出類拔萃的人;精英
24. deed(尤指很壞或很好的)事情;行為
25. well-connected 與顯貴人物有交情的;與有影響人士有來往的;很有背景的
26. fixer 籌謀者;安排者(尤指精於用不正當手段來操辦事情的人)
27. BVI (The British Virgin Islands) 英屬維京群島
28. shell company 空殼公司
29. fixer 安排者(尤指精於用不正當手段來操辦事情的人)
『對中國的權貴來說,「白手套」是幫你洗錢的中間人;他們負責處理骯髒的事,讓你的雙手保持乾淨。「白手套」通常是與權貴有交情的西方人士,例如前副國級領導人薄熙來的兩個歐洲籌謀者——英國商人海伍德以及法國建築師德維利耶。兩人藉由一家英屬維京群島的空殼公司,幫助薄的妻子谷開來買下一座價值700萬歐元的法式豪宅,並大大提高了租金。』
詳見《石英財經網》:https://bit.ly/30lFnEJ
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III. go-between
"The offence is similar to bribery with one important difference: trading in influence concerns the 'middleman', or the person that serves as the go-between the decision-maker and the party that seeks an improper advantage."
30. offence (US offense) 犯罪行為;罪行
31. bribery 賄賂
32. trade in influence 斡旋賄賂;影響力交易
33. serve(為⋯⋯)工作;(為⋯⋯)服務;盡職責
34. improper advantage 不當利益
『此一罪行與賄賂相似,但有一個重要的區別:斡旋賄賂係指「middleman」或人充當決策者與尋求不當利益方的中間人(掮客)——「go-between」』。
詳見 Anti-Corruption Resource Center:https://www.u4.no/terms
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歡迎在底下留言與我們分享更多相關字詞(例如:prosecutor、corruption charges、litigations⋯⋯)。
圖片出處: Google Image
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如果同學對於如何分析英文時事,以及如何進行批判性思考有興趣,歡迎加入我們的課程!
🌎國際新聞英文-六步驟思考術 | 最後優惠倒數 ► https://bit.ly/3eTHIvH
🌎國際新聞英文課程FAQ:https://wp.me/p44l9b-2lK
dirty noun 在 大英國辦公室小職員 Facebook 的最讚貼文
[辦公室英文][生活] Hamper 藤編的有蓋子的籃子例如野餐籃,洗衣籃. 這邊英國指的是食物禮品組. 在想中文時,我著實花了點時間想該怎麼形容,Hamper這個字,最好的形容方式就是看圖吧! 請見圖!
在台灣(或中華文化)過年過節時廠商通常都會送禮送餅的, 英國人來這招嗎? 會呀,送Hamper! Hamper是廠商送禮的好選擇, Hamper裡的一定是食物,各式各樣的食物可以組合,一個hamper有多少的東西就決定了價格. Hamper裡常見的食物有: 餅乾,巧克力,乾乳酪,果醬,蛋糕,零食,茶,咖啡,酒. 就是大家吃飯前後與親朋好友嗑牙的食物 (跟過年瓜子&糖果的用意是一樣的).
Hamper (noun)
› a large, rectangular container with a lid: a picnic hamper
› UK: a box containing food and drink, usually given as a present, for example at Christmas
› US: ( UK laundry basket) a container used for carrying dirty clothes and bed sheets and for storing them while they are waiting to be washed
Hamper就是將以上的食物組合一般,擺美美的放在Hamper裡頭送人,體面好看用大方. 如果是自用除非是有錢又想省麻煩才會訂個hamper吧,要不然就單獨買各項食物(還可以選擇口味)就好啦! 或是有個偷吃步是去找個美美的籃子,然後自己去超市買食物來擺裝做禮品. 現在也有很多現代化演進的Hamper組是把食物組一起,放在盒子裡,不一定是籃子或是可蓋起來的籃子.
Hamper的價錢? 恩,這就看有多少東西跟去哪裡買了. 一般來說從£20-£30 (NT$900 - NT$1500)就可以買到拉. £50, £100 (NT$2500 - 5000)價位的更是多呀. 從知名的百貨公司到普通的超市都有在賣.
說到這就不得不說起Fortnum and Mason知名的倫敦知名高級食品老店了. 1707年創立,有名的是茶,果醬與巧克力,也有賣咖啡,餅乾與酒. 老早就是皇室愛消費的食品店了. 因為如此,他們家的Hamper當然也很有名囉.以下這組的名稱是"帝王"hamper 售價£5000 = NT$22萬元, 當然很帝王囉!
帝王禮盒裡頭有:煙燻鮭魚,巧克力*2,鵝肝,藍乳酪,松露乳酪,乳酪,魚子醬,珍珠做成的湯匙與切乳酪的刀子,可當小盤子的珍珠,茶,咖啡,烈酒兩瓶,紅白酒共四瓶. 這麼昂貴的禮盒被我寫出來好像很普通.
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/p-6971-luxury-food-hamper-im…
不要忘記目前還有抽獎抽英國聖誕郵票貼紙組喔! 只要同時Like大英國辦公室小職員頁面與上一篇抽獎文,即可抽獎. 我送不起帝王禮盒,只好送聖誕郵票了.
dirty noun 在 Dirty Laundry - #DirtyLaundryCorners [noun] - Facebook 的推薦與評價
Dirty Laundry. #DirtyLaundryCorners [noun]: Main destination for your everyday outfits. Attica - Golden Hall (3rd floor) ... <看更多>
dirty noun 在 Noun - Dirty Mind (Official Audio) - YouTube 的推薦與評價
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