點起"聰明燈" 解決大塞車 How long does it take for you to get home from the school? 1 hour or 2 hours? Then how far is it from your home to the school? 10 km or 20 km? Day in day out, we just have to spend so so much time on roads, and worst of all, we have to be patient for other drivers, bikers, cyclists, walkers and, of course, traffic lights. We can not get people off roads, that's for sure. So seemingly, the only thing that we can do minimise the chance of getting road rage is to make our traffic lights smarter..... Final countdown ......  最新消息 ◎　第十六期自學包裹上線啦！ 新學期一開始，新的自學包裹就馬上上線囉。這個學期開始，自學包裹使用漂亮的嶄新互動介面，讓同學學習英文的心情更開心啦，英文也更快就能突飛猛進嚕......來做新版自學包裹吧！......自學包裹問卷持續進行中，也要記得填問卷唷！ ◎　視聽館圖書室延長閉館公告 館內302圖書室天花板修補工程終於在上週五大功告成，所以從2月25日起就開始提供正常的服務喔，歡迎各位老師與同學繼續來館使用。 ◎　寫作諮詢服務又要開始囉～ 新的學期開始囉，所以寫作諮詢的服務從3月3日起，開放線上諮詢預約的服務，歡迎各位同學多加利用喔.....找諮詢老師聊聊去！ ◎　請大家來填自學包裹問卷！ 自學包裹已經一歲又兩個月了，不知道這一年多以來的自學包裹是否還合您的意呢？為了讓自學包裹更符合各位的需求，煩請大家花一點時間填一下問卷給我們意見喔～......來去填問卷！ ↑top  E-Freeway主題介紹 DIALANG PROGRAM 擁有14種語言的線上評量測驗，根據語言學習者的學習情況，依CEF參考指標作程度的判定，分成數個等級程度的評量，由基礎到高階分為A1,A2, B1, B2,C1,C2等程級。DIALANG針對reading, writing, listening, structure, vocabulary五項技巧，評量您在一種外語的能力，並且從中瞭解您的強項以及弱項。使用這份測驗評量, 必須先下載DIALANG軟體,以下提供您輕鬆完成下載的程序, 當你完成下載後, 即可進入作測驗, 各項單一能力測驗大約需20分鐘時間, 全部5種能力測驗約需100分鐘的時間！...快來看小編介紹精彩內容！   E-Touch: TOEFL - CBT 這一期將介紹E-Touch系統 - TOEFL- CBT測驗。TOEFL(托福)的全名為 Test of English as a Foreign Language，托福是用來測驗英語不是其母語的人士對於美式英語了解程度的一項標準。CBT 為 Computer Base Test的縮寫，是以電腦測驗取代筆試的一種作法，想要去國外深造的學生，尤其是選擇美加地區的學校，都會以這項成績來判斷各位的英文能力，不過像是澳洲、紐西蘭這裡的學校，也是接受TOEFL的成績，各位如果想出國唸書，一定要努力把TOEFL考好喔。 趕快來看看我們的介紹吧～   Fascinating, Frosty Montreal 在加拿大法語區的蒙特婁，就算在冬季旅遊，它也會是一個雖冷但卻迷人的城市，走在街道上，空氣既新鮮又冰涼，在淡季旅遊也有它的好處，在蒙特婁舊城的鵝卵石路上也不會擠滿了成群的夏季遊客，可自由自在的享受悠閒及安靜。另外在冬季的市中心，當地每年都舉辦冬季嘉年華會，其中包含音樂會以及雪地趣味賽事等，就讓我們一同進入這冬季的嘉年華饗宴！請到English Freeway網站的會員區，選擇English Freeway區塊的Advanced English一月號內容，還沒加入會員，要記得先申請帳號喔！ ↑top  館藏介紹 The Human Face 面不改色、面紅耳赤、面黃肌瘦、面面相覷、面目可憎、面如死灰、面有難色、面如凝脂....究竟從我們那變化萬千的"面子"，能看出多少我們的"裡子"，比如說警察要怎麼看出嫌疑犯是否在說謊、售貨員要怎麼看出客戶的意願等等，一直是許多領域的專家學者們想要探究的議題。BBC在這套影片除了一如往常地訪問許多科學家和醫生學者外，還訪問了許多國際知名的影星和影視經紀人一起討論，什麼叫做"漂亮"...我漂亮嗎？？？ ↑top  英語宅急便 Shed some "smart lights" on our dark nightmare on roads 靠紅綠燈解決大塞車？紅綠燈得先比駕駛朋友們更聰明吧！！！ (It's rush-hour time. Annie and Wayne are driving their way from the uni to a suburban restaurant. They're expecting a great dinner for their anniversary) Wayne: What time is it? (Wayne's eyes jump from the congested traffic to the digital clock) Gosh! It's already half pass 7. Annie: So late! We've been stuck in the traffic for more than 2 hours. Wayne: Look at that bloke. The traffic is already a mass, and he still wants to take a U-turn at the intersection, as if he owns the street. Some people just don't care any less about others. Annie: Be cool. Don't let it make you seeing red. Wayne: Ok, ok, I'll stop nagging about it. Annie: Don't know why city planners don't synchronise traffic lights along major roads in the city. Drivers just have to sit at every single red light. That's really a waste of time and fuel; not to mention vehicles queuing on streets and churning out fumes. The whole city then just gets clogged up, and gets extra pollution. Wayne: It is obvious that no attempts to synchronise traffic lights to speed up the traffic flow are being made; instead, most of the traffic lights are synchronised to maximise the waiting time. For that, drivers and passengers are really fossilised in the traffic. We're indeed a part of this city. Annie: Yeah, fossil in a steaming rage! Have you heard about smart traffic lights? I've seen news on some foreign cities applying smart lights. Wayne: I've never heard of it. What's that? Annie: Smart traffic lights are fitted with sensors to collect data of traffic flow on nearby roads. Because these smart lights share all the data collected, they are able to collectively figure out the number and speed of vehicles in specific areas; then instantaneously decide waiting time for each respective intersection. Wayne: It sounds an interesting idea, and a pretty one. Annie: Absolutely. And one interesting feature is very much like what we have on our traffic lights, I reckon. I don't know how they exactly do it though, it's not specified in the news. These smart lights tell drivers when they are about to change, so drivers can accordingly adjust their speed to avoid sudden acceleration or braking. Wayne: Yeah, it's like the countdown signal on our traffic lights, but with different functions. For our drivers, the countdown is the signal for testosterone to kick in; so get your foot off the brake, and plunge down the petrol pedal. Annie: Typical roadhogs. Wayne: Yeah, beat the lights is the goal. Smart traffic lights? Give it away; we've got "smarter" drivers. Annie: Stop nagging, will you.   Wordbank： uni (n) = university collectively (adv): 共同地；集體地 suburban (adj): 郊區的 instantaneously (adv): 即時地 congested (adj): 堵塞的；壅塞的 respective (adj): 各自的；各個的 intersection (n): 路口 pretty (adj) = expensive nag (v): 抱怨；碎碎念 acceleration (n): 加速 synchronise (v): 使....同步 brake (n) / (v): 煞車 queue (n) / (v): 排隊 testosterone (n): 睪丸酮素；雄性激素 fume (n): 煙霧 roadhog (n): 開車不守規矩的人 fossilise (v): 使....變化石   Phrases： rush-hour time: 尖峰時間 half pass 7: 7點半 take a U-turn: 迴轉 (開車) see red = get angry churn out: 大量地產生 clog up: 堵住；塞住 steaming rage: 氣得七竅生煙 be about to: 即將要....；快要.... kick in: 原意為"捐獻"、"捐款"；這裡指"上場"、"發揮作用" plunge down: 原意為"從....沖下"、"俯衝"；這裡指"用力地踩下"、"很快地踩下" petrol pedal = gas pedal: 油門踏板 (運輸工具) give it away: 停止做某件事情   相關連結： (New Scientist Tech) Could smart traffic lights stop motorists fuming? (BBC News) City gets 'smart' traffic lights (Leicester Mercury) Smart Traffic Lights Plan ↑top
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