In our system, every word in a reading text is a link that brings you to the word's dictionary definition provided by Professor Yen's English-English English-Chinese Dictionary 「顏氏美語英英/英漢網路辭典」. What you do is just double click your mouse on any single word in the text, and the word definition will be brought up in a new window. You do not have to close the new window because it will be authomatically brought again the next time you click to look up another word.

We use this dictionary because it provides

(1) word definitions in both English and Chinese,
(2) examples to show you how a word may be correctly used in context,
(3) pronunciation keys to help you understand how word may be pronounced.

     We strongly discourage you from using an English/Chinese dictionary that provides you with only word meanings in Chinese. One important reason is that many words may have the same Chinese translation but they are actually used in different contexts. For example, the words regular and ordinary share one Chinese translation--平常, 通常. However, they mean very differently in English. Regular means having/doing something often or as a habit. For example, I study and do homework on a regular basis. Ordinary means not different or special in any way. For example, I don't understand why she is so popular; she is just an ordinary girl.

Now, you perhaps have realized why the following sentences are idiomatically incorrect:

• I study and do homework on an ordinary basis.
• I don't understand why she is so popular; she is just a regular girl.

     Two idomatically incorrect sentences that my students make all the tim are:

• Airplanes drive faster than trains.
• Airplanes open faster than trains.

The words drive and open share the same Chinese meaning--開. What students don't know is: Airplanes fly, not drive; and trains run, not drive, either. The word open means to make something not closed. For example, we open a door or a box. An airplane does not have the ability to open anything on its own. Why do students make such mistakes? They memorize a word's Chinese meaning in simplicity without referring to the word's English definition or studying examples of word usage.

     In addition to the bilingual dictionary that is built in as part of the text function, we also provide Cambridge Dictionary Online as an additional tool. If you need to look up a word whose meaning is not given by Prof. Yen's bilingual dictionary, you may type up the word in the dictionary word search box on the submenu that is on the left of the text. After keying in the word, click on the Submit button, and the dictionary definition will be brought up in a new window, too.

     So much being said, it is time for you to engage in the reading/annotating process. After you finish reading and annotating, please click the Next button below to proceed.