Psychology Of Fraud: Why Good People Do Bad Things
CHANA JOFFE-WALT and ALIX SPIEGEL
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/01/151764534/psychology-of-fraud-why-good-people-do-bad-things?ps=cprs

Questions:
1,Have you ever tried to lie or cheat in specific situation, what’s your decision finally?
2,What’s the deciding factor when people want to fraud?
3,Do you think the worst fraud is the first one because they need more to cover it?
4,Is it acceptable that the fraud dimensions have some relationship with family gene?

New Words:
misdeed: n.a wicked or illegal act.
inadequate:adj. unfit unacceptable.
unethical:adj.not morally correct, amoral.
trigger:v.cause( some events or situations) happen or occur.
dimension:n. means issue, thing.
illicit: adj. forbidden by law, rules, or custom : illicit drugs | illicit sex.

What:
From the week before last week, we started our last community based service-learning course, which will last 4 weeks in Lobs Lesson. Two weeks passed, we knew and get more friends there. Instead of introducing our background and our own country to our audiences, in Lobs Lessons, our obligation turned into guiding the immature group of kids with our prepared stories, crafts and our enthusiastic.

So what:
As far as I am concerned, I am really fond of staying with children because we can easily tell their thoughts from their faces. Ever since I was a little girl, I was the eldest child in my big family. Taking care of the younger children was my weekly responsibility and interest when we had weekly family party. In most of our free time, we played all kinds of games we could remember or create, and I had the initial understand of the relationship of them. When I became older, I tutored to teach kids to draw. I knew my job was not just about training the next Picasso, but it was also about becoming their friends and taking an interest in them personally. Before we started our course there, our whole oral class was divided into 3 groups and then based on our own desire to represent 3 different country groups-Korea, France and Jamaica. After deciding our topic, Audrey and us talked over and over again to make sure we can give them more. When we went into there, even though Tina and Audrey had already given us a lot of information about them, I still felt a little nervous when a room of active kids there. This feeling lasted until I met my little angel- Caiya, she was refined and considerate to help us to keep going fluently. At the beginning, I tried to follow her step because I felt if I wanted to be close with her, knowing her could stimulate more. During we played in the tennis court, I noticed that her shoelaces loose a few times, so I helped her to tie it and taught her correct way to tie it tightly. Maybe from that moment, she started to follow behind me, it really please me because I was sure she treated me like her friend. Then when we came back to the classroom, I heard the most beautiful sentence that day, Caiya said,” Do you want some chips if you don’t mind, it’s a little bit spicy I think.” I just mentioned spicy issue an hour ago. Then she started to share me more about herself, such as she spent her whole spring break at home, she liked poem and math most, she had a younger sister and she loved Lobs Lesson a lot because she could learn something new there.

Now what,
They helped me know more about general poverty group, even though some of them seemed wayward and naughty, most of them are all white papers- what they will be depend on what they will get and who they will follow. There is a saying in China: “Children are our future.” And actually, they are. So as my personal idea goes, children’s education should be ranked as the top source of the satisfaction of our life. Next time, our group will meet our new group of friends, we just have two times left in this semester, for the kids in Lobs Lesson, and they have 5 weeks left. I wish the 2 out of 5 memory could bring them some valuable meanings for their future to some degree. That’s our responsibility and obligation.

Negotiating The College Funding Labyrinth

by Claudio Sanchez

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/25/150882741/negotiating-the-college-funding-labyrinth?ps=cprs

Questions:
1, why the education in this country are so expensive, but at the same time, teachers’ salary of the same country seems a little bit low?

2, if some day in the future, every graduaters who have loans refused to pay for them, what will happen?

3, does the huge tuition fee have any relationship with the high dropout rate in some area? And will the general poverty always be the general poverty in the future because they can’t rely on the “formal” education to better their situations, and then in a circulation?

New Words:
mind-boggling: adj. intellectually overwhelming
versus: v. compare with.
transparency: n. the situation which is easy to observe.
haunt :come back again and again.

Cruise Ship Didn’t Aid Drifting Boat, Passengers Say
by GREG ALLEN

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/19/150897139/cruise-ship-didnt-aid-drifting-boat-passengers-say

Questions:
1, Is it possible for you to give someone else help without endangerment for you?
2, Which reason lead this sad consequences, irresponsible ignorance or too small the boat is?
3, Do you think the law about aid on the ocean can avoid intensive Ignorance?
4, Do you think the Carnival company should be responsible for this issue?

New words:
adrift: float without control
binoculars : the optional device

What
This Monday, Dr. Kirk’s class came to our class again to communicate with us. We shared about our presentations with each other. That’s also my first time to do my presentation in front of my classes and strangers.
And this Tuesday, we went to Richmond Public Library to take our last service-learning course there.

So what:
Compared with the last several times we spent our courses with Dr. Kirk’s class, this time we need to prepare share our presentations to them more than just receiving the information from them. I prepared a presentation about Chinese Fortune Telling, which was the most interesting part of my whole topics I mentioned before. I felt very nervous before I really started my topic, but when I stand in the position. I was so calm down, relaxation and just want to introduce our mysterious Physiognomy and Palmistry to our dear friends because even in the same class, not all my classmates knew towards them.
After I finished my presentation, Dr. Kirk put up his hand and expressed his interested about Palmistry. This is really a awesome experience I would keep in my mind during my whole life. I gave a presentation about Chinese popular topic in English when I was not good at it. When I came back to my seat, more than three students in his class asked me the PPT documents. I wished that because of the really interesting topic but not my immature presentation skills.
At the same time, my classmates Khalifar and Saif also did their presentations about UAE and Saudi Arabic. Khalifar did an extremely extraordinary job that day, he prepared a traditional tool of his country as usual and introduce his topic in details. I am sure everybody there all got his ideas. So did Saif.
After our presentations, Dr. Kirk’s class also has two volunteers to do presentations in front of class about Educational Architecture and Sports in Richmond.
I think that’s the same methods and language speed we will face in our academic classes. It is essential for us to experience it before we start our actual studying in the USA.

The more I went to Richmond Public Library, the more relaxation I felt in there. The sense of nervous and strange had disappeared forever.
Audrey mentioned there were more than 35 persons there that day. How great we were. I felt so exciting that there were a group of Chestfield elementary school students came to our room that day.
Concerned about the different schedules of our audiences that day. We didn’t follow the usual way we did before. My group member that day was Luyue. She talked about Chinese Language and Communication first with a 13 years old girl. Then three elementary girls participated our group and chose me to talk about Chinese Food, which was a so hot topic between Americans that I was required to talk about it more than 4 times. At first, I couldn’t tell whether they like it or not from their face, so I tried to ask some questions to attract their interests just as I tutored some kids in China. Hopefully, it worked. And during the following happy hours, except I introduced by myself, all of them were keeping express their opinions about Chinese dishes. It pleased me that when I finished my first topic, I was asked to start my second presentation because they said they wanted know more.
During the nearly two hours I spent with them, we shared a lot of stuffs, such as Isael liked Beef Broccoli, Tatyanna doesn’t like to Sushi because she ate a lot of them in Hawaii before she moved here with her family and Horeesa’s father was Greeks and herself was born in here.

At last, Patty, our dear friend gave us a short speech, which was full of appreciates and happiness, to us. But I did think that we need to thank her more because the days we spent in her library was absolutely an unforgettable memory in our mind.

Now What:
Next week, we will meet our last group of new friends in this class in Lobs and Lesson. After the days we spent in LLI, RPL and our classroom with Dr. Kirk’s class, we gained a lot of experiences of how to communicate with people we met first and in which way we can share our opinions about a specific topic. Thanks to the kids we met in RPL. It recalled my childhood and gave me ideas of how to guide the students we will meet in Lobs and Lesson appropriately.

Your (Virtual) Future Self Wants You To Save Up
by JENNIFER LUDDEN

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/11/150424912/your-virtual-future-self-wants-you-to-save-up

Questions:
1, How much do American need to put salary into 401k per month usually, more or less do you think it is supposed to be?
2,If one of the seniors around you were 50 years later’s you, what would you say to him/her, what would you receive from her?
3, How often do you go back to see your parents? How often are you concern about your retirement time? What are you are going to do that time?
4, Do you think the current employers can get enough payments when they retire under the payroll system?

New words:
septuagenarian: adj. from 70 to 80 years old.
jowls:n. jaw, lower jaw.
recruited:recruit. V. To gather people for special purpose.

FDA To Fund Controversial Research Foundation
by Nell Greenfieldboyce

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04/03/149931282/fda-to-fund-controversial-research-foundation

Questions:
1, Do you think the goverment issues should be enclosure to public?
2, Can I definite the Reagan-Udall Foundation as a lobby, which is a special interests group?
3, As far as I am concerned, most of American government departments have some relationship with business or non-profit oganizations, is it true?

New Words:
Sway: v. To move thoughts or opinions to different directions.
bipartisan: adj. Include the members from two parties.
dire:adj.not in good conditions, tough or difficult.
pledge: v. to ensure something.

What
This Tuesday, we went to Richmond Public Library to take our service-learning course. That was the second time for us to study there. I was the only one ELS student in my group that day. Patty, Brandon and Yvonne were my local guides rather than conversation partners.

So what:
Though the first time we spent in Richmond Public Library was not as really good conversation experience as we had in Life long Institute, I was still looking forwards to meet new friends there, wherever they came from, whatever they talked about, and whatever social economic level they were in, they were always helping me to get familiar with actually U.S from different angles. After the first experience in RPL, I mentioned some details towards social economic levels, so I guess that’s why Audrey arranged me with one faculty and two part-time job VCU students. I feel so lucky to have a chariness teacher like her especially when I talked with Enkeung her disappointing presentation experience. I have met Patty before for getting some help from her when I wanted to get some e-sources on the Public website. She shared her extraordinary childhood, interesting life style, friendship with Audrey, and opinions about latest news with me. She was so nice to recommend a lot of valuable places and local activities for me. It brought me the memory about LLI back.
Then, I talked with Brandon, who was a VCU fresh student, and Yvonne, who was a transfer student from California. They were all working in Library as part time jobs. After I introduced my five topics, they chose the presentation about FOOD, which was my favorite issue. Brandon was an activity guy and always eager to share his unique opinions about any thing. When I talked about I was trying to find some special ice-cream, he dialed his I-phone immediately to make sure the ice cream I was interested was “awesome”, which word he used more than 10 times that day. Yvonne was not that talkative as Brandon. She was a vegetarian and she will go back to California this fall. At last, they taught me to enjoy Oreo in American ways.

Now What:
They were all interested in Chinese Dumplings; I will bring some of dumplings for them. I think we can ask their opinions about our latest classes contexts because most of them are native speakers, their thoughts can stand for the current Americans’ thoughts. It’s the best way to review our classes. Maybe some times we will feel proud that we know more than them even we are foreigners. But I am sure that will be a two win situation.

Justices Ask: Can Health Law Stand If Mandate Falls?

by Nina Totenberg
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/28/149556741/for-health-care-will-one-parts-end-be-the-end-all

Questions:
1, Do you think the goverment should force every citizens to keep the health insurance on a same level?
2, Is it appropriate to maintain the laws intact for a long time, or it should be adjusted with the social economic situations and the average health records of the whole country?
3, Which role do the health insurance play in your life, how about car insurance?

New Words:
Mandate: n. Commandes, which are used to regulate the public issues.
Premise:v. To assume
Intact: adj.never changed. as the same as before.
Hollowed-out shell: the clam does not have the intext inside the shell, so it is useless. I think it stand for smething loses its most important part and becomes useless.

Name: Ellen Glasgow, Writer

Websites: http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/glasgowbattle/bio.html

Questions:
1, Who is Ellen Glasgow?
Famous Southern of American novelist. Her created a long series of novels of southern America, often in mockery of the traditional ways of high economic society, showing concerns about social issues.

2, Which novel was the beginning of her literary career, how did it come out at first?
The Descendant, which was written in secret and published anonymously

3,Whch person also buried in Hollywood Cemetery had a lifelong friendship with her, and who is him?
James Branch Cabell, who was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres.

4, Which one of her novels was served as her autobiography, when did it publish?
The Woman Within, which published after her death.

Open Question:
She was born into an aristocratic American family, it played an impartant role in her later novels’ topic to some degree, how much do you think one’s childhood experience and family background can influence his/her following career and life goal?