Hello everyone,
It is my pleasure to be the host again. This time, I would like to invite you to discuss these two topics as part of our English conversation practice.
Session I. Bribery
https://www.impactlaw.com/criminal-law/ ... -kickbacks
Q1. How many types of bribery are you aware of? Why do people bribe?
Q2. Are there any forms of bribery that you may consider accepting, or even do it yourself due to urgent personal needs, necessity for your family, or your friends?
Q3. What types of bribery are considered illegal? What are the potential legal consequences for civil servants or company employees if they are caught engaging in such activities?
Q4. Please share a personal experience or a brief story you’ve heard about bribery from your social circle.
Session II. The Power and Importance of Reading
This might be my first time saying: “Let’s appreciate this cute presentation!”
The speaker, Luke Bakic, was only 9 years old when he delivered it in 2018.
It is merely a 3-minute speech, so you can quickly go through it:
https://www.ted.com/talks/luke_bakic_th ... of_reading
As I recall, the books I read when I was about the same age were something like “Aesop’s Fables”, “Grimms' Fairy Tales” and "老夫子". I don’t think I really understood the meanings of those stories, but I did enjoy immersing myself in their plots.
After I started my junior high school life, in addition to “古文觀止”, one of the books etched in my memory was “汪洋中的一條船”. It was during my first year of junior high when I encountered a car accident that left me with a broken leg. Following the surgery, I spent about one month in the hospital and was quite bored. During my stay, I tried a treasure hunt within a large box setup in the hospital lobby. Most of the items I found were 少年快報 or 寶島少年. While some of the comics were good, they were incomplete, so I was still feeling bored. However, after perhaps one or two weeks, I stumbled upon the book, “汪洋中的一條船” and it felt like Tom Hanks finding the volleyball and name it Mr. Wilson, as shown in the movie, “Cast Away”.
My Auntie was so wrong! She took the book from me and told me, “We don’t need to read this because we are not ‘汪洋中的一條船’”, but the book was the boat in the boring ocean to me!
Fast Forward to senior high school years, I don’t remember all the story details, but I can still recall the joy and satisfaction while reading “老殘遊記”. Attributing to my reading habits, I was able to keep good grades in my Chinese class, including composition writing. However, looking back from my current perspective, my reading skills at that time was comparable to someone who could jog 3 or 5 kilometers, which, to be honest, was far from any professional standards.
Since then, for many years, I read fewer and fewer books because I began to sense that there weren’t really that many books worth reading, as few authors really cared whether their information was accurate or worth sharing with the public. It felt like I was drowning in an ocean of undistinguishable knowledge, making it difficult to determine whether what I read was genuine or counterfeit. I also had issues with my own intentions. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to gain information or simply enjoy the literature. The challenges extended beyond finding a flawless book.
Recently, in an effort to self-reflect, I decided to study Modern Vernacular (白話文學). My goal isn’t solely to figure out why I struggled to comprehend my own past writings, like the book reviews I wrote after reading “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez, but also to potentially enhance my analytical skills in communication and negotiation. Top of Form
Over the past month, a few good books were recommended to me. While I enjoy reading them, I’ve also brewed some ideas about how reading goes beyond merely comprehending the literal meanings. It should encompass the reader’s mindset when embarking on any book. I think it would be great to catch up with you and hear about your valuable experiences.
Q1. Do you currently maintain any reading habits? If so, what strategies do you use to maintain it?
Q2. What techniques or approaches do you employ to proactively grasp the key points that you want from a book? Or are you open-minded and passive to receive any messages that an author intend to convey?
Q3. After reading books or articles, do you write summaries and keep them for your own reference or share them in your posts?
Q4. Do you believe that reading habits are beneficial for the mental well-being of both children and adults?
Q5. Can you think of any examples of stories or novels that, in your view, cannot evoke the same level of emotion or atmosphere if they were presented in the form of songs, dramas or animations?
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Agenda:
7:00 ~ 7:10 pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50 pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10 pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:15 pm Regrouping / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:15 ~ 8:45 pm Discussion Session (30 mins)
8:45 ~ 8:55 pm Summarization (10 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00 pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
Meeting Date: As shown in the Subject
Meeting Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting after the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate their ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely twice (including on-site and online meetings). After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1,500 (NT$1,000 for students) lifetime membership fee.
12/5 (Tue) Bribery | The Power and Importance of Reading (Tashi)
Re: 12/5 (Tue) Bribery | The Power and Importance of Reading (Tashi)
“Bribery” is a nice and easy topic for most of us. Without breaking a sweat, we can probably come up with many colorful tales from our own experiences or from someone in our social circle who witnesses bribery in action.
In my community, some residents act as the middleman for the builder. They are essentially the construction company’s bagman, receiving under-table benefits. For instance, their home purchase price was much lower than the market price at that time, and they often enjoyed the builder’s VIP treatment for any home issues, such as water leaking. These individuals usually hold important roles in the Homeowners Association, using their power to suppress requests from other residents to protect the builder.
The other thing that springs to mind is the fine line between “incentive” and “bribery”. Sometimes, this line is as thin as a razor’s edge.
For the second session, hats off to our diligent host. His writing was extensive and rich with introspection. For me, the power of reading is boundless. First and foremost, I would say reading makes us humble. We'll chat more in the meeting.
In my community, some residents act as the middleman for the builder. They are essentially the construction company’s bagman, receiving under-table benefits. For instance, their home purchase price was much lower than the market price at that time, and they often enjoyed the builder’s VIP treatment for any home issues, such as water leaking. These individuals usually hold important roles in the Homeowners Association, using their power to suppress requests from other residents to protect the builder.
The other thing that springs to mind is the fine line between “incentive” and “bribery”. Sometimes, this line is as thin as a razor’s edge.
For the second session, hats off to our diligent host. His writing was extensive and rich with introspection. For me, the power of reading is boundless. First and foremost, I would say reading makes us humble. We'll chat more in the meeting.