How I improved my learning during PEP

Reading plays a significant role in PEP study, because some assignments require good reading skills, such as IRW, Referencing Essay and Independent Research paper. To complete each of these assignments before due date, I should read a group of academic articles with efficient reading and note taking skills. I only used to underline or circle keywords to assist my reading, but in these assignments I started to use highlighters. Meanwhile I tried to take notes for readings in better ways, which include critical reading, evaluation of the article and cross-referencing. I also tried to use mind map softwares to facilitate the note taking, however they would devour more time for learning them, so I gave it up. Facilitated by these skills, I found it more easier to achieve these reading related assignments.

Additionally, we have more works after class such as case study, oral presentations. They also need lots of time. I should arrange time for reading, researching, writing as well as rehearsal for OP. So excellent time management skills are definitely required. To improve my time management, I learnt pomodoro technique. According to this system, I divided my assignments or other homeworks to smaller tasks, and allocated tasks into each “pomodoro time”, which is 25 min work-time plus 5 min break. The allocation become the log for everyday’s work so that I could evaluate my efficiency at the end of each day. These evaluation help me to realise the problems of wasting time and the potential ways to improve my time management.

Over all, I improved my English reading skills and time management skills during PEP. I hope I could keep the progress in further study in university.

My Reflection on a Discussion about Academic Writing

I answered a survey about academic writing in 22nd May, 2014. For there is not a similar concept in China, I did it according to my understanding about academic writing in Australia. I found it really hard to answer the survey if it is based on Chinese style, because it seems that all the options are not applicable.

We discussed in group in the next day and compared academic writing in Australian culture, Chinese culture and Korean culture with each other. Only few elements are the same, for example, “connecting ideas”. Korea share more elements with Australia than China. However, some elements such as “critical thinking” could only be found in Australia. The reasons for these differences is absolutely related to the culture and history in each country. For instance, in China, academia is a relative new concept for its people comparing with its long history. We has been struggling to accomplish the goal of 9-year compulsory education since 1911. The education system in China is too busy to make clear about how to educate a person, but have to educate hundreds of million young people. Even most of the lecturers in Chinese universities do not understand academic culture and its importance.

I have been practising some skills of academic writing for nearly five weeks in the PEP program. Now I know that I should give a clear main topic in the introduction part, which contains background of the topic, my position and the scope of this essay. And then, I should discuss an idea once a body paragraph, with some supporting ideas and evidence. Finally, I should write a conclusion to repeat the main topic in another way. The most difficulty is picking out a topic, especially in the referencing essay. Maybe it is because in my own education experience I was seldom asked to develop my own ideas.

How I study English for the first days in Australia

Australia is an English-speaking country, so it is full of opportunities for studying English as long as I want, and I do.

I started to practise my English as soon as I landed at Adelaide Airport. I talked confidently with an airport staff even though he was messing up and checking all my baggage. At the beginning of my Aussie life, I had to deal with something to settle down, for example starting a bank account. I walked into the bank with awareness that it is always a good way to practise my speaking and listening with someone who serves me. I live in a homestay now. The landlady and her family like to chat with me, which also helps a lot for improving my English. Of course, campus is a much better environment to practise English.

However on campus people use academic English, which would be easier than social English for me to understand because I am more familiar with academic vocabulary than social vocabulary. The accent was also a problem in the first days, but I overcame it soon. Speaking speed is another one stop me to understand. If an Aussie is talking with me too fast, I will not follow him; and it is hard for me to speak as fast as local people. This problem is somehow awkward.

I keep learning new words for better understanding of daily and academic conversation, assisted by a website. Some of them come from conversation and some of them come from observing. For each day, the website provides a plan of learning new words and reviewing familiar ones. The plan sums 100 words per day. Moreover I could check the statistics easily to know how many words I have learnt for a period of time. Additionally, I spend at least half an hour per day on chatting with the landlady. One day, when we were talking about something pretty funny and laughed aloud together, I realized maybe I had made a progress.

BTW, I would like to share that helpful website but I do not post any advertising in the blog. So if you need the URL, please comment with your email address. I will email you later.

试用消防斧

我的工作单位的院子里有消防用的斧子，我刚才装备上试用了一会儿，目标是从木质包装箱上拆下来的一块大约半平米的木板子。

就这个消防斧的质量来说，绝对算个灰色装备，质量非常差。我估计挥舞一百次之内，斧头就会从手柄脱落，我练习的时候经常要停下来修理。

这个斧头的结构也很蹩脚，手柄很长，斧头很轻，用的时候挺难控制发力的。

斧头半开刃，劈在木板的楞上能嵌进去3厘米，但是很难造成更深的伤害了。如果打在面上，也就是留下一个道印。如果碰巧用斧头尖击中板面，倒是能在背面留下一道印。不知道是不是这种多层板很结实。

想到那些劈材的人，好厉害。我猜他们的斧子应该很好用吧，不像这个这么轻。我觉得如果发生火灾，需要强拆一些障碍物，这破消防斧根本没用。

我练了一会儿觉得胳膊非常累，板子基本上还能用于包装箱。

我感觉败北了……

代表

今天有人把温佩琪的照片转给我看，于是想起昨天吃晚饭的时候……

同事：所里今天开职工代表大会了，你们都不知道吧？

我：不知道，我被谁代表了？

同事：我也不确定是谁。

我：我要是这代表我都不敢去开会，因为我不是民选的啊。我怕回来以后被那些被代表的人抽死——谁tm允许你代表我的？！

标准与检测中心的星期三

在2010年总结会上，我所在的部门领导说：以后每周三组织活动。活动项目是羽毛球或者游泳。
今天就是会后的第一个周三，跟风儿填诗一首……

你打，或者不打球
球就在那里
不飞 不跳

你游，或者不游泳
水就在那里
不温 不凉

你健，或者不健身
肉就在那里
只增 不减

你吃，或者不吃饭
尿就在那里
又酸 又甜

来一起挥汗
或者
让病进入你的膏肓
养颜 减肥
藏秘 排油

影评：非诚勿扰2

《非诚勿扰2》从另一个角度来观察爱情。

有诚意地扰了，扰出了爱情，爱到了火候，结婚。现在大家都识多见广心思缜密了，于是从“扰”这就一直思考着一个问题：婚姻是什么样啊？这个，深了去了……

王朔和冯小刚一边儿和咱们调侃着，一边儿就把这问题回答了，不过回答地挺晦涩的。这还真的得晦涩点儿，直白的大实话要是真说出来，这还不只是好听不好听的问题，是普遍能不能听懂的问题，那可能更招人骂。当然可能人家也没想教育谁，观众里面五行八作干嘛的都有，情圣、专家不乏其类，也不缺这俩拍电影儿的教育观众。就是讲一故事，都是编的。

梁笑笑和秦奋的故事，把婚姻这个问题回答了一少半，笑笑从心态上来讲和一般人差不多，一方面不了解自己一方面对婚姻比较朦胧，所以她的一些纠结行为差不多成了反面教材，在本片中其实是个配角儿。多亏还有秦奋一直捧着她，要不挺讨厌的。主角儿是香山，他回答了另一大半儿问题。香山活得潇洒，成也好败也好，有自己的主心骨，不纠结不错乱不动摇，是个汉子；芒果为证！

为什么说晦涩呢，就是正话非得反说。明明是说丑，非得从美开始说；明明是说热情，非得从冷淡开始说；明明是说婚姻，非得从离婚开始说；明明是说活着，非得从绝症开始说……可能是因为我也常常晦涩，我挺买账的，我懂了。看着看着我就想起《入殓师》来了，不知死，焉知生？

非2可能算个外传吧，给大家讲了讲秦奋身边的一位朋友，也讲了讲笑笑身边的一位朋友。看一个人就看他有什么样的朋友。

影评：赵氏孤儿

评分

在IMDB上，我给《赵氏孤儿》投票给了五分。目前这个电影在IMDB上还没有得分，还需要不到五个人的投票才能统计分数。

我这里的五分是什么概念呢？就是要是有朋友希望我陪她看这个电影我才会去看，面对邀请我会既不热情也不冷淡地同意下来；要是六分，我会不打磕巴儿地同意下来；要是七分，即使不用人邀请，如果我遇到了（比如电视里正在播放）就会看完；要是四分，我可能会勉强同意；真是无论如何都不想看第二遍的电影，那都在三分以下。

剧本

挺好的一个故事，竟然被编的这么矫情和幼稚。剧本非要写得什么事儿都解释，好像观众普遍缺乏推理能力；但是有的事儿又解释不清楚，好像编剧缺乏推理能力；有些都用烂了的台词还一遍一遍地用，好像编剧都没有创意。

思想

台词中还充满了现在中国社会中的病态价值观，赵氏孤儿的一言一行都在传达着“有个李刚做干爹真幸福”。赵氏孤儿好像从一开始就知道养育他的这位笑星只是一位养父，对他没有一点儿亲爹的感觉。所以在最后的那个转折让我觉得非常不可思议，一个成长于病态价值观环境中的孩子竟然突然间就有良心了！

我理解中的春秋时代的祖先们，他们的想法都朴实和简单得多；我们用最平和、单纯的态度去理解就可以懂了，不需要善和恶的倾向，如果你能够稍微谦逊一点儿甚至会被某些人的伟大的质朴感动地痛哭流涕。不知道是什么原因，编剧不能理解祖先的行为逻辑，还非要把自己解读到的东西呈现在荧幕上，另外再掺杂点儿貌似深刻或感人的对白硬撑门面，这就变得完全的纠结和矫情了。

造型

可能是我对剧情和思想性要求太高了吧，说点儿别的吧。令我欣赏的是造型方面，服装设计非常漂亮，很有气质。比如造型师充分照顾到了“背影”，脖领后面绷着一块麻将牌大小的金属质感的符文，让我感觉这是一种身份的象征；后背上的面料不是平淡的一马平川，而是有着青铜器上那些龙样图案；长袍、斗篷甚至有着丰富多彩的过渡色，华丽得耀眼。就像单田芳经常说的“身前身后，百步的威风”。我固然知道这不是春秋时代的纺织技术和时尚认可度可以达到的水平，但真的很希望祖先已经达到这个水平了。

表演

角色的表演细节也扣得细多了。比如：灵公的言语神态显然就是一位昏君；屠岸贾的姿态举止都表现出这是一个有高度自律的人；赵氏夫子的骄傲跋扈也是跃然“画外”；真正的忠臣是大夫的门客们。作为配角，几位门客的设计非常到位，无论是屠岸贾家的，还是赵家的。赵家的两位门客很给力的，如果你看了电影一定知道我说的是哪两位，因为他俩刚出场就抢了镜头，后来也把勇武忠臣表现得很到位。

演员阵容够强大的，可是吧，能不能别哪儿都有范冰冰，搞得我更相信《左传》版的情节靠谱一些了。我觉得诸位大腕中，既演过刘邦又演过项羽的张丰毅表现得最接近我对那个时代人物的理解，当数第一；王学圻演得相当卖力，无奈被剧情影响排名了；鲍国安要是更多的拿出曹操的劲儿可能更符合剧情设定；葛大爷最惨，被放在了这样一个角色上，最终还是把一部分观众逗笑了。

总结

如果通过Google搜索《赵氏孤儿》的放映时间，会看到这样一句话：

“陈凯歌《霸王别姬》后再次涉足悲剧题材，原著源远流长，其中强大的戏剧张力和悲剧气氛，相信会成为电影质量的有力保证。”

看完电影之后我觉得这个话分明是反讽——把有着“强大的戏剧张力和悲剧气氛”的原著拍成这样水平的电影，这是陈凯歌在《霸王别姬》后的又一悲剧。

张角是个术士

昨晚三国杀，连续用了几次张角，略有感悟，愿在此分享。

其中一次我把张角玩的那叫一个鬼使神差，那叫一个爆发力强，整个战斗很像在用一位WoW中火毁天赋的Warlock。不过我很久没玩WoW了，对它的印象还停留在WLK刚开始的时代。就让我用往昔的记忆聊以自娱自乐吧，呵呵。

Warlock in World of Warcraft

我记忆中的火毁Warlock有这么几个特点：一，术士依赖Soul Shards，这主要通过Drain Soul来获取；二，被打了有一定几率瞬发Shadow Bolt或Incinerate，暴击伤害可以达到200%；三，逮着机会可以cast一个伤害最高的Soul Fire，各种视频中秀的就是它了。

三国杀中的张角

再来看看张角，是不是相当的类似呢？！

其一鬼道，张角依赖黑色牌去改判定，尤其是黑桃花色。这个技能让张角这个角色非常的灵活，进可攻退可守，只要有手里有Soul Shard，啊……我是说黑色牌。为了触发雷击或闪电，张角应该有意识地储备一些黑桃牌。战术能力强的玩家，一定会用黑色牌不断换取各种锦囊，从局势上压制对手。生存意识强的玩家，也会果断弃掉黑色牌来换取桃。

其二雷击，张角出闪时有一定几率对某角色造成2点伤害。出闪一般是响应杀，这一点上倒是比Warlock舒服——并不是真正被命中后才触发，而且更加可控，从是否出闪到是否雷击都是玩家说了算，当然最可控也是最有爆炸性的就是当张角手中有黑桃时，可以配合鬼道改判定而使雷击必然命中！而命中后的这2点伤害在三国杀的语境里，基本上就等于一个暴击，还是元素伤害的。

其三闪电，当闪电从每位玩家的头上依次判定过去的时候，这就为张角储备了强大的能量，因为这每一次判定都可能为他带来引爆闪电的黑桃2~9。关键时刻，闪电的中与不中，都是张角说了算了。闪电是3点伤害，绝对可以媲美华丽的Soul Fire了。闪电和Soul Fire都有共同的“致命美感”，它们都需要酝酿，都需要等待最合适的实际，这是冷静的过程、果敢的判断、准确地出击，最终迎来灵魂注入一般的爆发！

战例分析

最后呢，奉上我昨晚的战斗记录和战场心得——天下大势为我所控。

借甄姬洛神和乐不思蜀的判定，张角鬼道数次，换取了闪准备雷击，也换到了触发雷击和闪电的黑桃牌，这样手里就储备了高伤害的能量。对手正好被乐不思蜀，也没有太多手段控制张角的手牌。当我引爆闪电的时候，有两个敌人死于过量伤害，这就像Soul Fire似的，作为终结技可能浪费很多伤害输出。有意思的是，三国杀里的过伤害是可以被高治疗补回来的；但不幸的是，敌人浪费了很大治疗量都没补够，只能说他们尽力了。有两位敌人能力有限，都没有记住我鬼道换取过闪，自投罗网杀过来后被轰到渣……这一点略显遗憾。