第一句的「Watch your thoughts, for they become words.」中，watch是多益測驗聽力部份的常用多義字，名詞的它是「錶、手錶」，但是動詞的它有「看」、「小心、注意」的意思。「thought」是「想法」，但是形容詞thoughtful值得一學；與想有關，它是「考慮周到的」。
【例】You are so thoughtful! （你真是太周到了!）
第二句的「Watch your words, for they become actions.」中，action（行動）是act（動）的名詞，但是它們的形容詞active值得一學，很能「動」的，所以它是「主動的、積極的、活躍的」。「active volcano」是「活火山」。
第四句的「Watch your habits, for they become character.」中，character是指人的品質、性格，但它也指事物的「特質、特性」，也指戲劇中的「人物、角色」。有一個與它系出同源的characteristic，它的名詞用法是「特徵、特性、特色」，另外兩個同義字feature、trait也都是多益測驗的高頻字。
第五句的「Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.」中，destiny是指「命運」，命運是每個人命中預定且注定的道路；但是在多益測驗中，有一個非學不可的字destination；任何旅行者都有一個預定要去的地方，它是「目的地」，這個字在國際職場也很常用，當你在機場時，飛機航班預定飛往的地點就是「目的地」—destination，航班資訊板上常用、常見。
Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
…Rooms with nice view! Excellent service! Fabulous dinner menu! Close to transportation! You will be pleasantly surprised by our complimentary breakfast!!
“The real loser is never the person who crosses the finishing line last. The real loser is the person who sits on the side. The person who does not even try to compete.”
– Oscar Pistorius, Sprint Runner
Warranty service does not extend to computers repurchased from another seller or from a third party.
句中的extend是多益測驗的高頻字，它與expand都有「擴展、擴張」的意思。
這家Tylart公司所賣的電腦，如果客戶有使用上的問題或是瑕疵，首先可以透過保固書中提供的24小時全國服務熱線(national service hotline)或是email地址，提供線上技術支援。如果問題無法經由第一步的方式解決，客戶會收到一個維修單編號，將這個問題轉給區域的服務中心，由技術人員幫客戶解決問題。保固書這麼寫道：
To report a defect, call our national service hotline 24 hours a day at (310)555-9807 or send an email to warranty@tylart.co.ca. If the problem cannot be solved over the phone or by e-mail, you will be given a case number and referred to technicians at an authorized center in your area.
If a Tylart computer develops a defect within three (3) years of the purchase date, the customer is entitled to free repair at Tylart service centers.
前面提到「瑕疵」的常用字是defect，還有disadvantage、flaw、shortcoming等等，「有瑕疵的」的則是defective。發現瑕疵，本句用了一個「develop a defect」的說法，develop常用字意是「發展」，但本句是指使用之後，形成或顯露出瑕疵之意。片語「be entitled to」也是「使有權利、使有資格」的職場英文常用說法。
Under the TQE program, a replacement will be shipped free of charge to the customer if Tylart determines that a replacement is necessary. Once the replacement unit has been received by the customer, the defective computer should be returned to Tylart.
Married people are less prone to heart attacks than singletons and more likely to recover if stricken, according to a Finnish study.
根據芬蘭研究，已婚者比單身者不容易心臟病發，就算心臟病發，也較容易恢復。
Researchers collected data on 15,330 people in Finland between the ages of 35 and 99 who suffered "acute coronary events" between 1993 and 2002. Just over half of the patients died within 28 days of the attacks.
The team found that unmarried men in all age groups were 58-66 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than married ones. For women the nuptial benefit was even greater -- single women were 60 to 65 percent more likely to suffer acute coronary events.
For both genders, wedlock also considerably lowered heart attack mortality. Unmarried men were 60-168 percent and unmarried women 71-175 percent more likely to die of a heart attack within 28 days, compared to their unhitched counterparts. （AFP）
Adapted from Yann Martell's best-selling novel of the same name, 'Life of Pi' tells of a young man and a tiger on a lifeboat drifting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
這句簡單的英文介紹，除了使我們學到幾個重要的多益用字之外，它還讓我們學到一個重要「分詞講句」用法。首先，句首的adapted就是一個重要字。它的原意是「使適合、適應」，(例)： She adapted her article to her students. (她使她的文章適合學生的程度。); (例)： She is not adapted for office work. (她無法適應整天待在辦公室裡的工作。)
句A與句B如果不用一般的連接詞連接，可以用「分詞構句法」作連接。分詞構句，顧名思義，要把動詞改為分詞(現在分詞或是過去分詞)。本句中，改為分詞的是句A 動詞的部份「is adapted to」。改為分詞就成了「being adapted to」，省略了都有的主詞「Life of Pi」，就成了以下此句：
Being adapted from Yann Martell's best-selling novel of the same name, 'Life of Pi' tells of a young man and a tiger on a lifeboat drifting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
有趣的是，這個句首的being在英文裡是可以省略的，省略之後的全句就成了我們在媒體上看到的這一句：
Adapted from Yann Martell's best-selling novel of the same name, 'Life of Pi' tells of a young man and a tiger on a lifeboat drifting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
________ in the late 1800’s, many of the coastline’s lighthouses remain standing today, having withstood the forces of nature for decades.
(A) Built
(B) Building
(C) Been built
(D) Having built
[解析]：
這個句子的結構和李安<少年pi>句子的句型極為類似，都是名詞構句。正確答案是(A)，關鍵是你要能看出being被省略。它的原本句構是「Being built in the late1800’s」，意思是說：「被建於19世紀末期」，因為建築物是「被建造」，所以要用「被動式」。用主動式的(B)、(D)都不對。答案(C)的been如果改為being，就正確了。
Before ________ the envelope, please be sure you have enclosed all of the documents listed in your orientation packet.
(A) seal
(B) sealing
(C) is sealed
(D) was sealed
[解析]：
本題也是分詞構句，只不過它的連接詞before沒有省略。原句應該是「Before you seal the envelope」，逗號後方的命令句的主詞就是you，所以「Before you seal the envelope」簡化成分詞構句的「Before sealing the envelope」，所以正確答案是(B)。
US researchers found patients with gout who ate cherries over a two-day period had a 35% lower risk of attacks compared to those who did not. The study in Arthritis & Rheumatism said cherries contain anthocyanins, antioxidants which contain anti-inflammatory properties.
Gout is a common type of arthritis that can cause sudden and very severe attacks of pain and swelling in the joints, particularly in the feet. Gout affects about one in 100 people, with men two to three times more likely to be affected than women.
In this study, researchers from Boston University recruited 633 gout patients with an average age of 54. Most were male. People were asked to record gout attacks including symptoms, the drugs they used and their diet and drinking patterns in the two days prior to the attack, including whether or not they had eaten cherries or cherry extract intake.
Ten to 12 cherries was counted as one serving. During the period the patients were studied, they had a total of 1,247 gout attacks. Some 42% of those studied ate cherries or cherry extract. These patients had a 37% lower risk of gout attacks than those who did not eat the fruit.
愛旅行的你也酷愛運動或觀賞運動競賽，何不參加結合運動與休閒主題的旅遊，沉醉於客製化假期時也能結識各地同好，參與喜愛運動項目，課程訓練，或欣賞明星運動員與明星隊（star athletes and star teams）在世界級運動賽事（world sports events）精湛表現。如此一來「寓運動於遊樂」，收「一石二鳥」（to kill two birds with one stone）功效。
「打（球）」用動詞「play」，例句：「下午想不想打網球呢？」（Would you like to play tennis this afternoon?）或「我已學會怎麼打高爾夫球」（I have learned how to play golf.）。此外，下西洋棋（play chess）也用同一動詞。
問有無參與任何運動說：「Do you participate in any sports？」若回答：「Yes, I participate in some sports activities such as baseball and basketball, and I am on the office basketball team.」是指「我參與一些如棒球與籃球的運動項目，同時我是公司籃球隊隊員」。
觀賞運動比賽則用動詞「watch」，例如：「許多人熱愛看美國職籃賽」（Many people enjoy watching the NBA game.）或「在運動場╱體育場觀賞運動遠比從電視上看刺激多」（Watching sports in the stadium is much more exciting than watching them on TV.）。
知己難尋，人一輩子若能遇到一、兩個凡事助你挺你的朋友，可是樂事一樁。英文要如何形容一個人「很夠朋友」呢？可以說︰「 He’s a real pal.」pal是口語的「好友、伙伴」，男女皆可用。還可說：She’s a true friend.（她很夠朋友）。若要特別指一個對朋友很好、重義氣的男性友人，還可以用buddy這個字：He is a buddy.（他是我的好哥兒們）。
A：He agreed to pay off my debt to the loan shark and also said he’d help me move this weekend.
Smokers may get fewer hours of sleep and have less restful slumber than non-smokers, according to a German study that looked at more than two thousand people.
根據德國一項觀察2000多人的研究，吸菸者睡眠時數可能比不吸菸者少，也較容易淺眠。
Researchers whose work appeared in the journal Addiction Biology found that of nearly 1,100 smokers surveyed, 17 percent got fewer than six hours of sleep each night and 28 percent reported "disturbed" sleep quality.
That compared with rates of seven percent and 19 percent respectively among more than 1,200 non-smokers who were also surveyed, said lead researcher Stefan Cohrs, of Charite Berlin medical school in Germany.
The findings cannot prove that smoking directly impairs sleep, since smokers may have other habits that could affect their shut-eye such as staying up late to watch TV or getting little exercise.
一年之計在於「春」！五大人氣課程，現在就搞定：
國營事業招考(中油/台水/台糖/台電) (15)