How to Survive a Mountain Lion Attack

1. Vocabulary: Quizlet

2. Comprehension questions

• What are the terms that are used to refer to mountain lions? (P1-2)
• How did Jessie and Brianna handle the attack of a mountain lion? (P1-2)
• When are mountain lions active? (P3)
• Why is it not suggested that we hike with a dog? (P4)
• What can we prepare for hiking? (P5)
• How do people respond to mountain lions? (P7)
• How can we look big when encountering lions? (P8)
• How can we threaten lions? (P9)
• How can we strike back? (P10)
• What can we do if we are pulled down by a lion? (P11)

3. Phrases

• come across (6)
• make a quiet grunt (9)
• snarl like a dog (11)
• charge at the girls (13)
• spine-chilling experience (16)
• on the rise (21)
• survive a mountain lion attack (27)
• Keep in mind that ... (39)
• mating season (40)
• keep good company (42)
• plan on entering ... (43)
• keep it on a leash (49)
• call for help (52)
• in the event of (53) 
• keep an eye on (58)
• at risk of ... (59)
• respond to (66)
• hold you ground (69)
• put up a fight (74)
• make direct eye contact with (82)
• at the top of your lungs (89)
• stay on the defensive (93)
• strike back (96)
• in the wild (128)
• increase your odds of ... (131)

4. Grammar and usages

• The formidable hunter was just 15 feet away, silently watching them. (7; present participle)
• Once hunted to the point of extinction, mountain lion populations are one the rise. (20; past participle) 
• Ask park ranger ... if there have been any sightings. (34)
• two thirds of mountain lion victims are children (60)
• By running away, people actually prompt lions to chase ... (66)
• keep gazing directly at the mountain lion (115)

The Small House Movement

1. pre-reading

A tiny home tour: living in 89 square feet

2. Vocabulary: Quizlet

3. comprehension questions

• Is there any change to the home size of America? In what way? What is people's opinion about home size? (P1)
• Describe Shafer's house. (P2)
• What is the goal of the Small House Movement? (P3)
• What is the motivation of living in small homes? What is the benefit of the simple design of the houses? (P4)
• How useful were the small houses to Katrina hurricane victims? (P5)
• In what way can living in small houses save the environment? (P6)
• What are the advantages of small houses? (P7)
• What does the Small House Movement represent? (P8)
  

4. phrases

• a growing number of ... (11)
• The group has grown in popularity as ... (36)
• allow for (48)
• fit the needs of ... (51)
• compared to (54)
• prior to (62)
• specialize in (62)
• assist in (72)
• focus on (89)
• make maximum use of (89)
  

5. usages and grammar

• They point out that despite their simplicity, ... (15)
• The group's goal is to help people ... by living ... (34)
• Whereas prices in downtown ..., costs of construction company ... (39)
• Many hurricane victims ... have been able to ... by moving to small houses. (70)
• ... an attractive alternative to keeping hurricane victims ... (74)
• Susanka says the idea to build ... while she was visiting friends. (85)
• By focusing on detail and making maximum use of ..., Susanka says ... (89)
  

Another Earth

 
1. reading comprehension

• What do the author and his/her son believe? (P1)
• How did scientists look for planets in the past? How do they do the same thing now? (P2)
• What is "wobble" technique? (P3)
• What is Kepler project? How difficult is it to observe stars? (P4)
• Tell us something about Gliese 581c? (P5)
• What is a habitable zone? What are qualities to form a habitable zone? Is Gliese 581c in a habitable zone? (P6)
• Is it possible that life survives in the universe? (P7-8)
• What is the author's belief about the planetary system?

2. phrases

• is fascinated by (line 2)
• are decorated with (line 3)
• look through telescopes (line 5)
• dream of (line 6)
• a handful of (line 11)
• to be sure (line 35)
• rely on (line 43)
• in the years to come (line 56)
• habitable zone (line 66)
• along with (line 69)
• meet the ... criteria (line 70)
• sustain life (line 89)
• extraterrestrial life (line 99)
• advance to (line 103)
• make contact with (line 106)

3. usage and grammar

• ..., we have to begin by observing stars. (lines 27-28)
• Despite the complexity of the process, Kepler discovered ... (line 52)
• Gliese 581c is bigger ... by half. (line 63)
• ... but not so close as to boil off water ... (line 73) 
•  The probability ... seems too high to dismiss.
• I find it credible that ... (line 91)
• Maybe in my lifetime, but certainly his, astronomy will have advanced to the point where scientists will be able to ... (line 102)

4. Quizlet

5. News report: 太陽系外發現「超級地球」　可能有生物

6. illustrations

• Kepler project: looking for planets by determining the brightness of a star
  

• Kepler project: Observing a decrease in the brightness of a star is very difficult, just as we see a flea creeping across the headlights of a motorcar.

• wobble technique: If a star wobbles, that means there is a planetary system in which the star is pulled by planets.