chocolate

Chocolate is a psychoactive food. It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree
. The cacao tree was named by the 17th century Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term theobroma means literally "food of the gods". Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.         Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.         The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests on account of chocolate's reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.         Placebo-controlled trials suggest chocolate consumption may subtly enhance cognitive performance. As reported by Dr Bryan Raudenbush (2006), scores for verbal and visual memory are raised by eating chocolate. Impulse-control and reaction-time are also improved. This study needs replicating.          A symposium at the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science - hyped as a potentially "mind-altering experience" - presented evidence that chocolate consumption can be good for the brain. Experiments with chocolate-fed mice suggest that flavanol-rich cocoa stimulates neurovascular activity, enhancing memory and alertness. This research was partly funded by Mars, Inc.         Coincidentally or otherwise, many of the worlds oldest supercentenarians, e.g. Jeanne Calment (1875-1997) and Sarah Knauss (1880-1999), were passionately fond of chocolate. Jeanne Calment habitually ate two pounds of chocolate per week until her physician induced her to give up sweets at the age of 119 - three years before her death aged 122. Life-extensionists are best advised to eat dark chocolate rather than the kinds of calorie-rich confectionery popular in America.         In the UK, chocolate bars laced with cannabis are popular with many victims of multiple sclerosis. This brand of psychoactive confectionery remains unlicensed.          Chocolate as we know it today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Swiss confectioner Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F.          Today, chocolates of every description are legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer.         In 2007, a UK study suggested that eating dark chocolate was more rewarding than passionate kissing. More research is needed to replicate this result.         More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified. Chocolate clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the central nervous system are poorly understood. So how does it work?

coffee

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. The seeds are found in coffee "cherries", which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee is slightly acidic (pH 5.0–5.1) and can have a stimulating effect on humans because of its caffeine content. It is one of the most consumed drinks in the world.
Wild coffee's energizing effect was likely first discovered in the northeast region of Ethiopia. Coffee cultivation first took place in southern Arabia;the earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi shrines of Yemen.

Amy Van Dyken and Olympic Competition

1996 Summer Olympics - Atlanta
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Van Dyken became the first American female athlete in history to win 4 gold medals in a single Olympic games. Her success in swimming won her a wide variety of awards and accolades, including: the ESPN Awards (ESPY) Female Athlete of the Year award; Swimming World magazine's female Swimmer of the Year award; induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame; induction into the US Olympic Hall of Fame; named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, USOC Sports Woman of the Year, the Women’s Sports Foundation Sports Woman of the Year and USA Swimming Swimmer of the Year. She was also featured as one of Glamour magazine's Top 10 Women of the Year, named one of 25 most influential females in sport by Women’s Sports and Fitness magazine and received the ARETE Courage in Sports award. She has graced the cover of several newspapers and magazines, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time, Swimming World magazine, and Sports Illustrated. Van Dyken was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and the Today Show. She was featured in a milk ad with a photograph taken by world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, and she was honored with her own Wheaties box.

2000 Summer Olympics - Sydney
She continued to compete after the 1996 Olympics, but was plagued by injury, including a shoulder injury which required several operations and which left her unable to train for over a year. She staged a comeback, however, and made the 2000 US Olympic Team in the 50 meter freestyle, the 4×100 medley relay and the 4×100 freestyle relay. At the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Van Dyken won two gold medals in these latter two events, and placed 4th in the 50 meter freestyle. This brought her total career Olympic medal count to 6 gold medals. In addition to her Olympic accomplishments, Van Dyken won several World titles and set numerous American and world records.
Van Dyken has the distinction of being one of the few Olympians whose medals are all gold.

Poem

If youlove someone, puttheir name in a circle,
insteadof a heart, becausehearts can break,
butcircles go on forever.

ถ้าคุณรักใครสักคน
จงเอาเขาไว้รอบตัวคุณแทนที่จะใส่เขาไว้ในใจ
เพราะหัวใจสามารถแตกสลายได้
แต่ถ้าเขาอยู่รอบตัวคุณเขาจะอยู่กับคุณตลอดไป

Poem

It maytake only a minute to like someone,
onlyan hour to have a crush on someone
andonly a day to love someone
but itwill take a lifetime to forget someone.

มันอาจจะใช้เวลาเพียงชั่วนาทีที่จะชอบใครสักคน
เพียงชั่วโมงที่จะนึกรักใครสักคน
และเพียงชั่ววันที่จะรักใครสักคน
แต่มันจะใช้เวลาชั่วชีวิตของท่านที่จะลืมคนคนนั้น

figure of speech

figure of speech

"Simile" และ "Metaphor" แปลว่า "อุปมา" และ "อุปลักษณ์"  มันคือการเปรียบเทียบสำหรับประโยคอุปมา "เธอนี่เหมือนนางฟ้าของชีวิตเราเลย" คีย์เวิร์ดของมันอยู่ที่คำว่า เหมือน อุปมาจะไม่เปรียบตรงๆ แต่จะบอกว่าเป็นเหมือนอะไร คำที่มักเจอก็เช่น ดั่ง ประดุจ ฯลฯ
ส่วนประโยคอุปลักษณ์ "เธอเป็นนางฟ้าที่ลงมาโปรดปีศาจอย่างเรา" คีย์เวิร์ดของมันคือคำว่า เป็น อุปลักษณ์จะตรงกว่า เพราะเปรียบจะๆ ว่าคืออะไร เป็นอะไร  แล้วประโยคนี้ยังมีอีกอัน คือ "ปีศาจอย่างเรา" อันนี้ไม่มีคีย์เวิร์ดก็จริง แต่บอกตรงๆ ว่าเราคือปีศาจ มันก็เป็นอุปลักษณ์ได้

 Simile การเปรียบเทียบแบบตรง
ใช้คำตรงๆ ใช้คำว่า Like, as, look like Similar(to), resemble Identical(to), take after Ex: She talks as his father does.
ตัวอย่างการใช้คำเปรียบเทียบแบบตรง (Simile)
As afraid as a grasshopper : ขี้ขลาดเหมือนตั๊กแตน
As agile as a cat : ว่องไวเหมือนแมว
As alike as two peas: เหมือนกันราวกับถั่วสองฝัก
As alone as a leper: โดดเดี่ยวเหมือนคนเป็นโรคเรื้อน
As ambitious as the Devil: มีความทะเยอทะยานเหมือนปีศาจ
As ancient as the sun: เก่าแก่เหมือนพระอาทิตย์
As angry as a wasp: โกรธราวกับตัวต่อ
As awful as silence: น่ากลัวราวกับความเงียบ
As artificial as make ice: ปลอมราวกับทำน้ำแข็ง
As bad as itch: เลวร้ายราวกับตัวหิด
As blind as a bat : ตาบอดราวกับค้างคาว
As bare as a stone : เตียนโล่งราวกับก้อนหิน
As bald as a coot: หัวล้านราวกับนกเป็ดน้ำ
 As blue as indigo: สีน้ำเงินราวกับคราม
As beautiful rainbow: สวยงามราวกับรุ้ง
As big as an elephant: ใหญ่โตราวกับช้าง
As blameless as the snow: ไม่มีตำหนิราวกับหิมะ
As blank as an empty bottle: ว่างเปล่าราวกับขวดเปล่า
As bitter as death: ขมขื่นราวกับความตาย
As black as pitch: ดำราวกับน้ำมันดิน
As blunt as hammer: ทื่อราวกับค้อน
As brave as a lion: กล้าหาญเหมือนสิงโต

Metaphor หรืออุปลักษณ์ ประมาณว่าเป็นการเปรียบเทียบความหมายในกวีอย่างไพเราะ
ในหนังสือ Metaphors We Lived By ของ Lakoff & Johnson แต่งในปี 1980 ได้รวบรวม Metaphor เชิงลึกเอาไว้ยกตัวอย่างเช่น
You’re wasting my time. (คุณทำให้ฉันเสียเวลา)
This gadget will save you hours. (สิ่งนี้ช่วยทำให้คุณประหยัดเวลา)
I don’t have the time to give you. (ฉันไม่มีเวลาจะให้คุณ)
How do you spend your time these days? (คุณบริหารเวลาช่วงนี้ของคุณอย่างไรบ้าง)
That flat tire cost me an hour. (ฉันต้องใช้เวลา [หนึ่งชั่วโมง] ไปกับการซ่อมยางแบน)
I’ve invested a lot of time in her. (ฉันทุ่มเวลากับเธอไปมาก)
I don’t have enough time to spare for that. (ฉันไม่มีเวลาเผื่อไว้พอสำหรับเรื่องนั้น)
You’re running out of time. (เวลาของคุณหมดแล้ว)
You need to budget your time. (คุณควรจะเก็บเวลาของคุณไว้)
Put aside some time for ping pong. (แบ่งเวลาส่วนหนึ่งไว้สำหรับเล่นปิงปอง)
Is that worth your while? (มันคุ้มค่ากับเวลาที่คุณเสียไปไหม)
Do you have much time left? (คุณมีเวลาเหลือเท่าไหร่)
He’s living on borrowed time. (เขาตอนนี้ก็เหมือนแค่ใช้เวลาที่ยืมมาเท่านั้น //แปลว่าอยู่ในช่วงสุดท้ายของชีวิตแล้วประมาณนั้น)
You don’t use your time, profitably. (คุณไม่ได้ใช้เวลาของคุณให้เป็นประโยชน์)
I lost a lot of time when I got sick. (ฉันเสียเวลาไปมากเมื่อฉันป่วย)
Thank you for your time.(ขอบคุณมากสำหรับการสละเวลาของคุณ)

"Personification" คือ "บุคคลวัต" "บุคคลาธิษฐาน" และ "บุคคลสมมติ" แต่จริงๆ ก็คือการให้สิ่งที่ไม่ใช่คนทำกริยาแบบคน ที่เห็นบ่อยๆ ก็เช่น "ท้องฟ้าร่ำไห้" "ใบไม้เต้นระบำ" หรือตัวอย่างที่คนไม่ค่อยใช้เช่น "ก้อนเมฆถือปืนสาดกระสุนใส่คนที่อยู่ข้างล่างจนเปียกปอน" (แปลไทยคือฝนตก) ก็ยังเป็นบุคคลวัตอยู่ เพราะในความเป็นจริง มีแต่คนเท่านั้นแหละที่ถือปืนกราดยิงคน ก้อนเมฆเค้าไม่ทำกัน แต่ในข้อความนี้เรายัดเยียดความเป็นมนุษย์ให้ก้อนเมฆไง

The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.
The run down house appeared depressed.
The first rays of morning tiptoed through the meadow.
She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door.
He did not realize that his last chance was walking out the door.
The bees played hide and seek with the flowers as they buzzed from one to another.
The wind howled its mighty objection.
The snow swaddled the earth like a mother would her infant child.
The river swallowed the earth as the water continued to rise higher and higher.
Time flew and before we knew it, it was time for me to go home.
The ocean waves lashed out at the boat and the storm continued to brew.
My computer throws a fit every time I try to use it.
The thunder grumbled like an old man.
The flowers waltzed in the gentle breeze.
Her life passed her by.
The sun glared down at me from the sky.
The moon winked at me through the clouds above.
The wind sang through the meadow.
The car was suffering and was in need of some TLC.
At precisely 6:30 am my alarm clock sprang to life.
The window panes were talking as the wind blew through them.
The ocean danced in the moonlight.
The words appeared to leap off of the paper as she read the story.
The phone awakened with a mighty ring.
The funeral raced by me in a blur.
While making my way to my car, it appeared to smile at me mischievously.
The car, painted lime green, raced by screaming for attention.
The butterflies in the meadow seemed to two-step with one another.
The waffle jumped up out of the toaster.
The popcorn leapt out of the bowl.
When the DVD went on sale, it flew off the shelves.
I tripped because the curb jumped out in front of me.
Time creeps up on you.
The news took me by surprise.
The fire ran wild.
The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
The tornado ran through town without a care.
The door protested as it opened slowly.
The evil tree was lurking in the shadows.
Time marches to the beat of its own drum.
The storm attacked the town with great rage.
My life came screeching to a halt.
The baseball screamed all the way into the outfield.
The blizzard swallowed the town.
The tsunami raced towards the coastline.
The avalanche devoured everything in its path.
The pistol glared at me from its holster.
The car beckoned me from across the showroom.
I could hear Hawaii calling my name.