√ Campus Life.
√ Physics
√ Geography.
√ Art History
01 Campus Life
M: Your English is really progressing, Maria.
W: It’s all thanks to my language partner.
M: What do language partners do?
W: Well, they get together with foreign students for one or two
hours a week and help them practice casual conversation.
M: Is that all?
W: No. Most partners explain Canadian culture and go to concerts
and parties together. Mine has shown me some tremendous
attractions here in Vancouver.
M: Isn’t it kind of expensive?
W: No. The partners are all volunteers. It’s a great way to make
friends and practice English with a native speaker at the same
time. My partner has really helped me adjust to life in Canada.
02 Physics
W: What is the truth about light wave theory? For many years,
scientists were in disagreement. Newton hypothesized that
light traveled faster in a denser medium, like a wave. On the
other hand, Christian Huygens, in 1690, postulated that light
waves slowed down in a denser medium, like particles. The
problem was that it was impossible to measure the speed of
light accurately. However, in 1850 Leon Foucault made the first
accurate measurement. His result supported the wave theory for
light. The theory was accepted until the late 19th century when
Einstein discovered that light striking a surface caused particles
to change their speed. This marked a return to contradiction
and disagreement.
03 Geography
M: Did you know that the Mediterranean is part of the Atlantic
Ocean? Though attached to the Atlantic, it is also a sea almost
completely flanked by land --- Europe to the north, Africa to the
south, and Asia to the east. That is how it got its name. The name
of this body of water comes from the Latin medi, which means
middle, and terra, which means land. So even though it’s a huge
body of water, its name literally translates as “middle land.” It has
a long history of civilization and was instrumental in facilitating
marine transportation in ancient times.
04 Campus Life
M: How do I register for a student union class?
W: Just head up to the 3rd floor of the student union building.
M: OK. Thanks.
W: Oh, wait. Is the course you want to take work related? If it is,
you might want to register at the student employment office.
M: Actually, it is. I’m an aspiring bartender. I was hoping to get my
bar skills certificate so I could apply for a position in a bar.
W: Is the bar here on campus?
M: Yes.
W: In that case, I would recommend registering at the student
employment office. That way you can automatically apply for
the bartending job when you register for the course.
M: That’s great! Thanks a lot.
05 Political Science.
M: After the first World War, the League of Nations was established
for the purpose of settling conflicts between countries peacefully.
As we know from the outbreak of World War II, they ultimately
failed in their objective. The league lacked strength because it
didn’t have an army. It relied on its most powerful members to
enforce its resolutions, but these countries were reluctant to do
so. Britain and France, after World War I were largely pacifist and
therefore reluctant to use force against Hitler’s growing military
regime. In the 1930s, the fascist powers left the league, and
eventually World War II brought an end to the League of Nations.
But the League did have one lasting effect...
06 Art History
W: Impressionism was a movement that began in the visual arts
and then extended into music. Does that surprise some of you?
Impressionist painters broke away from the tradition of creating
life-like depictions. They used light and color to portray the
impact or feeling of a subject. And soon after impressionism
was established in art, musicians began applying its maxims to
their compositions. They aimed to create the feeling of color
and light in their music. Some impressionist musicians actually
composed music as interpretations of paintings. Impressionism
in both painting and music aimed to portray the impact or feeling
of a subject rather than a literal depiction. So let’s listen to a piece
and analyze how a composer can do this.
07 Campus Life
W: Excuse me, could you tell me where the campus post office is
located?
M: It’s on the first floor of the student union building, next to the
information desk.
W: Do you know its hours of operation?
M: 7:30 to 3:30, but during the summer, it opens later --- at 8 a.m.
W: So, from next month it will open at 8 a.m. I see. Do they sell
envelopes and stuff like a regular post office?
M: Yes. They primarily sell stamps and envelopes, but they carry other
relevant postal products as well.
W: Do they have a post office box service?
M: Yes. P.O. boxes can be rented for $5 a month.
W: That’s five bucks per month?
M: That’s right. That’s the same price you’ll find at off-campus post
offices, too.
W: Is that right? Then I might as well rent one on campus.
08 Photography.
M: The process of taking a photograph involves exposing film to light.
The amount of light that falls on the film is called the exposure.
Hm. This is all something you’ll have to do, so let me try to clarify
that. Exposure is controlled by the lens aperture (the size of the
hole letting in the light), and the shutter speed (the amount of
time that the hole is opened for). Now, when planning exposure,
a photographer considers reciprocity. This refers to the reciprocal
relationship between aperture and shutter speed. For example, a
slow shutter speed means that the film is getting more exposure
to the light. Therefore, a smaller aperture is required. Similarly, a
wide aperture requires a faster shutter speed. So, you must first
determine the exposure and then adjust the aperture and shutter
speed appropriately. Any guesses about how you can determine
this?