Reflection of Steve Jobs' Address

This week our group presented Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. Why we picked that topic as our group project is because we have known he is a legend of the technical world. Personally, I know he founded the Apple Company, he was thrown out from Apple and he had returned to Apple years ago before doing this project. But I never know he was an adopted child and he dropped out from college. Steve Jobs, like Bill Gates, dropped out from school. The difference between he and Gates is Gates already knew what he wanted and founded Microsoft Company later. On the other hand, Steve Jobs dropped out because he couldn’t see the value of going to school. But turns out, they both successes and do what they love. That just seems to prove Steve Jobs’ saying, “you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards”.

Steve Jobs is famous for using special present skills to promote products. I saw many of his presentations about promote incredible, head of time stuff like iPod, iPhone and iPad. But I never saw his Stanford speech before. Undoubtedly, I would consider this as his best speech ever. In his fifteen minutes address, he used three small, simply stories to interpret his life. There are many beautiful and meaningful sayings like “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right”, “To have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” and “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.”

We graduates are facing another journey of our life now just like Steve Jobs faced his dropped out life that time. I hope I will carry his words and face uncertainty future and obstacles.

ESL Podcast 574 – Shopping for Produce

This is a monologue about one shopped in a supermarket. Narrator first vowed to eat healther but later when passing by the cookie aisle, the narrator curved.

1. made a beeline for: To move swiftly in a direct, straight course.
2. picked over: To sort out or examine item by item.
3. wilted: To cause to droop or lose freshness
4. impulse buys: buy on impulse without proper reflection.
5. all in one sitting: during a short period of time
6. fall off the wagon: to resume any previously stopped behavior including smoking, drug use, overeating, or any other disavowed behavior.

In the listening, I learned some expressions and phrases i rarely use in writing. I think ESL Podcast provides good interesting topics. Listening one small topic everyday can improve listening skill unconsciously.