BBC Message Board

My question

Dear TeacherI wonder if you could tell me the difference between huge and big. it really drvie me crazy when i tried to tell how to use them in correct. For example, if we describe a lake, can we describe it as a "huge" lake? or just a "big" lake?

Answer

To an extent your question is subjective. In general, 'huge' is bigger than 'big'.The largest of the 'Great Lakes' in the US is 'Lake Superior'. You might say that 'Lake Superior' is huge compared to the other four.

My comment

To my astonishmend, I didn't expect his answers was so succinct like this. Maybe because my question is rather simple than others'. I think, to some degree, BBC Message Board is quite useful because it is like you have a free English tutor. but it seems that when we are asking question, we'd better have the question precise and been narrowed down.

The reflection of Steve Jobs' speech

As a businiess man, Steve Jobs, the co-fonder of Apple, is undoubedly one of the most successful. Some says that the key to success is to become cold-hearted and cruel, caring nothing but profit. However, after listening to his speech, I found that there were few people who can be as passionate to the life as him. What Steve Jobs revealed in the speech is the spirit to love your career as well as to love your life.

The first story Jobs mention is to connect the dots and to look backwards. I think this philosophy is totally useful for we who is going to graduate from the university. We, as a students, are always told to do something which is considered to be good for us. We will be never for sure what the outcome will be. The point is that we, like him said, have to keep faith in ourself. We have to trust in our life and also our destiny. Sometimes we just have to venture without caring the consequence. Since no who knows the future, why should we limit ourself? As the old saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We do whatever we believe is correct and, withough regret, embrace the end with our confident and faith. I myself have started to prapare for the exam of public service for half an year. There was always somebody keep remind me of that I might fail the test. But just like Jobs said, our work is going to fill a large part of our life, and the way to be trul satisfied is to do what we believe is great work. An dthe only way to do great work is to love what we do. These days I keep asking myself whether I love the career or not, and it appears that I do, which means from now on I have to pay more attention and spend more on my studying. Thanks to the speech, it help me to make up my mind and and gain a new confident in me.

The Listening Note on ESL Podcast 237

English Cafe 237

In this podcast, Dr. McQuillian talked about different type of topic like famous American Tyler Perry, a successful screen writer, director and even an actor, and he also talks about the history of NASA from the 1961 to 2007.

1. musical: a type of play that have a lot of music, singing, and dancing

2. adapted: a book made into film

3. unhibited: without feeling restricted

4. earring: a piece of jewelry usually weared by women on ears.

5. to be nominated: your name is purposed or suggested to win an award.

6. space: everything beyond our planet, like sun, moon, and stars.

7. in orbit: going around the planet of earth.

8. frontier: an explored area.

9. shuttle: a vehicle that goes to one place from anther back and forth.

10. launch: the space craft leave the ground.

11. unmanned: not control by people personally

12. to think on one's foot: to be able to think and react to something quickly

13. recogniton = acknowledgement: get attention or approval because you do something good



After listening to this podcast, I learned some very useful vacabulary like "unhibited", "unmanned" and the idiom "to think on one's foot". The teacher explained each words in detail, which made me remember them very well even after I finished the podcast. However, the speed this doctor spoke still too slow for me. I would like to write a letter to suggest the doctor to speak more quickly, or I think I would fall asleep.

The major difference between "large" and "big"

"Large" apply to types of measuring things that are measuring by length and breadth.

For example: Los Angeles is the second "largest" city in the US.




"Big" implies to types of things that are measuring by a size.

For example: The garage isn't "big" enough for two cars.

The Very Difficult First introduction

Hi, people who read my blog, this is Howard Wu from NTUST, it seems that i will be graduated from here after two month, and i sincerely wish that after two month this blog will still been updated.

Recently I went to see a movie name "Shutter Island", which starring Lenardo DeCaprio. In this movie, Shutter Island is place located the asylum Ashecliffe hospital, where insane criminal were prisoned here and attend with psychological treatment. Thourgh this thriller , the director use lots of natural condition like storms, waves and heavy rain to indicate the violence inside not only the patients but even the leading role, a U.S. marshal. I felt so fasinated by the movie that I even bought the original novels. I think the movie is worth seeing for you guys.