Week 15: income and wealth taxes

1. Friday 8-10 presentation Prehistoric Taiwan

2.
Speeches
Wed 10-12: 0744236, 231, 248, 208
3-5: 01,  03,  26 , 48

Fri 8-10: 17, 04 22, 11, 34, 23
10-12: 126, 213, 106, 135

3. Reading

Answer in your own words, with your partner. You can use a translation program to understand if you need to.

https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=649


1. According to the article, is Taiwan's government rich or poor? Why?

2. According to the article, what is the effect of cutting wealth and capital taxes on the economy?

3. According to the article, why is land such a good investment?

4. According to the article, which policies made Taiwan's government so poor?

5. According to the article, at what time did tax revenues start to fall? Why?

6. Describe the level of tax on capital gains in Taiwan.


======================

Conversation

Do you believe in ghosts?

Do you believe that dead people come back to life as ghosts?

Would you talk to a ghost?

Do you know any good stories about ghosts?

Do you know anyone who has said that they have seen a ghost?

Have you ever come in contact with a ghost? (Have you ever seen a ghost?)

If one of your friends told you they had seen a ghost, would you believe him/her? Why/Why not?

What is the scariest ghost story you know?

Is there an area where you live (park, house, etc.) that is known to be haunted?

If so, what is the story or legend that makes people believe this area is haunted? Have you ever visited this place?

Do you believe that houses can be haunted? Have you ever been to one?

Do you believe that houses have ghosts in them sometimes?

Were you ever touched or physically harmed by a ghost or "spirit"? If so, how?

If you were a ghost who and where would you haunt?

How do you know if a ghost is near you?

If you don't believe in ghosts, then what have you heard other people say?

If you don't believe in ghost, why don't you believe?

If you don't believe in ghost, and you actually have seen one, what were your reactions?

Have you ever felt that you knew a ghost that you saw?

If you were a ghost, who or what would you haunt?

Why do people say they see ghosts even though they sometimes do not?

Do you put any faith in the modern day ghost hunters?

Can you recall any strange or unexplained events in your life?

Do you believe your ancestors are watching you?

What do you think about the images movies give us about aliens?

Would you spend the night in a place where people say that there are ghosts?

Would you spend the night in a very old uninhabited house, church school that was known to have ghosts?

Have you seen a ghost? What kind of ghost? Did you get to talk with the ghost?

Would you be scared if a ghost talked to you?

Do you think we can feel if a ghost is nearby us by the changes in the weather?

What reasons might ghosts haunt?

Have you ever felt that you knew a ghost that you saw?(like a grandparent or other relative)

Do you think that there is truth behind superstitions?

Do you walk under ladders?

What are some superstitions in your country?

What are some things that are considered unlucky?

What are some things that are considered lucky?

What numbers are considered to be lucky and unlucky in your country?

A four-leaf clover is often considered lucky. What are some other things which are considered lucky.

Do you have a lucky number?

What are some superstitions in the United States? Canada? Australia, England? Your country?

Have you ever gone to a psychic?

If so, what were you told?

Did you believe it?

Why do some people consult psychics before doing important things?

Do you know anyone that has ever been to a psychic?

Why do some people need fortunetellers?

How do people predict the future in your country?

Do you think that dreams come true?

Do you think that dreams can help us solve our problems?

Have you ever had a dream that come true?

Have you ever had a dream that later came true?

Do you think that some people can predict the future?

What is your blood type?

Do you believe that you can tell a lot about a person from his/her blood type?

Do you believe that blood types can tell what a person's personality is?

Is the belief in UFOs, aliens, and physic powers growing because belief in religion is dying?

Do you believe in horoscopes?

Do you read your horoscope? If so, do you believe it?

What is your star sign?

Do you believe the predictions contained within your horoscope?

Are horoscopes important?

Do you read your horoscope often? Does it come true?

Does your star sign describe your personality traits well?

Has anything ever happened to you that you cannot explain?

Do you believe that there are many things in our universe that cannot be explained? Give examples.

Do you believe that you are from another planet?

Do you believe you have supernatural powers there?

Have you ever tried to contact another planet?

Did you succeed?

ESP

Do you believe in ESP?

How can a person know what kind of ESP abilities he/she has?

What do you think are some ways of developing these abilities?

UFOs

Do you believe that UFOs exist? / Do you believe in UFOs?

Do you know anyone who has said that they have seen a UFO?

Have you ever seen a UFO?

Do you know anyone who says that they have?

If you saw a UFO but were alone and had no proof would you tell anyone? Who?

Do you think that UFOs from other planets visit Earth?

What would you do if you were taken aboard a UFO?

Do you believe there is life on other planets?

Have you ever seen an E.T.?

Do you know anyone who says that they have?

Aliens

Do you believe in aliens?

Do you think that you are an alien?

Do you think aliens are monsters?

If you saw an alien what do you would do?

Have you ever seen an alien?

Has anyone ever told you that he or she has seen an alien?

Do you believe in reincarnation?

Have you ever felt that you knew someone the first time you met them?

Have you ever visited a foreign country or city for the first time and found that you knew exactly where things were?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and 'seen' a different face?

What do you think a spirit would look like?

Is the belief in UFOs, aliens, physic powers, etc, growing because the belief in religion is dying?

Are you afraid of spirits?

Do you believe in angels?

Do you believe in witches why or why not.

Do you believe in astrology? What is your astrological sign?

Do you believe in coincidences? Why or why not?

Do you believe in God? Why or why not?

Do you believe in life after death?

Do you believe in vampires? (Do you believe that vampires exist?)

Do you believe in zombies? (Do you believe that zombies exist?)

In many countries people believe in ghosts, spirits and dragons. Is this true in your country, and why do you think these beliefs are so common?

What is the most frightening things that has ever happened to you?

What is the most frightening experience you have had?

Have you ever been in a cemetery at night? Why? Or why not? Would you go?

Where do you think dead people go?

Do you believe that people who were bad alive pay their bad behavior by staying here?

Do you think heaven exist?

Do you think hell exist?

Do you think that spirits who appear to people are good or bad?

Have you ever been contacted an angel? What did it tell you?

Have you been involved in a miracle? What was it about?

Do you get scared by horror stories?

Do you believe that when you get a chill down your back its a rabbit running over a grave

Is belief in UFOs, Aliens, Physic powers, etc, growing because belief in religion is dying?

Do you think that a supernatural creature can be caught by someone?

Where is the scariest place in your country? Why?

Do you believe your ancestors are watching you?

What's the spookiest thing that has ever happened to you?

Do you believe in witches and the practice of witchcraft?

Week 14: presentations, quiz, conversation, reading on NBA

1. Quiz
2. Finish Presentations
3. Set up Week 15 speeches



4. Conversation


Who do you think is the most beautiful person in your country?
Who do you think is the most beautiful person alive today?
Who was the most beautiful person in history?
Who is the most attractive in your family?
Does beauty affect one's success in life?
Is it better to be physically attractive or intelligent?
Is it better to be physically attractive or wealthy?
Is beauty related to power?
Can you think of anyone who is in a position of power that is not physically attractive?
Do people spend too much time and money on beauty?
How much time should be spent on making yourself look better each day?
Who would you say is beautiful that others maybe wouldn't?
Do you think people should have cosmetic surgery to enhance their looks?
If so what is the minimum age when someone should have plastic surgery?
How popular is plastic surgery in your country?
What is the most popular feature for plastic surgery?
Do you think self-esteem affects beauty?
Do you think beauty affects self-esteem?
Would you ever have plastic surgery?
If so, what would you change?
How important is beauty in your daily life?
Have you ever noticed anyone ever feeling pressured to be more beautiful?
What do you think of the proverb, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder?"
Do you have any proverbs or idioms from your country that relate to beauty? (think: white skin, 9....)
What are some beauty tips that you could share?
Do you think people with many tattoos can be beautiful?
How many tattoos are too many?
Would you ever get a tattoo?
Do you have a tattoo?
Do you think people with many piercings can be beautiful?
What kind of body piercing, if any, do you feel are acceptable?
What kind of piercing, if any, do you feel are unacceptable?
What personality trait is the most important for inner beauty?
How do you define beauty, using your own words?
Would you ever date someone who was not conventionally attractive?
What makes one person more attractive than another?
Do you think people from different countries than you see attractive the same way?
Is there someone famous that is considered beautiful, that you think is not beautiful?
Are beauty pageants good or bad?
Do you think one gender or group worries more about beauty than another?
Would you want your children to be beautiful or talented?
What are some of the drawbacks of being beautiful?
What do you think of celebrities who get plastic surgery?
Do you think it's necessary to have plastic surgery if you are famous in order to be successful?
Do you think skin color affects whether a person is regarded as beautiful or not?
Do you think that fairer skin makes you more beautiful?
What are some advantages of being beautiful?
What makes someone beautiful in your country?
What differs between that idea and the American idea of beauty?
What do you think "beauty is skin deep" means?

How many different adjectives can you think of to describe a beautiful woman or a handsome man

5. Reading

With...

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read

Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read

We've obtained a copy of Tim Donaghy's book, Blowing the Whistle, which claims to expose the NBA's "culture of fraud"

On his fellow referees:

Dick Bavetta

….Crawford wanted the game over quickly so he could kick back, relax, and have a beer; [Dick Bavetta] wanted it to keep going so he could hear his name on TV. He actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he'd wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.

That very first time Jack and I bet on an NBA game, Dick was on the court. The team we picked lost the game, but it covered the large point spread and that's how we won the money. Because of who was playing that night, I had some idea of who might win the game, but that's not why I was confident enough to pick the other team. The real reason I picked the losing team was that I was just about certain they would cover the spread, no matter how badly they played. That is where Dick Bavetta comes into the picture.

From my earliest involvement with Bavetta, I learned that he likes to keep games close, and that when a team gets down by double-digit points, he helps the players save face. He accomplishes this mercy by quietly, and frequently, blowing the whistle on the team that's having the better night. Team fouls suddenly become one-sided between the contestants, and the score begins to get closer. That's the way Dick Bavetta referees a game — and everyone in the league knew it.

Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan's Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That's a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest "cheating"? The religion of referees from high school to the NBA is "call them like you see them." Of course, that's a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he a “company man”, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game when he was on the court?

Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like getting a PhD in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to control a game better than any referee in the league. He also knew how to take hints from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the results of that series.

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a clear example of game and series manipulation. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A long series was good for the league, good for the TV networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, full of stars, Los Angeles Lakers.

In the pre-game meeting before Game 6, the league office told us that certain calls — calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees had to interpret. After receiving the message, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.

"If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three each, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated.

As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a crazy come-from-behind game that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta's refereeing crew, one of the most poorly refereed games of all time.

The 2002 series certainly wasn't the first or last time Bavetta influenced an important game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers were down by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter when Bavetta went to work. The Lakers outscored Portland 31–13 in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game and the series. It certainly didn't hurt the Lakers that they got to shoot 37 free throws compared to a paltry 16 for the Trail Blazers.

Two weeks before the 2003–04 season ended, Bavetta and I were assigned to referee a game in Oakland. That afternoon before the tip-off, we were discussing a game on our schedule. It was the last regular-season game we were scheduled to work, Denver against San Antonio. Denver had lost a game a few weeks prior because of a mistake made by the referees, a loss that could be the difference between them making or missing the playoffs. Bavetta told me Denver needed the win and that it would look bad for the staff and the league if the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. There were still a few games left on the schedule before the end of the season, and the standings could change. But on that day in Oakland, Bavetta looked at me and casually stated, "Denver will win if they need the game. That's why I'm on it."

I was thinking, How is Denver going to win on the road in San Antonio? At the time, the Spurs were arguably the best team in the league. Bavetta answered my question before it was asked.

"Duncan will be on the bench with three fouls within the first five minutes of the game," he calmly stated.

Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn't the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA's "go-to guy."

As it turned out, Denver didn't need the win after all; they locked up a spot in the playoffs before they got to San Antonio. Instead, it was the Spurs that ended up needing the win to have the division title, and Bavetta generously helped. In our pregame meeting, he talked about how important the game was to San Antonio and how meaningless it was to Denver, and that San Antonio was going to get the benefit of the calls that night. Armed with this inside information, I called Jack Concannon before the game and told him to bet the Spurs.

To no surprise, we won big. San Antonio blew Denver out of the building that evening, winning by 26 points. When Jack called me the following morning, he expressed amazement at the way an NBA game could be manipulated. Scary, yes; amazing, no. That's how the game is played in the National Basketball Association.

Tommy Nunez

My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to defeat the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn't know was that Phoenix had someone working against them. Nunez was the referee group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had an interest.

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved to travel; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a referee supervisor was to get out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things influenced him when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, "You would love to keep coming back here." He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to do without being punished and never once told us to look at San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.

Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey

Of course, Stafford had some friends in the league, too. I worked a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden with him on February 26, 2007. New York shot an astounding 39 free throws that night to Miami's eight. It seemed like Stafford was working for the Knicks, calling fouls on Miami like crazy. Isaiah Thomas was coaching the Knicks, and after New York's four-point victory, a guy from the Knicks came to our locker room looking for Stafford, who was in the shower. He told us that Thomas sent him to retrieve Stafford's home address; apparently, Stafford had asked the coach before the game for some autographed sneakers and jerseys for his kids. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Referee Jess Kersey was another one of Isaiah Thomas' guys. They'd talk openly on the phone as if they had known each other since childhood. Thomas even told Kersey that he was pushing to get Ronnie Nunn removed from the supervisor's job so that Kersey and Dick Bavetta could become supervisors. This sort of thing happened all the time, and I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta, and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++===========+++++++++++++++++++

From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_NBA_betting_scandal

Sports gambling expert R. J. Bell, president of sports betting information site Pregame.com, tracked every game Donaghy worked from 2003 to 2007. He discovered that during the two seasons investigated by the NBA, the teams involved scored more points than expected by the Las Vegas sports books 57 percent of the time. In the previous two seasons, this only happened 44 percent of the time. According to Bell, the odds of such a discrepancy are 1 in 1,000, and there was "a 99.9 percent chance that these results would not have happened without an outside factor." He also found 10 straight games in 2007 in which Donaghy worked the game that the point spread moved 1.5 points or more before the tip — an indication that big money had been wagered on the game. The big money won every time —another indication that "something (was) going on". However, Bell suggested that there was no way anyone who wasn't in on the fix could have known that something was amiss about Donaghy's actions during a game; he said it would have been another year at the earliest before anyone could have caught on.^[23]

Handicapper Brandon Lang told ESPN that it is fairly easy for a crooked sports official to fix a game, despite Stern's insistence that Donaghy was a "rogue official". According to Lang, an official can directly influence the outcome of a game 75 percent of the time if he has money on the game. For instance, Lang said that a crooked NBA referee can fix the total score by calling enough fouls to get both teams in the bonus. When a game is being fixed, Lang said, the officials should be the prime suspects because the players are making too much money to risk their future. Lang also believed a bookie connected to the mafia turned Donaghy in to the FBI.^[24]

As a result of the betting scandal, Stern revised the guidelines on the behavior of NBA referees during the Board of Governors' meeting in 2007. Despite the labor agreement for referees, which restricted them from participating in almost all forms of gambling, it was revealed that about half of the NBA's officials had made bets in casinos, albeit not with sportsbooks. In addition, all referees had admitted to engaging in some form of gambling. Stern stated that "[the] ban on gambling is absolute, and in my view it is too absolute, too harsh and was not particularly well-enforced over the years". The gambling rules were revised to allow referees to engage in several forms of betting—though not on sports. There were several other referee-related rule changes made: the announcement of referees of a game was moved from 90 minutes before tip-off to the morning of the game, to reduce the value of the information to gamblers; referees received more in-season training and counseling on gambling; more thorough background checks were carried out; the league declared its intention to analyze the statistical relationship between NBA games and referees' gambling patterns for those games; and the interactions between referees and NBA teams were made easier and more formal.^[25]

Week 13: Presentations (note homework!)

1. Presentations




2. Homework: pp96-105

Week 12: Land Policy & PPT prep

1. Quiz


2. Conversation

1.         Are you a happy person? How do you know you are a happy person?

2.         What is happiness for you?

3.         Do you think that happiness lies within you? Or does it depend upon other people and external things?

4.         Can money buy happiness?

5.         Is happiness a state of mind? Or is it something you feel with your body?

6.         What makes you feel happy?

7.         What are the three most important things for you to be happy?

8.         Is happiness relative, that is, does it have a different meaning for each person?

9.         Are single people happy? Or married?

10.    Would you be happier with a soul mate or single?

11.    Does having an animal/pet make you happy?

12.    What is the effect that animals/pets have on people to make them feel happy?

13.    What makes you happy?

14.    When was the happiest time of your childhood?

15.    Can you be happy if you are rich?

16.    Can you be happy if you are poor?

17.    How can you become happy again when you are sad?

18.    Is happiness a goal? Or a process?

19.    How often do you feel really happy?

20.    Are the people in your country generally very happy?

21.    What makes you unhappy?

22.    What's the most miserable you've been?

23.    How happy are you compared with your friends?

24.    Do you wake up happy every morning?

25.    Do you agree that older people are less happy?

26.    What is there to be happy about in the world today?

27.    What affects your levels of happiness?

28.    Does your happiness change during different times of the day, week, month or year?

29.    What is or was the happiest time of your life?

30.    Do you need money to be happy?

31.    What do you think of the idea of a government Happiness Minister who is responsible for the happiness of the population?

32.    Do you think some nations are happier than others?

33.    What is missing in your life that would make you very happy?

34.    Why are teenagers some of the happiest people in the world?

35.    What was the happiest time in your entire life?

36.    Do you feel that you have to work hard and be miserable now in order to be happy later?

3. speeches
wed 10-12:  247, 103, 213, 224
wed 3-5:  52, 09, 40, 12, 15, 02

Fri  8-10: nobody

4. Reading


ANSWER IN A SENTENCE OR TWO. DO NOT COPY FROM THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.

https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=18

1. What is the problem described in the article?

2. Why are so many illegal factories renting land zoned for agriculture?

3. Land use has a typical pattern of evolution, according to the article. What is it?

4. Why is there so much unused land in government industrial districts?

5. How can a tax help solve this problem?