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Answer: We believe the sentence is best completed this way:

“Many of the storefronts on Lake Garden Road are flower shops or bridal centers, as if bouquets and marriage partners are bound with the same ribbon.”

Streets develop their own character and the one written about here seems to have become a wedding way. Many of the stores on it cater to people in love, either contemplating marriage or in marriage, with roses and other petaled offerings being a common means of expressing lovely sentiment. In saying “bouquets and marriage partners are bound with the same ribbon,” we are distilling many natural qualities into one word, ribbon. A lover actually is bound by love for, desire of, and trust in another, and a bouquet of flowers is mostly about fragrance and beauty. But the characteristics are folded together in the heart so thoroughly that they become as one.
街道會發展出自己的特色，本句敘述的街道似乎是條結婚大道，許多商店專作打算結婚或正籌辦婚禮的情侶生意，玫瑰與各種鮮花充斥，用以表達愛意。句中說「花束與新人由同一條緞帶相繫」，運用「緞帶」一字聯繫許多基本的特質。情侶因彼此相戀、想與對方廝守、信賴對方而結合為夫婦，而花束通常因為香味與外型而搭配在一起，不過這些特色在本質上是非常緊密的，所以可以用緞帶聯繫在一起。

No formula exists for the writing of a superior sentence, but this much is known: The best sentence has no weak part. The following sentence is incomplete. In 5 or fewer words, complete the sentence in a way that strengthens the whole of it. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence as we believe it is best completed will win a NTD200 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks certificate will be awarded to the first Fan to complete it in an alternate way that, in our estimation, also is effective. The explanation and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page.
怎麼寫出好句子沒有標準答案，不過起碼我們知道，優秀的句子每個環節都很完美。下面有一句未完成的句子，請用五個字以內完成句子接龍，寫出完整的句子。最先完成句子，並寫出最佳解答的一位TPS 粉絲，將獲得兩百元7-11／星巴克禮券；另增設特別獎一名，頒給符合文意又別具創意的粉絲。接龍解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快！

題目Contest Sentence:

“Many of the storefronts on Lake Garden Road are flower shops or bridal centers, as if bouquets and marriages are ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”

很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.

“When the scientist returned home, his electric car purred into the driveway, a docile cat with so little snarl that the lightest sleeper in the house wasn’t disturbed.”
「科學家回到家，他駕駛的電動車發出輕微的呼嚕聲進入車道，就像溫馴的小貓，咆哮聲極低，屋裡的人即使剛睡著，也不會受打擾。」

Members of the cat family, large and small, are renowned for their quiet movement. Their padded feet and superb muscle structure let them leap and bound and run around without so much as a thump or a thud. They also are notably quiet at rest, with the most common resting sound being a vibration called purring. Scientists aren’t sure why cats purr. Regardless of why purring occurs, the sound is persistent and soft and identifiably feline in its origin. Cats also snarl, particularly before and during a fight, in a show of latent aggressiveness.
貓科動物無論體型大小，都以動作輕柔聞名，因為牠們腳上有肉墊，加上優異的肌肉結構，所以跑跳時不會砰砰作響。牠們靜止時也很安靜，休息經常發出一種震動聲，稱為呼嚕聲。科學家還不知道貓科動物為什麼會發出呼嚕聲，但不論原因為何，呼嚕聲是一種持續而輕柔的聲音，而且只有貓科動物才會發出這種聲音。貓科動物也會咆哮，特別是在打鬥之前與打鬥時，展現潛在的侵略攻勢。

Electric vehicles sometimes are compared to cars, as in this example, partly because they often are nimble and smaller than higher-powered vehicles. The sentence’s first allusion is to the relative quiet of the vehicle, its “purring.” This is opposed to the raucous sound made by a car powered by a V-8 engine with a glass-pack muffler. The writer goes on to metaphorically describe the car as “docile” (underpowered) with minimal “snarl” (loud engine emissions). Giving the car the characteristics of a cat gave readers a fresh image of the end of a typical day.
有時我們會把一般汽車和電動車互相比較，如例句的示範。相較於馬力較高的汽車，電動車比較敏捷靈巧，也比較迷你。句中首先以 “purring” （發出呼嚕聲）比喻，說明電動車比較安靜，不像配備玻璃絲消音器、以 V8 引擎驅動的汽車，會發出嘈雜的噪音。接下來句子繼續以其他比喻，暗喻電動車很 “docile”（溫馴），也就是動力較低，且 “snarl”（咆哮聲）極低，也就是引擎的轟隆聲極低。賦予電動車貓科動物的特性，可以讓讀者看完一般的句子後，留下新鮮的印象。

Suggested answer: “The study habits of the foreign language student were not those of the mathematician, who divided each hour into tasks and seemed to multiply his minutes.”

Students come in various intellectual packages with different mental approaches to absorbing knowledge. They seem to be either artists or scientists in terms of their approach to learning. This sentence speaks of the more practical, calculating, systematic study methods of a mathematics major who “seemed” to get more from his study hour than the sum of the minutes. In a word, he appeared able to “multiply” them, an apt description. Other possible “m” words include master, manipulate, and massage. Choosing words carefully can keep a narrative clear.
每個學生的聰明才智不同，吸收知識的方法也不同，他們的學習方法可以分為藝術家型或科學家型兩種。本句討論主修數學的學生，學習時實事求是、精心計算、有條不紊，讀一小時的書，成果「似乎」超過一小時可以學到的內容。簡單來說，他似乎可以 “multiply”（加乘）學習效果。這個動詞用得很貼切。其他 M 開頭的答案還有 master、manipulate 和 massage。仔細挑選適當的字，可以讓描述更清晰。

The sentence below is missing a verb. However, the first letter of the verb is provided. Insert a word that starts with the given first letter and best fits the tenor of the sentence, and then defend your word choice in five or fewer words. The first TPS Fan to respond with the judge’s choice of verb—or the most effective alternate verb— will win a ¬¬¬NTD 200 Starbucks Gift Certificate. The name of the winner will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Good luck!
以下句子缺少動詞，請加入一個最符合句子意思且符合空格開頭字母的動詞，以及五個字以內的理由，我們將提供7-11／星巴克咖啡禮券兩百元，頒給第一位想出最佳解答或是最佳替代字的第1位粉絲。解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁。請將答案寫在下方，幸運兒可能就是你！

題目Contest Sentence:

“The study habits of the foreign language student were not those of the mathematician, who divided each hour into tasks and seemed to m_______ his minutes.”

並非所有與學術議題相關的文章，就能稱之為「學術文章」。本篇專欄將節錄不同學術議題的內容，分析常見的寫作錯誤，並分享潤修與寫作的技巧。
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.

Unacceptable 不被認可的文章

“The behavior analyst looks at love as if it were a field crop—corn, perhaps. He walks into the field and selects a nice ear, plucks it, and inspects the whole, developed ear for any flaws before stripping away the husk. Exposing the silk beneath, he removes it and then digs out and tastes each delicious, tender kernel, savoring each. Satisfied that he knows the universal field crop as well as he ever will know it, he trashes the despoiled ear and writes his observations as if he has discovered something. The truth is, neither corn nor love is thus so easily understood.”

In a paper on clinical research into the emotional condition called love, this introductory paragraph uses simile and metaphor. The writer suggests the scientist rather ham-handedly goes through the exercise without learning much. It is an interesting way to define the nebulous challenge of quantifying psychological observations. This attempt would have been more effective had the writer more completely merged the physical and sensory allusions, as below. A writer cannot be timid if he hopes to bring a reader into his metaphorical world.
這篇文章討論對「愛」這種情感狀態的臨床研究，在前言中運用明喻及隱喻，暗指科學家懵懵懂懂地研究了一番，卻沒有學到什麼。心理學以量化方式觀察模糊的行為，這種方式並不容易，作者的說明相當有趣，但如果能更徹底地結合物體與感官的比喻，如下文的示範，效果會更理想。如果要讓讀者了解並沉浸在文章的隱喻中，寫作時就應該更大刀闊斧。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“The behavior analyst examines love as if it were a commodity—corn, perhaps. He walks into the field and selects a fulsome example, plucks it, and inspects the sheathed, immature ear for any observable irregularities before rather brutally shucking it. Exposing the delicate silk, he removes it strand by strand and tastes the exposed and milky kernels, savoring each as a succulent morsel. Satisfied that he knows the delicate creation as well as he ever might, he tosses aside the despoiled creation and solemnly writes his observations as if he has made a discovery.”

Answer: We believe the sentence is best completed this way:

“After conducting the test three times, the chemist felt assured his theorem was fact and his most vocal detractors were three-time losers.”

Creative tension is produced in a laboratory because of professional pride, peer pressure, and the tiny tolerances allowed for success. To succeed in such work naturally produces feelings of elation, particularly if professional colleagues have cast doubt on a process or outcome. Consequently, when the judgment of this chemist was repeatedly confirmed, he experienced two feelings: vindication for himself, and disdain for his critics. The writer might simply have said the critics were wrong, but because they had been proven invalid in three separate tests, they were gently belittled as “three-time losers.” Good writing is nuanced.
在實驗室，專業的自尊、同儕壓力，以及對成功不遺餘力的追求，會促成一股創意的張力。在這種工作中成功，自然會讓人得意洋洋，尤其是專業同僚對過程或結果感到懷疑時。所以，化學家的判斷反覆獲得證實後，他產生了兩種感覺，一是證明了自己，二是對懷疑他的人感到輕視。文章原本可以只簡單地說批評他的人錯了，但因為三次不同的測試都證明了批評站不住腳，所以作者稍微貶斥對方，稱他們是 “three-time losers”（錯了三次的輸家）。好文章總是描寫細膩。

No formula exists for the writing of a superior sentence, but this much is known: The best sentence has no weak part. The following sentence is incomplete. In 5 or fewer words, complete the sentence in a way that strengthens the whole of it. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence as we believe it is best completed will win a NTD200 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks certificate will be awarded to the first Fan to complete it in an alternate way that, in our estimation, also is effective. The explanation and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page.
怎麼寫出好句子沒有標準答案，不過起碼我們知道，優秀的句子每個環節都很完美。下面有一句未完成的句子，請用五個字以內完成句子接龍，寫出完整的句子。最先完成句子，並寫出最佳解答的一位TPS 粉絲，將獲得兩百元7-11／星巴克禮券；另增設特別獎一名，頒給符合文意又別具創意的粉絲。接龍解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快！

題目Contest Sentence:

“After conducting the test three times, the chemist was assured his theorem was fact and his most vocal detractors were __ __ __ __ __.”

Correct best answer: Replace “pose” with “poise.”

“The accomplished young pianist performed a little glissando off the piano bench, promenaded to a chair at the rear of the stage, and, poised as ever, sat.”

There is no i in error, but there is one in “poise.” Neglecting to insert it between the o and the s creates a different word and, to some extent, a different characterization. “Poise” is a condition of genuine self-assurance that manifests itself in personal decorum. It is especially notable in the young. On the other hand, “pose” is an affectation, an unnatural display, and is frequently seen in young people. Either word might have been used—though awkwardly in the case of “pose”—but “poise” seems more appropriate for a young, accomplished artist whose skill cannot be affected.
錯誤 (error) 這個字裡沒有 i，但 “poise” 裡有。如果你忘了在o 和 s 中間加上 i，就創造出另一個字，也創造出了不同的性格。“Poise” 是指一個人的舉止泰然自若、充滿自信，特別是在年輕人身上。另一方面，“pose” 則是舉止矯揉造作、裝腔作勢，也經常在年輕人身上看到。兩個字都可以用，但 “pose” 不太恰當，“poise” 比較適合形容年輕有成的鋼琴家，他的琴技可是沒辦法假裝的。

撰寫學術文章時，每字每句都需要謹慎著墨。改變幾個字就會使完整的一句話變得令人摸不著頭緒。下列的句子中，為使這句話能完整且有意義的表達，請選出你認為會令人感到困惑的字，我們將提供7-11/星巴克咖啡NTD200元禮券，給予挑出混淆字，並寫出最佳替代字的第1位粉絲，最適的解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS的專頁。請將你的答案寫在下方，獲得免費購物禮券的幸運兒可能就是你哦!
Every word is important in a well-written academic paper. Changing just a word or two can turn a clear sentence into a confusing one. Tell us what word you would change in the following puzzling sentence to render it more meaningful. The first best answer will receive a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate.

題目Contest Sentence:
“The accomplished young pianist performed a little glissando off the piano bench, promenaded to a chair at the rear of the stage, and, posed as ever, sat.”