标准美国英语口语 08 Talking About Families
时间：2018-12-02 作者：英语课 分类：标准美国英语口语
Unit Eight Talking About Families
141 How many people are there in your family?
142 There are fifteen people in my family.
143 My family is big and traditional.
144 My grandparents, parents,unmarried aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, a cat and a dog all live together.
145 In my family, the old people are taken good care of.
146 In family, we love each other and look after each other.
147 My family has my dad, my step-mother and me.
148 Do you get along well with your step-mother?
149 Jane's family is small and modern
150 Her parents do not live with their grown-up children.
151 Her family is medium-sized.
152 My parents are democratic 1.
153 They treat their children as friends rather than as babies.
154 His parents are tyrannical.
155 His parents always want him to do what they want .
156 They have high expectations for their children.
157 Parents and children should respect to each other.
158 There is a big generation gap 2 in my family.
159 Is there a lack of understanding between you and your parents?
160 Is your familly important to you? Is family “what makes the world go around”?
Conversation 1:Pan's family is big and tradional.
Alice: How many people are there in your family?
Pam: There are 15 people in my family.
Alice: What did you say? How many?
Pam: 15 people .
Alice: Wow. That is a very big family. Do you all live together?
Pam: Of course we do! My father's parents, Mum, Dad ,three unmarried aunts, two uncles, my two brothers, my three sisters and me.
Alice: But you don't live at home anymore.
Pam: Right,but that's where my heart is. But you're right,now there are only 14 living at home.
Alice: My goodness 3! Your family must live in a huge house.
Pam: Yes. My family lives in rural 4 Korea, near Pusan. We have a huge house.The first floor of the house is a part-time private school.In the afternoon, students come for special tutoring 5 in biology, English, and math.
Alice: Wow! you grew up in a school! No wonder your English is excellent!
Pam: My aunts and uncles are all teachers.
Alice:You are so lucky!
Pam: I guess so. While growing up, I read hundreds of interesting English storybooks every year.
Alice: That's what i did in America. I was reading all the time. I was never a big TV watcher. TV wastes time.
Pam: I agree. Reading for fun is why all the English students at our family school have excellent English. All the students read 800 easy storybooks during their second year of studing English.
Alice: 800 books? I'm impressed!
Pam: My aunts studied in the American universities.They say that extensive 6 reading for fun is the most effective way to improve your English.That's what they learn here in America.
Conversation 2 Alice's Family Setup Is Different.
Alice: How could you handle living in such a big family? Does everyone get along?
Pam: Sure. We love each other and take care of each other.
Alice: In such a big family, there must be a head. Who's the head of your family?
Pam: My grandpa. He has the final word about almost everything. My grandpa is “President,” and Grandma is “Vice-President.” My parents, uncles and aunts try to arrive at a consensus 7 on important questions. They want to maintain 8 family harmony. Everyone has high expectations of young people.
Alice: Is a family like yours common in South Korea?
Pam: No. Not anymore.Mine is highly 9 educated but traditional family. Most South Korea families today are a lot smaller .In traditional families, the old people are well respected and taken good care of. How about your family?
Alice: My family setup is a bit different. In New York city, there're only three people, my mother,my stepfather and me. During this summertime, I fly out to California and live with my dad. Dad's getting married this summer to a woman with four young boys. I'm going to the wedding. After that, I'm not sure they'll have a room for me.
Pam: Of course there'll be a room for you!
Alice: To be blunt 10, maybe I won't be able to get along with his new wife or her kids.
Pam: Yours is a modern family. I'm sure your dad loves you and would want you to stay for the summer. You just need to try your best to get along with your new stepmother and her boys.
Alice: But four boys!
Pam: It will be a new experience, and you might as well learn to adjust to changes.
Alice: You are right,I guess.The world keeps changing, and so do families. But I like a small-sized or medium-sized family where everybody is equal to everybody else. That's what I want.
Pam: It is good to have goals in life. If California doesn't work out, come and visit me in Korea, OK?
Alice: That's a great idea!
Pam: We could share a room! It would be fun. And we could do some traveling around Korea. You could see for yourself what life in a big family is like!
Alice: That sounds like an excellent offer . I might take you up on that. Thank you for the wonderful invitation.
Conversation 3: Before class
Cindy:You look unhappy this morning, Sharan. What's wrong?
Shaon: I'm unhappy. At breakfast this morning I had a big argument with my mum and dad.
Cindy: About what?
Sharon: My parents are bossy 11.They're tyrannical, not democratic.They always want me to do what they think is important. They expect me to become something I'll never be.
Cindy: What do you mean?
Sharon: My father always wants me to go into business. He says making money is important. Mom is even worse. As a little girl,she dreamed of becoming a lawyer or an international businesswoman. Now she wants me to live out her dreams.
Cindy: That sounds a little tricky 12.
Sharon: That's for sure. I don't like lawyers and I don't want to be a businesswoman! I really hate school. High school will be all over in 6 month. Then I want to be a flight attendant 13. Working for an international airline would be fun. I could travel around the world and meet new people all the time.
Cindy: That sounds interesting. My uncle Dan is a pilot. He says that flight attendants 14 have to work pretty hard and he hates jet-lag.You might get tired of it ,too.
Sharon: If I do,I will go back to school and become a nurse. But my parents are mad at me about my plans.They do not realize that I'm a grown-up. I have the right to make my own choices.They shouldn't treat me like a baby.
Cindy: I guess it will take some time to convince 15 your parents.
Sharon: Definitely 16.There is a big generation gap in my family.They don't understand that making big money isn't important to me. I want to enjoy my life.
Cindy: OK,wait until they chill 17 out. Then talk to them about how you feel. Tell them that you respect their advice and that they should respect your choices.
Sharon: I hope they will understand me. Anyway I love them so much.
Cindy: Your parents also love you. They want you to have a good life. You can work things out. Remember,family is what makes the world go around.
Sharon: I know that! But why can't they accept that I'm an adult?
Cindy: I guess, being an adult means you must have patience.
Sharon: I didn't really want to hear that.
Cindy: I know. But both friends and parents tell you how it is ,not just what you want to hear.
- Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
- He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。
- We must see that there is no gap in our defence.我们必须确保我们的防御没有漏洞。
- There is a gap of five miles between towns.镇与镇之间相隔五英里。
- Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾，请你把收音机关上好不好？
- Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了，这病有救了！
- He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
- We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。
- The teachers give individual tutoring to students who are having difficulties. 对有困难的学生，教师逐个进行辅导。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The old man was tutoring her in the stringed instruments. 那个老人在教她弹弦乐器。 来自辞典例句
- The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
- The museum offers extensive facilities for study.这个博物馆提供了许多供研究的设备。
- Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
- What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？
- He has to maintain a large family on a small salary.他不得不依靠很少的工资养活一家人。
- We must do our best to maintain sales at their usual rate.我们要尽力使销售额保持在平日的水平上。
- It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
- The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。
- The axe is too blunt to cut down the tree.斧头太钝，砍不倒树。
- She is rather blunt in speech.她说话很直率。
- She turned me off with her bossy manner.她态度专橫很讨我嫌。
- She moved out because her mother-in-law is too bossy.她的婆婆爱指使人,所以她搬出去住了。
- I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
- He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。
- She was interrupted by the entrance of an attendant.服务员进来，打断了她的话。
- We met the officer attendant on the general.我们见到了随从将军的副官。
- Other flight attendants and passengers are believed to have fought. 我们相信其他服务人员及乘客也都进行了斗争。 来自时文部分
- Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal attendants. 普绪喀听从这些有声无形的外人的意见。 来自辞典例句
- It requires a lot of talking to convince him.要说服他很费口舌。
- I have given over trying to convince him.我已经不再试图说服他了。
- The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
- I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。