【英语趣味课堂】悉尼-Sydney

 Todd: OK. Ann, you spent quite a bit of time in Australia recently so why don't you talk about that?

Ann: I really liked living in Australia. I was an international student and I studied education at the University of Sydney. Lliving in Sydney was fantastic becuase I could go to the beach anytime I wanted and there was a great nightlife in Sydney. There are lots of great clubs. People were very, very friendly and easy-going 1 and I met a lot of international people living in Sydney.
 
Todd: How long were you there?
 
Ann: I was there for almost a year.
 
Todd: Oh, OK.
 
Ann: I travelled a little bit in Australia. I went up the east coast, up to Frasier Island which is a world heritage 2 site. I saw dingos running along the beach and sharks in the water. We climbed cliffs 3 and went through a rain forest and went camping and then we went up to the West Indies, which is a bit further north. The further north you go in Australia, the hotter it gets. We were able to go swimming in the ocean and I went diving for the first time but it was a little bit risky 4 because I didn't have a diving license 5. I went on an introductory dive and I saw a giant clam 6 that had a really spongy purple inside that I was able to touch and then the clam closed up really quickly.
 
Todd: So, did you lose your finger?
 
Ann: Almost.
 
Todd: Almost. Ah, you're lucky. It's funny, you go in the water and you worry about sharks but not clams 7.
 
Ann: Exactly.
 
Todd: Will you be going back to Australia soon?
 
Ann: I'd like to go and live there for at least another year. Probably I'll go back to Sydney or I may go down to Melbourne because it's a really interesting cultural city. They have lot of museums and parks.
 
Todd: OK. You got to choose real quick. Only one city, Montreal or Sydney, which do you choose?
 
Ann: Sydney, without a doubt.
 
Todd: OK. All right. Thanks a lot.
 
Ann: You're welcome.
 
学习内容：

spent time
You spent time in Australia quite recently, so tell us about that.
To 'spend time' in a place is to be there for a while.  You can also spend time with people.  Notice the following:
 
You have spent a lot of time in the sun recently.
Do you spend a lot of time with your grandparents?
nightlife
There was a great nightlife in Sydney.
Nightlife refers to bars, clubs and restaurants that people go to at night to see friends and meet new people. Notice the following:
 
It is small town that has no nightlife, so I moved.
Many people move to the city for the nightlife.
risky
It's risky to go diving without a diving license.
Something that is 'risky' could have bad consequences.  Notice the following:
 
It is risky to walk alone at night.
Skydiving is a very risky sport.
lose (your) finger
You're lucky you didn't lose your finger to that clam.
You can 'lose your finger' if something bites your finger or snaps 8 it off your hand.  Notice the following:
 
The dog bit me and I thought I might lose a finger.
He lost his finger in a farming 9 accident.
without a doubt
If I have to choose, I'll choose Sydney, without a doubt.
We use the phrase 10 'without a doubt' when we have a strong opinion about something.  There is no question in our minds about our opinion.  Notice the following:
 
Without a doubt, you will be offered some type of job.
This was, without a doubt, the best year of my life.
clams
On my dive, I saw a giant clam.
A clam is a sea creature that lives in a shell 11 that opens and closes.  Notice the following:
 
We found a pearl 12 inside the clam.
We had clams for dinner..