【英语趣味课堂】邮局-Post Office

Todd: OK, Laura, I'm going to ask you questions about the post office in Hong Kong. OK, or just sending letters. How often do you write letters?
 
Laura: Well, when I was young, I wrote quite often to my pen pals 2, but right now, instead of sending a letter I usually send my friends e-mails.
 
Todd: Yeah! Me, too. How much does it cost to send a postcard in Hong Kong overseas?
 
Laura: Well, to Asian countries, it costs about two dollars, two Hong Kong dollars. To European countries it costs about three dollars.
 
Todd: OK, and when you send mail in Hong Kong, do you send it from your house, or do you..
 
Laura: Well, we have to go the post office in order to send letters or parcels.
 
Todd: Really, OK! Cause it's so crowded in Hong Kong that...
 
Laura: Well, Yes, Yes!
 
Todd: OK, and in Japan do you receive a lot of mail?
 
Laura: Right now, no. Well, because it's so convenient to use the e-mails or instant communication or telephone.
 
Todd: Yeah, OK last question. What time do post offices open and close?
 
Laura: Well, it depends on the size of the post office. For large one, so, they work longer. Like from nine in the morning until six, so for a smaller one, from nine to five.
 
学习内容：
 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson
pen pal 1
 
I wrote quite often to my pen pals.
 
A "pen pal" is someone you communicate with through letters.  It can be someone that you know or don't know, but your relationship or friendship is long-distance.  Notice the following:
 
Have you ever had a pen pal?
My grandmother has all the letters from when she was pen pals with her sister.
overseas
 
How much does it cost to send a postcard overseas.
 
To send something "overseas" is literally 3 to send it over an ocean, but we frequently use this word to talk about sending something to another country or abroad.  Notice the following:
 
She wants to travel overseas to continue her studies.
He took a job overseas last year.
parcel
 
You have to go to the post office to send parcels.
 
"Parcel" is another word for a package or something larger than a letter.  Notice the following:
 
Your mother sent you a parcel for your birthday.
I have been waiting two months for the parcel to arrive.
convenient
 
It's so convenient to use e-mail.
 
If something is "convenient" it is easy and practical.  Notice the following:
 
My new apartment is in a very convenient location.  It is close to everything that I need.
We can go to the restaurant, but it is more convenient to have the food delivered to our house.
instant
 
E-mails or instant communication or telephone.
 
If communication is "instant" it happens right now or immediately rather than waiting for it.  Notice the following:
 
Do you like instant coffee?
I got an instant reply from his email that said he was away from the office.