【英语口语练习册】阮擅长做什么呢

Mari: I'm Mari from Japan and I'm here with Ron from Hawaii. Today we are going to be talking about abilities so let's start with food. Can you cook?
Ron: I can't cook well, but I do cook, so I think the reason why I can't cook well is because I can eat anything, so I don't try very hard to make it take good.
 
Mari: What do you like to cook?
 
Ron: I like to barbecue outside on the grill 1.
 
Mari: What do you put on your barbecue?
 
Ron: When I cook meat, I don't put much, only salt, pepper 2, and a little bit of seasoning 3.
 
Mari: OK. Good. Next, do you think you're a good dancer?
 
Ron: No, I don't think I'm a good dancer and I don't really try to be a good dancer.
 
Mari: Do you not like to dance?
 
Ron: No, I don't like to dance.
 
Mari: At all?
 
Ron: Right.
 
Mari: I heard that you're a good line dancer.
 
Ron: I would like to learn how to line dance, and I do like country music but I haven't been officially taught how to line dance.
 
Mari: So you don't dance at all?
 
Ron: No.
 
Mari: Next, are you a good singer?
 
Ron: No, I'm not a good singer but I do enjoy going to Karaoke 4.
 
Mari: What do you like to sing?
 
Ron: In Hawaii, when I go to Karaoke I enjoy singing Hawaiian music. If I'm in Japan I like to sing other English songs that they have, usually country music or 80's or 90's music.
 
Mari: Good. That's good. Do you think you're a good student?
 
Ron: I don't know if I'm a good student. Growing up I was not a good student but now I am trying harder to be a good student.
 
Mari: How were you not a good student growing up?
 
Ron: I didn't enjoy going to school and I didn't try very hard in school. Now I try a little harder. I make an effort.
 
Mari: Can you talk more about your effort? What do you do to try to be a good student?
 
Ron: I try to listen to the teachers now instead of doing my own thing, and I try to complete everything with good quality.
 
Mari: That's good. And, last do you think that you're a good athlete?
 
Ron: Growing up I was a good athlete. I played a few sports. Now I don't play any sports anymore because I'm old, but growing up I think I was a good athlete.
 
Mari: What sports did you play?
 
Ron: I played American football, baseball, and soccer.
 
Mari: Which one is your best sport?
 
Ron: I would say football. American football is my best sport.
 
Mari: How long did you play?
 
Ron: I played since I was eleven until age twenty-two.
 
Mari: So for eleven years. And you played when you were in university?
 
Ron: I played at the University of Hawaii.
 
Vocabulary
 
grill
 
I like to barbecue outside on the grill.
 
When we grill something that means 5 we cook it on metal bars over an open fire.  Note the following:
 
Let's cook on the grill tonight.
We cooked burgers at the beach on a small grill.
at all
 
So you don't dance at all?
 
Something we don't do at all is something we never do.  Note the following:
 
I don't speak German at all -- not even one word.
You never eat vegetables at all? That is sad.
line-dancer
 
I heard that you're a good line-dancer.
 
In a line dance, people line up without partners and follow a pattern of steps usually to American country music. Note the following:
 
That bar has line-dancing on Tuesday night.
My sister is a good line-dancer.
officially
 
I haven't been officially taught how to line-dance.
 
Something that is taught officially requires formal instruction and often results in certification 6.  Note the following:
 
I never learned 7 how to officially fly a plane, but I know how.
To scuba 8 dive, you really need to officially take some courses.
do my own thing
 
I try to listen to the teachers now instead of doing my own thing.
 
When we do our own thing that means we do things our own way.  Note the following:
 
Some students hate to follow instructions. They always want to do their own thing.
I used to always do my own thing. Then, I joined the Army and that changed real quickly