I took a gap year to travel around Australia before I started university. I learned so much about myself during that time, and I became a more confident, stronger person. While I was in Sydney, I met a girl, Laura, and fell in love with her. As our relationship grew, we decided to continue traveling together to New Zealand. Now we are married! I highly recommend taking a gap year!
在我開始讀大學之前,我休了個空檔年,去澳洲旅行。在那段期間,我更加認識自己,並且變成一個更具自信、更堅強的人。我在雪梨時遇到蘿拉這個女孩子,並且愛上了她。隨著我們的關係升溫,我們決定一起去紐西蘭繼續旅行。現在我們結婚了!我強烈建議上大學之前先休個空檔年!
1 a gap year 空檔年,停學年,壯遊
gap n. 間隙;空隙;空白
有些國家的高中畢業生,在上大學之前,會先休息一陣子,從正統教育中告假一段時間。「空檔年」可以為期一年或一年以上,是為了讓高中畢業生在進入人生的下一個階段前可以放鬆一下。在空檔年的這一段期間,這些準大學生可以去學習新技能或是去打工、做志工等,為他們的下一個人生階段做準備,更可以藉此好好地思考自己的過去、現在及未來。
2 travel around (...) (在……)到處旅行
If I should become rich someday, I would travel around the world.
如果有一天我發大財,我要去環遊世界。
3 university n. 大學
go to university / college 念大學
a university / college student 大學生
apply for admission to a university 申請某大學的入學許可
4 grow vi. 增長;變得;成長 & vt. 種植
(三態為:grow, grew, grown)
As time went by, we grew older and wiser.
隨著歲月的流逝,我們變老也變得更有智慧了。
5 continue vt. 繼續
continue + V-ing / to V 繼續……
Laura and her husband continued talking after the meal.
= Laura and her husband continued to talk after the meal.
蘿拉和她丈夫吃飯之後繼續交談。
6 married a. 已婚的
unmarried a. 未婚的 (= single)
Everybody knows that Harry is married.
每個人都知道哈利是已婚的。
7 highly adv. 極;非常;高度地
think highly of sb 看重某人
I think highly of Philip for his proficiency in English.
我對菲利浦的英文造詣給予高度的評價。
8 recommend vt. 建議;推薦
recommend sb to V 建議某人做某事
Our teacher recommended us to read the questions twice before answering them.
我們的老師建議我們在答題前要先把題目看兩遍。
實用詞句 Useful Expressions
1 連接詞 while 的說法
a while 表 「當……」 時,作連接詞,引導時間副詞子句。
While I was cleaning the drawer yesterday, I came across an old photo of my mother.
我昨天清理抽屜時,無意間發現一張我媽媽的舊照片。b while 所引導的副詞子句中,若主詞與主句中的主詞相同時,該副詞子句可化簡為分詞構句。
While I was there, I had a good time.
= While (being) there, I had a good time.
我在那裡時很愉快。c 課文第三句 “While I was in Sydney, I met a girl, Laura, and fell in love with her.”(我在雪梨時遇到蘿拉這個女孩子,並且愛上了她。)也可改寫成:
While (being) in Sydney, I met a girl, Laura, and fell in love with her.
My dream is to travel (around) the world.
我的夢想是環遊世界。