《英語輕鬆學》學好初級口語 #Lesson 56：Taking a Gap Year 休個空檔年

延伸閱讀 >> 寧靜車廂人人適用嗎？ A Quiet Carriage for All?

 初級口語 

搭配筆記聆聽會話 Listen to the text with the help of the notes given

 

再次聆聽並回答問題 Listen again and answer the questions below

Questions for discussion:

1. Where did the speaker go for his gap year?

2. Who did the speaker meet while in Sydney?

3. Does the speaker recommend taking a gap year?

 

短文聽讀 Text

               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！

 

單字片語 Vocabulary and Phrases

 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.

 

延伸閱讀 >> 粉紅泡泡剛升空　瞬間冷掉一場空Kiss Your Crush Goodbye as Interest Suddenly Dies