English the American Way | 用晨读教材练雅思口语(1)

又是元气满满的一周，早上六点跟着Eric晨读一本书 English the American Way 来开启美好的一天，听他分享留学时的趣事，学习他精心挑选出的地道实用的口语表达，练习模仿晨读内容里自己很难注意到的语音现象。

这次晨读的内容是一本非常适合英语学习者的教材，作者是两位有多年ESL教学经验的老师和研究者，书里包含她们精心挑选编排的值得学习的地道表达，基础水平的读者不会觉得有难度，有一定语言基础的读者则一定会遇到很多“原来XX是这么说”“XX还可以这样表达”的时刻。

想更多了解这本书的朋友可以戳Eric之前写的晨读介绍文章：

书中每一章由导读，两到三个模拟真实场景的对话，语音现象，语法知识，单词释义还有文化现象组成。晨读关注于对话，练习其中的表达和语音现象，群里优秀的小伙伴写了很棒的笔记，欢迎戳肉丸子的笔记：

书中导读部分也有一些好用的表达，我觉得很适合雅思口语Part1素材积累。因为最近又开始准备考试了，所以这一篇笔记就以Part1的形式，用到书中第1-5章的表达和一些观点，来模拟我的回答，涉及三个话题：交通，食物，运动。

话题一：交通

1. 住在城市里的好处，交通便捷

There are plenty of upsides of living in a big city, one of which is that there are many ways to get around. With efficient mass transit system, I can just take a bus or the subway to places I need to go; with sharing bikes, the last-mile-to-work problem can be solved; with ubiquitous taxis or internet-hailing cabs, it seems I don't need a car at all. 

2. 搭公交不方便的地方；在陌生的城市，不熟悉当地公交

But sometimes, taking a bus can be tricky and complicated, especially when you are in a new city. It will take some time to figure out which bus you want to take and where the correct station is. Plus, you'll need the exact change. 

Besides, for most of the time, not knowing the exact arrival time, you might be fed up with all the hanging-around and waiting. In the winter, waiting outside can be chilly. 

3. 搭地铁的好处；在陌生的城市地铁是个好选择

The subway system are always efficient in big cities. At some stations, there may be people singing or playing a musical instrument, which can be an entertaining way while waiting for the next ride. 

The instruction in the subway station is also easier than the bus in an unfamiliar city. We can just buy a token at the token booth or at the ticket machine. Now we can even pay it on our phones without using coins or cash. Then put the token into the slot, push through the turnstile, get onto the platform and hop on the subway. 

4. 另一种出行方式的选择：租车

It is in big cities that people are provided with another choice, that is renting a car. If we are heading to a new city, we can go to the DMV website for more information and get to know the local rules in advance. 

We can also rent a car to take a road trip with our family, enjoying the sights. The car-rental companies usually provide many choices: economy, midsize or luxury. And we can shop around to find the best price. 

话题二：食物

1. 你在什么时候会吃快餐？

Fast food restaurant is my go-to place when I am not in the mood to cook, or too exhausted. Or just when I can't decide where to go and what to eat. The choices are endless: steaks, vegetarian meals, burgers, pizza, and ethnic cuisine. Then the takeout fast food is what I need. 

2. 你喜欢吃快餐吗？快餐健康吗？

To be honest, I am not a picky eater at all. And fast food is definitely on my list. Now as people are getting more health conscious, fast food include more than just oily fried chicken or fries. There are also more healthy choices: salads, juices,  fruit cups, lean proteins, and whole grain breads. Some of the restaurants even post the calorie counts of their menu items. 

3. 你经常出去吃饭吗？

My boyfriend and I both work out and we have to watch our weights, so for six days in a week, we cook for ourselves. But on Saturday, which is my favorite day of the week, we would splurge on a nice meal out. We might go to an upscale place, like a sit-down restaurant, seating ourselves near a window, ordering whatever we like and not caring the calorie counts. 

4. 大学食堂里吃麻辣烫很有趣，挑好要吃的食物给老板之后，会拿到个牌子，麻辣烫做好之后，这个牌子会振动，还会闪灯，提醒你可以去拿餐了。

I had fun experience eating Malatang at college, a kind of Hot Pot with spicy broth and salty sauce. After ordering the meat and vegetables I want to eat, the server would give me a cool little gadget to hold while waiting. After my meal was done, the gadget buzzed and vibrated and little lights started flashing. It sure was cool and entertaining and made the wait seem more bearable.

5. 你喜欢去什么样的餐厅？

If I am having a lovely dinner out, I would prefer a reataurant that places a top priority on excellent service. Because now we have so many choices when dining out, we are not just eating for food, but also for the whole atmosphere, the service and the experience. I don't want to beef about something, which might ruin my dinner. 

6. 在餐厅有过什么不好的经历吗？

I am not a picky eater or someone who likes to complain. If there were any unpleasant experiences, I would say most of them were related to the service. For example, the place setting was dirty, the service was way too slow, the server didn't ask enough what we needed or just brought us the wrong dishes. 

7. 你会怎么投诉抱怨？会生气吗？

If there is a problem, I will make a legitimate complaint and mention it to the manager in a polite way. There is no need to make a fuss or make a scene in public. There is also an expression that goes: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Being rude or irritated doesn't help. And because of my politeness, maybe I'll get a nice dessert on the house. 

话题三：运动

1. 你来自的国家/城市喜欢运动吗？

Yeah, for sure. There are organized sports everywhere. Many companies sponsor  sports teams and they encourage employees to practice and play after work. In schools, the playground, football pitch and the basketball court are always packed with sweaty students. On weekends, lots of people love to catch a game, either on TV or at the stadium. 

2. 你更喜欢做运动还是看运动比赛？

I am not a couch potato, but a big fan of doing all kinds of sports. Since I was a kid, I started going to the stadium and play table tennis with my parents. When I was a little taller, I began to learn badminton and swimming. I even ran a triathlon at college. Now I hit the gym and work out almost every day. I seldom watch sport games except the Olympic Games or when my mom dragged me to watch tennis games with her. 

3. 在你的城市/国家什么运动最受欢迎？

Lots of sports are very popular in my country, but if I have to say, among those maybe basketball and badminton are played more often. Especially among young boys, they only need a basketball and a basket to start a game. The pickup game is always fun and they can shoot hoops anytime. It is the same for badminton. People can play either outdoors or indoors and if you are just playing for fun, no special skills or techniques are required. 

4. 你最喜欢的运动是什么？

My boyfriend is a bodybuilder and also a personal trainer, so with his influence, workout at the gym began to grow on me. Now I almost hit the gym every day.  There are many befenits. Not only can I stay in shape and build muscle strength, it also helps me to have a more regular and healthier lifestyle. The gym where he works is just nearby and it has great environment and fitness equipment. The first floor is a relaxation place. Going upstairs and there are all kinds of machines and free weights. There are also locker rooms for changing and storing, as well as showers. But they don't have facilities like cafe or sauna. 

5. 你在健身房都做些什么运动？

Each time I would spend around one and a half hours working out. I would do the stretching for 5 minutes first. Then 1 hour on weight machines and free weights. Every time I focus on training one main part of the body, such as back, shoulder or chest. Then I would do the cardio, sometimes the treadmills or the bike. However, there aren't any classes available, like yoga, pilates or dancing. 

6. 你喜欢极限运动吗？

I think I have the adventurous streak and am willing to do something more exciting. I am good at swimming, so I think scuba diving, sailing or waterskiing will suit me. Or whitewater rafting on rivers. I've always dreamed about flying, so taking helicopter flights over attractions or a glider plane drifting high over ascenic area sounds dreamy. I also want to try skydiving and bungee jumping, and these are on my to-do list now. 

7. 你想尝试哪项体育运动？

I've always wanted to try waterskiing, which needs you to put two pieces of wood on the feet and glide across the water. You will be attached to a boat or a yacht in front of you by a rope. I watched it before on the TV and just couldn't get the exciting image out of my mind. If I had the chance, I would denifitely try that. I just hope I wouldn't chicken at that time.

未完待续...

计划下一篇笔记包含的话题：假期，住房，购物