2013年ESL之日常生活 31 Selecting a Neighborhood to Live In

 

Selecting a Neighborhood to Live In 

Leona: I want to live close to downtown. We can get everywhere on foot and walk to most amenities¹. 

Jeremy: Downtown is always bustling² and noisy, and the crime rate is really high. I’d rather have proximity³ to parks and open spaces. 

Leona: If we lived downtown, we wouldn’t have to worry about commute⁴ time and traffic. I could walk to work and you could take public transportation. 

Jeremy: That’s true, but there aren’t any good schools near downtown. 

Leona: Hello, we don’t have any kids. 

Jeremy: Not yet. I want to settle down somewhere for a while, not move every couple of years. 

Leona: Is that why you want to live in the suburbs? The suburbs have no character. Everything is cookie- cutter. 

Jeremy: That’s not true. 

Leona: Downtown has character and it’s close to nightlife. 

Jeremy: That’s less important to me than a place in a quiet neighborhood. Imagine lounging in the backyard or taking a walk in the park. We can raise our kids in a close-knit community. 

Leona: I think you’re planning for a family that we don’t have. 

Jeremy: Yet! 

 

Script by Dr. Lucy Tse 

1 amenities   

n.令人愉快的事物；礼仪；礼节；便利设施；礼仪( amenity的名词复数 )；便利设施；（环境等的）舒适；（性情等的）愉快

参考例句：

• The campsite is close to all local amenities. 营地紧靠当地所有的便利设施。
• Parks and a theatre are just some of the town's local amenities. 公园和戏院只是市镇娱乐设施的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

3 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

4 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。