【英语趣味课堂】About Parents-谈论父母

 Jessica: Let's see. My mom is three years older than my dad. They are like night and day. My mom is 5 foot 4 on a good day, 5 foot 2 I think in real life. She is very 

sweet, very nice, very caring and very cute. Everybody tells her how young she looks and how she resembles my sister, perhaps. My father is very much completely opposite that. He is a very big man, very loud, very funny, very boisterous¹. He makes friends no matter where he goes. For example, sometimes he goes to Florida and makes all sorts of new friends. He'll just go by himself. He's a kind of a magnet² to people. So my parents are completely opposite and they complement³ each other very well. My dad has a very good sense of humor⁴. My mom is very gentle. Very nice.

Todd: When was the last time you talked to you parents?

 

Jessica: I talked to them probably about two weeks ago. Yeah, everything is going well with them.

 

Todd: Are you going to see them soon?

 

Jessica: I am going to go home after the holidays and we're going to have a Christmas kind of in January or February. Yeah, depending on when my brother can come in.

 

Todd: OK. Who are you more like, your mother or your father?

 

Jessica: I think I have traits⁵ of both, actually. I look more like my mother, except that I am about a foot taller. Yeah, I resemble my mom more. I think I have both of the characteristics of my mom and dad.

 

Todd: OK. Great. Thanks.

 

学习内容：

like night and day

My mom and dad are like night and day.

We say things are like 'night and day' when they are very different or opposite.   Notice the following:

 

The difference between the new washing machine and the old one is like night and day.

My sister and I are like night and day.

resembles

Everybody tells her how young she looks and how she resembles my sister.

To 'resemble' someone or something is to have a similar appearance.  Notice the following:

 

He resembles George Clooney a little.

That rock kind of resembles an elephant.

makes friends

My dad makes friends no matter where he goes.

When we start new friendships we are 'making friends.' Notice the following:

 

Where do you make friends?

When you move to a new place it takes a while to make friends.

complement each other

My parents are completely opposite and they complement each other very well.

If two things or people 'complement each other' they match each other or have a nice balance. Notice the following:

 

Do you think sweet and salty food complement each other?

My two jobs really complement each other.  One is active and at the other one I just sit.

sense of humor

My dad has a very good sense of humor, and my mom is very gentle.

Your 'sense of humor' is what you find funny or what makes you laugh.  A person with a good sense of humor laughs a lot.  Notice the following:

 

Some people don't like this movie, but it fits my sense of humor.

I don't understand his sense of humor.

 

1 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

2 magnet   

n.有强大吸引力的人或物；磁铁，磁体

参考例句：

• He picked all the pins up with a magnet.他用磁铁捡起了所有的大头针。
• Dalian is a magnet for tourists.大连是吸引游客的地方。

3 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

4 humor   

n.(humour)幽默，诙谐

参考例句：

• He is distinguished for his sense of humor.他以其幽默感著称。
• American humor is founded largely on hyperbole.美式幽默主要以夸张为基础。

5 traits   

n.人的个性，显著的特点，特征( trait的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired. 我们不知道哪些行为特征是遗传的，哪些是后天养成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His generosity is one of his good traits. 慷慨大方是他的好品质之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》