【英语趣味课堂】金钱-Money

 Todd: James!

 

James: Yo!

 

Todd: if you had a million dollars...

 

James: Mm-hm

 

Todd: if you won the lottery¹...

 

James: Yes.

 

Todd: What would you do?

 

James: I would buy a small island, build a house there, and invest the rest of my money so that I would never have to work again.

 

Todd: OK, So are you talking a tropical island, or...

 

James: A tropical island, yeah, or maybe I would give it all to charity and have a bridge named after me.

 

Todd: That's two different things there. How bout² the island? Would you want to be alone, on a secluded³ island or?

 

James: No, I would want all of my friends to come and visit me often.

 

Todd: OK. Nice. So how would you pass the time on this island?

 

James: I would read books. I would study. I would go swimming, go fishing, and play with my dog.

 

Todd: OK. Do think money can make people happy, can buy happiness?

 

James: No, but it can sometimes make it easier. It depends on what you buy.

 

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

win the lottery

 

If you won the lottery, what would you do?

 

The 'lottery' is a collection of money that someone can win by buying a lottery ticket, in a kind of gambling⁴.  The longer that passes without someone winning the more money you can win.  The money comes from selling lottery tickets.  Notice the following:

 

I don't know anyone who has won the lottery.

It would be great to win the lottery.

invest

 

I would invest my money so that I would never have to work again.

 

When you 'invest' your money you buy part of a company or a product with the idea that you will make more money when you sell the product or the company is successful. People invest in things like stocks, bonds and property.  Notice the following:

 

We invested in Starbucks when it was first starting.

He invested his money in many successful companies and now he doesn't have to work.

tropical island

 

If I had a million dollars, I would buy a tropical island.

 

An 'island' is a small piece of land in the ocean, sea or lake that has water on all sides. A 'tropical island' is located in an area of the world that has a tropical or warm climate.  Notice the following:

 

The cruise ship stopped at a few tropical islands.

We just got back from a vacation to a tropical island.

secluded

 

Do you want to be alone on a secluded island?

 

A 'secluded' place is far away from everywhere else. Notice the following:

 

Their cabin is in a really secluded area.

He needs a quiet and secluded spot to work or he gets distracted.

pass the time

 

How would you pass the time on this island?

 

How you 'pass the time' is how you spend your time or what you do to keep yourself busy. Notice the following:

 

How did you pass the time on your vacation?

She likes to pass the time in front of the television.

 

1 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。