【英语趣味课堂】夏天的生活-Life in Summer

Aiste: Hello, Christophe. So what is summer like in Belgium?

Christophe: Well, at first I would like to answer you that summer is much more better than wintertime in Belgium because there is more sunshine, and the days are longer so there is more sunlight¹ during the day, but actually we also have a lot of rain during summer in Belgium, so people are really upset about it, and I think many people also feel really bad about that because there is rain again.

 

Aiste: Oh, it sounds like it's raining all year long in Belgium. Which season is actually the nicest one?

 

Christophe: Well, it's true. Belgium is not a country that you should visit because of the weather because the weather is not really that nice in Belgium.

 

Aiste: So what is actually there to be visited?

 

Christophe: In summer, it's actually nice to visit Belgium because there are a lot of music festivals. We even have one of the biggest and most famous music festivals in the world, where a lot of famous artists come to sing and a lot of people visit the festival, like over 50,000 people on one day. It's really huge.

 

Aiste: Do you often go to that festival?

 

Christophe: I went to that festival when I was younger, but right now I stopped going there. It's too crowded for me. Too many people. Once you get older, then you don't like that anymore. You like to go to more quiet places and smaller festivals. What about you? How is summer like in Lithuania? Is it as cold as in wintertime?

 

Aiste: Oh, no, it is not very cold. Actually in summer we have plus 30, so it means² from winter there's almost 60 degrees change to summer. Further³, people are very happy because after the winter and after a very dark period⁴ when sun comes out, they feel like the can take just a holiday and everybody has to stop working. Everybody's really happy with the sun getting out of the sky, and it is very popular, especially in July and August. The people take holiday and go to the seaside⁵ and spend their time with their families together while swimming and enjoying the sun at the beach, and I really like summer. I think Lithuania looks wonderful in summer, and anybody who goes to Lithuania should visit it only in summer because otherwise⁶ you'll won't bring a very good impression⁷ out of it.

 

 重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary⁸ from the lesson

even

 

We even have one of the biggest and most famous music festivals.

 

When we compare two things and the second is surprising, we use the word 'even'.  Notice the following: 

 

Everyone came to the party, even Joe.

I hate all fruits, even strawberries.

once

 

Once you get older, then you don't like that anymore.

 

Here, the word 'once' simply⁹ means 'after'.  Notice the following:

 

Be sure to call me once everyone gets here.

You need to flip¹⁰ the egg once it turns white.

a dark period

 

After a very dark period when sun comes out.

 

A dark period is a sad or difficult time.  Notice the following:

 

Winter in Alaska is a very dark period.

He went through a dark period after his divorce¹¹.

while

 

We spend time together while swimming and enjoying the sun.

 

We use 'while' to talk about two things happening at the same time.  Notice the following:

 

I enjoy drinking coffee while reading¹² the paper.

I always listen to music while exercising.

otherwise

 

Visit in summer otherwise you won't get a good impression.

 

Here, the word 'otherwise' has the same meaning as 'or'. 

1 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 further   

adv.（在时间或空间上）距离更大地；更远地

参考例句：

• Have you had any further news?你有进一步的消息吗？
• We will help you further.我们会进一步帮助你的。

4 period   

n.学时，课时；一段时间，时期，周期；句点

参考例句：

• Trade is always good over the Christmas period.圣诞节期间生意一向很好。
• He nursed the company through a difficult period.他帮助公司渡过了一段困难时期。

5 seaside   

adj.海边(的)，海滨(的)；n.海边

参考例句：

• Let's go to the seaside and take a walk.我们去海边走走吧。
• I lived in the seaside all summer.整个夏天我住在海边。

6 otherwise   

adv.另外，用别的方法；在其他方面；要不然，否则

参考例句：

• You'd better go now,otherwise you'll miss the train.你最好现在就走，要不然就赶不上火车了。
• He is noisy,but otherwise a nice boy.他爱吵闹，但在其他方面却是个好孩子。

7 impression   

n.印象，感想；印记，压痕

参考例句：

• The impression is so deep that it can hardly ever blow over.印象太深了，忘也忘不了。
• She made a good impression on his mother.她给他母亲留下了很好的印象。

8 vocabulary   

n.词汇，词汇量；词汇表

参考例句：

• How can I widen my vocabulary?怎样扩大自己的词汇量？
• You can find all the new words in the vocabulary of the text.你能在课文的词汇表中找到所有的生词。

9 simply   

ad.仅仅,只是；简单地；朴素地；完全，简直

参考例句：

• The cake is made quite simply.这蛋糕做起来很简单。
• The teacher explained the text simply.老师简单地解释了一下课文。

10 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

11 divorce   

n.离婚；分离；vi.离婚；vt.离婚；脱离

参考例句：

• Did he divorce his wife or did she divorce him?是他要和妻子离婚，还是妻子要和他离婚？
• None of us like the divorce of word and deed.我们都不喜欢言行不一。

12 reading   

n.阅读，知识，读物，表演，对法律条文的解释；adj.阅读的

参考例句：

• Children learn reading and writing at school.孩子们在学校学习阅读和写作。
• He finds pleasure in reading.他从阅读中得到乐趣。