【英语趣味课堂】体育课-P.E. Class

Todd: So, Monica, you are actually a trained physical education teacher.

Monica: Yes, that's right.

 

Todd: So, we often hear about how kids today are not fit, and they don't exercise enough. Do you think that's true?

 

Monica: I think it is true, yes. I think kids these days spend a lot more time on the computer than they used to, so of course that means less time outside and getting fit.

 

Todd: Now, in some countries there's a big debate about how much fitness¹ kids actually do in school, so in your country, in New Zealand, do kids still do a lot of fitness actually in school?

 

Monica: Well, recently the P.E. curriculum² got amalgamated³ with the health curriculum, so P.E. and health were considered to be important in school, and the health side of the curriculum is often taught in the classroom, and of course the P.E. side often taught outside the classroom, and there's always debate about how much kids should be doing inside school. In fact very recently, now that it has become quite a big problem in New Zealand for teenagers, there has been talk about increasing the number of P.E. lessons that students have, but the current Prime Minister I think believes that the emphasis should be put on out-of-school activities like clubs and encouraging students to become more involved in that side of things.

 

Todd: What do you feel? Do you think it should be?

 

Monica: I actually agree to be honest, because I think if you increase the number of P.E. lessons that students have in a week, it doesn't actually necessarily increase their motivation to be involved in physical activity, but if like he's suggesting, you increase the opportunities outside of school, students maybe become involved in a sport that they choose, that they'd like to do and they hopefully can take it on as a lifetime sport. Yeah, which is important.

 

Todd: Butt⁴ wouldn't the counter argument be that only kids that have a natural inclination⁵ to play sports would want to join those clubs and if the kids that are more sedentary or don't enjoy physical activity won't join a club, so you need to actually make them do fitness at school?

 

Monica: Yeah, that's true. That is a counter argument, and a very good one … to argue on some other occasion. Of course I can talk about that side of the argument as well if you want me to.

 

Todd: No, it's Okay. Basically, you saw there's … both sides make a good point.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson

we often hear

 

 

We often hear how kids are not fit.

 

When we say the phrase 'we often hear', we are referring to information people hear in general conversation or the news or media. Notice the following:

 

These days we often hear how people are worried about the future.

I often hear that people are spending their savings⁶.

P.E.

 

 

She is a P.E. teacher.

 

P.E. means physical education. People often use the initials⁷ P.E. because it is easier to say that the full words, physical education. P.E. also just refers to a sports or fitness class in school. Notice the following:

 

My favorite class in school was P.E.

We ran three miles in P.E class today.

amalgamated

 

 

The curriculum recently got amalgamated.

 

When two things are amalgamated, they are joined or mixed together to make one thing. Notice the following:

 

The companies were amalgamated into one large corporation.

The metal was amalgamated into steel.

curriculum

 

 

The curriculum was changed by the school.

 

Curriculum is a set of material or subjects that are taught by a school or class. Notice the following:

 

The curriculum at that school is very old and outdated⁸.

On the first day of class, we discussed the course's curriculum.

inclination

 

 

There is a natural inclination to play sports.

 

When you have an inclination to do something, that means you have a natural tendency or desire to do it without training or being told to do it. For example, babies have an inclination to stand up and walk. Here are a few sample sentences:

 

He has a natural inclination for solving math problems.

She has an inclination for business.

1 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

2 curriculum   

n.课程，（学校等的）全部课程

参考例句：

• Is German on your school's curriculum?你们学校有德语课吗？
• The English curriculum should stress both composition and reading.英语课程对作文和阅读应同样重视。

3 amalgamated   

v.（使）（金属）汞齐化( amalgamate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）合并；联合；结合

参考例句：

• The company has now amalgamated with another local firm. 这家公司现在已与当地一家公司合并了。
• Those two organizations have been amalgamated into single one. 那两个组织已合并为一个组织。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

5 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

6 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

7 initials   

n.首字母，姓名

参考例句：

• a glass tankard with his initials etched on it 刻有他姓名首字母的玻璃大酒杯
• All the towels were personalized with their initials. 所有毛巾上都标有物主姓名的首字母。

8 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。