UK Culture-Student Money 学生生活费

 Hello and welcome to Trend UK, your shortcut¹ to popular culture from the British Council². In the next few minutes we’re going to be talking about mates³ and money. Moving away from home to go to university can be a stressful time. First, there are all the social pressures that can be encountered⁴. And then there’s the strain⁵ on your pocket, what with living expenses, books and going out with your friends. And on top of all that, you’ve got to study as well. So, is there a way to be careful with your money and have a good and productive⁶ time? Our reporter Mark went to meet the students at a large UK university to find out. Looking around the Student Union at this university, everyone seems to be having a good time but the reality is that students are often on a tight budget and going out with your friends for a meal or a drink is often something that has to be thought about quite carefully. I’ve assembled⁷ a group of typical students here who are going to tell us what it’s like to have so many social opportunities and yet be on a budget. And hopefully they can give us the tips for having the best and cheapest of times. How do you find the cost of living here? Very expensive. Everything including clothing, accommodation, travelling, everything is expensive here. In terms of: housing…transport especially. So what do you think you spend most on? Transport I think. Yeah, food if you eat at home, it’s very cheap. The train. In a week was spending more than one hundred pounds. And how do you afford clothing? I mean ‘trendy’ isn’t cheap. I’m from China, and actually in my place there’s also nice clothes there, so I normally⁸ bring my clothes here! He he-he. So you don’t shop here? You shop at home. Yeah all that from home. Except jackets, I love jackets so I make sure if there’s any sale going around, especially Boxing Day I go and loot the shopping centre and buy all the stuff⁹ and get cheap prices. And what’s the social side like? I love it because has so many cultures, I was so shocked actually it took me quite some time. Because it’s Chinese, Japanese, African people. I like that, to me it’s very interesting. I like to go for movies with my friends once a month like that, and also for dinner. I’m a very social person, I love socialising with people and meeting new people and I love partying. Thankfully I don’t drink and I don’t smoke so only expenses like, you know, maybe entry fee to the disco clubs and something like that. And do you have any money-saving tips for other people who might want to come and work or study here in the UK? You just have to watch anything you buy, just don’t impulse¹⁰ buy things. If you rent a house, with your friends then it will be cheaper. I teach a lot, I teach piano and the violin, so that covers a little bit of what I want to spend on clothes and stuff and extras yeah. I bought DVD player can watch all the movies at home ha-ha! So I can entertain myself at home. Cheaper ha-ha. Don’t drink too much ha-ha. Well, plenty of good advice here from the students. Thanks to all of you for coming along. Our reporter Mark with the students there. And that’s it for this time. Please remember that the opinions expressed in Trend UK are those of the individuals concerned, and not necessarily¹¹ the views of the British Council. Don’t forget, you can find out about studying in the UK by checking our website www.britishcouncil.org, that’s www.britishcouncil [all one word] .org. Just follow the links under ‘Learning’. And while you’re on the website you can also update your English by checking out the words and phrases in the Trend UK online glossary¹². And tell us what you think by sending us a comment or voting in the online poll¹³. But for now, from me and all the Trend UK Team, bye bye. 

1 shortcut   

n.近路，捷径

参考例句：

• He was always looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune.他总是在找成名发财的捷径。
• If you take the shortcut,it will be two li closer.走抄道去要近2里路。

2 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

3 mates   

[英]伙伴( mate的名词复数 )； 同伴； （非正式）配偶； （熟练工人的）助手

参考例句：

• He's out boozing with his mates. 他和他的朋友们喝酒去了。
• They've been best mates since school. 他们从上学时期以来就是最要好的朋友。

4 encountered   

adj. 遇到的，遭遇的 动词encounter的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• We encountered a number of difficulties in the first week. 我们在第一周遇到了一些困难。
• The army encountered stiff resistance from rebels in the hills. 部队在山里遭到叛乱者顽强的抵抗。

5 strain   

n.紧张，拉紧，血统；v.劳累，拉紧，过份使用

参考例句：

• Strain the fat off before you serve the soup.在上汤前把里面的油滤掉。
• He had a muscular strain.他肌肉过劳。

6 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

7 assembled   

安装的, 组给的

参考例句：

• He bought the parts separately and assembled his own computer.他一一买来部件，组装成自己的电脑。

8 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

9 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

10 impulse   

n.（一时的）冲动，冲力，脉冲，神经冲动

参考例句：

• She wrote that letter on impulse.她一时冲动写了这封信。
• I don't know how to resist my impulse.我不知道怎样抑制自己的感情冲动。

11 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

12 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。

13 poll   

n.民意测验，民意调查，选举投票

参考例句：

• The result of the poll won't be known until midnight.选举结果要到午夜才能揭晓。
• They expected a heavy poll.他们期望会有很高的投票数。