【英语趣味课堂】大计划-Big Plans

 Vella: OK, Daniel, I know you're still really young but I know you must be thinking about what you're going to do in the future so my question would be what do you want to achieve in your life?

Daniel: Well, there are definitely¹ three things I want to do. For example, I want to do before I die, at least three things. The first one is I want to visit every continent in the earth. I'm still young but I want to do it in the next couple of years. I've never been to Africa, for example, that's a continent, that's a part of the world I'm very interested in.

 

The second one is that I want to see things from a different perspective². For example, I want to climb a really, really high mountain. I don't know, Everest would be amazing but I know like you need the special training and stuff³ like that. Or do paragliding, I would love to have the feeling that I'm flying. That's something that really, really calls my attention to see, you know, to see something from a different perspective. It can give you not only the experience but also it can help you think in a very different way for, I don't know, many things in the future.

 

And the third one is definitely to raise my children. I don't have any yet but, I don't know, I would love to have that feeling that I've done my job and I've finished it so, I don't know, to have my children, to raise them properly and to see that they succeed in what they do. Those are the three things I would love to do, I don't know, before I die.

 

Vella: That is sweet. But earlier you told me like you were afraid of heights. Do you still want to do this thing?

 

Daniel: I am a little bit but that's a thing that I mean at least once even though you are afraid you have to do it at least once. I'm not going to do it every week, the paragliding thing, but at least once I wouldn't mind.

 

Vella: And do you have anything specific that you want to do in Africa?

 

Daniel: No, it's just, there are so many, I think, myths⁵ about Africa. People tell you different stories. How they live, what they do, what the conditions are that I want to see it by myself. I know Africa it's really different because it's really big. It's really different among the countries but it has so many cultures that I really want to go and see it by myself.

 

Vella: Good. I hope you get the chance to do those three things before you die.

 

Daniel: Thanks.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

perspective

 

I want to see things from a different perspective.

 

Here, 'perspective' really means point of view. Daniel would like to see how the earth looks from a high point. Notice the following:

 

I am really short, so I see the world from a different perspective.

Actually, being in the water is a totally different perspective than being in a boat.

paragliding

 

I would love to go paragliding, so I can feel like I'm flying.

 

'Paragliding' is a sport where you jump from a plane with a rectangular⁶ parachute that you can direct to where you want to go. Notice the following:

 

Would you be too scared to go paragliding?

I would love to go paragliding over the ocean.

raise children

 

 

I definitely want to raise my children.

 

'Raising children' involves caring for them and teaching⁷ them from the time they are born until they are adults. Notice the following:

 

They used to travel a lot, but they decided⁸ to settle down in one place to raise their children.

Even though they got a divorce⁹, they worked together to raise their children.

sweet

 

 

What you said about kids is sweet.

 

Here, 'sweet' means something that is sensitive or romantic. Notice the following:

 

My husband thought the ending of the movie was stupid, but I thought it was sweet.

He is a very sweet boy.

myths

 

 

There are so many myths about Africa.

 

A 'myth⁴' is a commonly told story or piece of information that is not true. Notice the following:

 

The idea that shaving makes your hair grow back thicker is actually a myth.

It is a myth that oranges, the fruit, are always orange on the outside.

 

1 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

2 perspective   

n.视角，观点，想法

参考例句：

• You can get a perspective of the whole city from here.从这里你可以看到城市的全景。
• We may get a clear perspective of the people's happy lives.我们知道人民对幸福生活的展望。

3 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。

4 myth   

n.神话，神话故事

参考例句：

• The story has points of resemblance to a Hebrew myth.这个故事与某个希伯来神话有相似之处。
• The story is a pure myth.这故事纯属虚构。

5 myths   

n.神话( myth的名词复数 )；杜撰出来的人[事物]

参考例句：

• They drew the material of their plays chiefly from myths and legends. 他们主要从神话传说中提取剧本的素材。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jasper White is one of rare people who believes in ancient myths. 贾斯珀。怀特是少有的相信古代神话的人之一。 来自新概念英语第二册

6 rectangular   

adj.矩形的，成直角的

参考例句：

• He put a rectangular box on the table.他把一个长方形的箱子放在桌子上。
• The equations are written in rectangular coordinates.这些方程是在直角座标系中写出的。

7 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 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。