李华和Michael这个周末什么功课都没有，原来准备好好玩一玩，可是后来计划落空。李华会学到两个常用语：zip和drama queen。

L: 嗨，Michael, 你这个周末有功课要做吗？

M: Nope. I don't have to do zip. I'm free the whole weekend.

L: 你不用做zip? 那是什么意思呀？Zip不是衣服上的拉链吗？

M: No, I mean zip as in zero or nothing. I don't have zip means I don't have anything to do.

L: 噢，zip可以解释为"零"，"什么也没有"。那你的意思是你周末什么事也没有，对不对？

M: Yes. If you ask me for money and I don't have any, I could say I haven't got zip. Get it?

L: 知道了，你没有钱，我本来也没有想问你借钱啊。

M: Good. Now, do you have any money I could borrow. I want to buy a coke.

L: "No, I don't have zip." 我这么说对不对？

M: Yes, you used it right, but I really want to buy a coke.

L: 你真的要问我借钱哪？Michael, 我可真是没有钱，我不骗你。

M: Oh well, I guess I'll have to go to the bank before we can do anything interesting this weekend. If I don't have any cash, then we won't be able to do zip.

L: 没错，你要不到银行去取钱，那周末我们哪儿也去不了。We won't be able to do zip.

M: Now you've learned the word zip. The bank is over there. I'll get some cash and I'll come right back.

L: 快点，我饿了，要去吃晚饭了。嗨，Michael, 你多取点钱，I don't have zip in my pockets.

M: Alright.

******

L: Michael, 我们周末出去玩的计划全被打乱了。我们的历史教授从电脑上发给我们一个新作业，星期一就要交了。啊呀，我真气死了。

M: Oh, don't be such a drama queen. The assignment can't be that bad, and I know for a fact that you do have free time.

L: 你叫我什么？ Drama queen? Drama是戏剧，queen是女王。这两个词合在一起，嘿，我虽然不知道drama queen的具体意思，但是我肯定你是在讽刺我，对不对？

M: Not really. A drama queen is a girl who exaggerates her problems, usually to get attention. Your problem really isn't that bad, but you make it sound like the end of the world.

L: 噢，drama queen原来是说一个女孩，为了引起别人的注意，夸张了她面临的问题。 哎哟，就是小题大作。嗨，我可不是小题大作。我是因为没有时间完成作业，所以我才心烦意乱。

M: Oh, please. You are being a little too dramatic about this homework assignment.

L: 只是一个作业，你说得倒简单！算了，算了，不跟你争了。可能是我还不清楚drama queen的含意，Michael, 你再给我举个例子，好不好？

M: Do you remember my friend, Angela, who called me crying because she couldn't find her math book?

L: 当然记得。她呀，为了找不到她的数学书给你打电话的时候还哭了，我真是难以相信。她好像老是有什么事感到不高兴似的。

M: She is such a drama queen. She makes a huge deal out of losing a book or a bad haircut. Once, she wouldn't talk to me for a week because I forgot to call her back.

L: 对，她总是大惊小怪，小题大作的，丢了一本书也不高兴，剪头发剪得不好也不高兴。你忘了给她打回电，她当然要生气，一个星期不跟你讲话就算客气的了。我可没有象她那样，所以别叫我drama queen.

M: Yeah, you're not quite as bad.

今天李华学到了zip和drama queen两个常用语，zip就是零，什么也没有的意思；drama queen是指那种喜欢小题大作，大惊小怪的女孩子。

• dramatic [drə´mætik]   a.戏剧的；戏剧般的   (初中英语单词)
• learned [´lə:nid]   a.有学问的，博学的   (高中英语单词)
• weekend [´wi:kend, ,wi:k´end]   n.周末休假   (英语四级单词)
• assignment [ə´sainmənt]   n.分配；分派；任务   (英语六级单词)