酷兔英语

家里自娱自乐的好选择

(2008-10-14 09:15:59)

家是我们休憩的港湾。除了吃饭和睡觉,你喜欢在家里做些什么?看看下面的内容吧,你的居家生活会更加丰富多采。

Forms of Home Entertainment 居家爱好之千奇百怪

"What do people enjoy doing at home?" There is a long list which offers a variety of examples of entertainment at home.居家爱好千奇百怪,你的爱好是否特别?

listening to music, needlework and knitting, collecting stamps, keeping house plants, playing cards, practicing Chinese calligraphy, giving parties, doing crossword puzzles, watching TV, keeping pets, gardening, drawing and painting, cooking, chatting, reading, playing video/computer games.

There are lots more types of home entertainment, I'm sure. 你还能想出其他的适合在家里做的活动吗?

The diagram below was part of a magazine article on the leisure pursuits of women in Britain. 让我们看看英国女人的居家爱好从1985年至今都发生了哪些有趣的变化。

从表中我们可以看出:喜欢做针线活的女人越来越少,而看电视始终是女人们在家的最爱。

说到"最爱",你会表达你的"最爱"吗?让我们来talking about what you enjoy。

Step 1 Think of a home-based leisure activity that you like very much and put it down in a "-ing" phrase, e.g. watching TV.

Step 2 Think of the reasons why you like this activity and what it is like. Write down the key phrase(s) in your notes, e.g. interesting, relaxing, great programmes, easy (press a button, flick a switch), a wonderful invention.

Step 3 Estimate the amount of time you spend on the activity: at least 2 hours a day, an average of three hours each day

以"我喜欢看电视"为例:

I like watching TV. I think TV is a wonderful invention. You can sit comfortably in your own home and find out what's going on in the world. I probably spend at least two hours a day watching TV.

Home Entertainment Preferences 居家爱好之情有独钟

Home entertainment is a common topic for a friendly conversation. You are going to listen to six short dialogues in which people are talking about their preferences for leisure activities. 看下面的对话,这六个人在家都喜欢做些什么呢?

Dialogue 1

Lily: How do you spend your free time?

James: I'm always so tired when I get home from work in the evening that I never feel like doing anything energetic. But I like watching TV, and, luckily, these days there are some great programmes. I think TV is a wonderful invention. You can sit comfortably in your own home and find out what's going on in the world. And all you have to do is press a button or flick a switch. I probably spend an average of three hours a day watching TV.

Dialogue 2

Lily: What do you do in your spare time?

Weihua: I'm always happy with reading in the evenings and at weekends. I've never been a very sociable person so I don't need other people around! I find reading so relaxing and such an independent activity. I can start exactly where I choose and stop where I choose. And there's such a wide variety of books to choose from these days. I suppose I read for at least an hour every day.

Dialogue 3

Lily: Do you have any particular hobbies?

Dashan: I love playing computer games. You can spend hours and hours sitting at a computer. It's so addictive I never do anything else at home these days. My mother says it's mindless to sit in front of a machine all the time but I think it's stimulating. It keeps my mind busy. I suppose I spend three or four hours each day playing computer games.

Dialogue 4

Lily: What sort of things do you like doing when you're at home?

Robert: I enjoy cooking. Of course, I'd hate to have to cook three meals a day but, as it is, I can cook when I choose. I think cooking is so creative. You can see how a wonderful, tasty dish can be made from a few simple ingredients. Chopping and peeling all the ingredients can be so therapeutic. It makes a great change from all the mental activity I have to do at work. I cook at least once every day.

Dialogue 5

Lily: How do you amuse yourself when you're at home?

Wenli: I'm a fairly lazy person so I don't do anything energetic. I spend my free time listening to music. I don't like silence... even when I'm studying. I think music is really important; it can influence my mood. I play loud rock music when I do the housework and gentle classical music when I'm studying. I only actually listen to music for a couple of hours each day but I have music in the background all the time.

Dialogue 6

Lily: What do you do at home when you have some time to yourself?

Catherine: I like to be busy. I really enjoy doing home improvement and DIY. I find it very satisfying to know that I have done a lot of work in the house. It saves money and, as I say, I enjoy it. I suppose you could say it's the perfect hobby: useful and money saving! I probably spend ten hours each week on DIY.

听完对话,我们知道,这六人在家的嗜好分别是:watching TV, reading, computer games, cooking, listening to music, home improvement and DIY。

不知大家是否留意到,这六个人的爱好有的很传统,有的又很新潮。Fashions in entertainment change, don't they? Many people watch TV these days but weren't able to in the past. Other activities, such as reading, have been popular for a long time. People used to read mainly novels, poetry, and biographies. Nowadays there are also magazines and newspapers. An activity like reading is likely to remain popular. Modern forms of home entertainment, such as DIY, karaoke and computer games, are becoming increasingly popular.

Types of Television Programmer 电视节目五彩斑斓

If national and international surveys of leisure pursuits were conducted today, the findings would indicate that television is the most popular activity of all. 全世界的人都把看电视作为重要的居家消遣方式。许多人晚睡,竟然都是因为割舍不下精彩的电视节目!

你知道电视节目都有哪些类型吗?这些类型的对应英文是什么呢?

In Chinese in English in Chinese in English

电视节目 TV programmer 电影 film

电视系列片 TV Series 言情片 romance

电视连续剧 TV Serial 喜剧片 comedy

肥皂剧 soap opera 惊险片 thriller

动画片 animatedcartoon 科幻片 science fiction

专题片 feature programmer 新闻 news

主题影片 feature film 纪录片 documentary

文艺晚会 variety show 知识竞赛 quiz show

小品 comic sketch 历史剧 docudrama

如果你对这些分类没有明确的概念,那么可以看看下表中对不同类型的电视节目的定义:

Types Definitions:

1. A documentary programmer a programmer which provides a record or report of facts

2. A feature programmer a broadcast presented to explore a particular topic

3. The news a regular broadcast of the latest news on the radio or television

4. A TV series a set of TV programmes which have the same actors, etc., but each has a complete story in itself

5. a TV serial a TV play, with a continuing story, which is shown in regular instilments

6. a live broadcast event watched on TV at the time of its performance, e.g. a sports event, a political campaign, a quiz show, etc.

7. A feature film a full-length film intended as the main item in a cinema programme

8. a wildlife documentary documentary programme about wildlife, i.e. animals and plants

9. a variety show a TV programme which includes different kinds of entertaining performance such as singing, dancing, etc.

10. a children's cartoon a TV programme made by animating a set of drawings of stories for children

11. a docudrama a dramatized television film based on real events

12. A comic sketch a very short play which is humorous and limited to one scene
关键字:市民英语
生词表:
  • crossword [´krɔs,wə:d] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.纵横字迷 六级词汇
  • drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.画图;制图;图样 四级词汇
  • diagram [´daiəgræm] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.图解,图表 四级词汇
  • energetic [,enə´dʒetik] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.精力旺盛的;有力的 四级词汇
  • creative [kri:´eitiv] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.有创造力的;创作的 四级词汇
  • housework [´hauswə:k] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.家务劳动 六级词汇
  • classical [´klæsikəl] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.经典的;传统的 四级词汇
  • increasingly [in´kri:siŋli] 移动到这儿单词发声 ad.日益,愈加 四级词汇
  • animated [´ænimeitid] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.栩栩如生的;活跃的 六级词汇
  • cartoon [kɑ:´tu:n] 移动到这儿单词发声 n.漫画;(电影)卡通片 六级词汇
  • humorous [´hju:mərəs] 移动到这儿单词发声 a.富于幽默的,诙谐的 四级词汇