2 X F2F Class Notes (Vicki)

Homework

Finish the worksheet about ADJ&ADV

Writing exercise

About my dream house, it better be in the big city like Shanghai. It should be in a safe and convenient residential quarter, maybe have 200sq.m as an apartment. It might be divided into as 3 rooms and a big parlor. The bedroom could be small, but it must have a big dressing room, it is the most important part in the house. And the house should be full of sunshine. I will find some furnitures with best design to decorate my dream house. Keep it in a good sense and warm atmosphere at the same time mean while.

Grammar

meanwhile – one word, use in the beginning of a sentence
i.e. I am watching the TV. Meanwhile, she is doing her homework.

Vocabulary

punctuality – 守时 be on time 
i.e. Punctuality is very important when it comes to business meetings.

as the saying goes  – just as people say

timekeeping – to keep up with time
i.e. I am not a very good timekeeper, so sorry that I am late today.

vary (v.) – differ
i.e. In our restaurant, the ice cream flavors vary.
i.e. My hair style varies depending on the weather.

variety (n.)- 多种多样
i.e. I like to have some variety in this TV show.

various (adj.) – 多种多样
i.e. Various actors play in this movie.

make every second count – 珍惜每分每秒
i.e. Life is short so we need to make every second count.

squeeze – 挤压
i.e. You need to squeeze the sponge before you put it back.

inevitably (adv.) – cannot avoid

inevitable (adj.) – cannot avoid
i.e. Death is an inevitable part of life.

slip – miss
i.e. I slipped on a banana.

compacted – 压缩的
i.e. I have a very compacted schedule every day.

promptness – on time

promptly – 井井有条
i.e. We have promptly planned the event.

bend (v.) – 弯
i.e. She bent the straw.

time bender – 弯曲时间的人
i.e. Don’t be a time bender and try to fit everything in your schedule.

resistance (n.) – 抗拒
i.e. A successful government can manage its people without resistance.

resist (v.) – 抗拒
i.e. I resist the idea of living alone.

self-disciplined – 自律的
i.e. He is a very self-disciplined person.

perception – opinion / view
i.e. Don’t care too much about other people’s perceptions.

consistently – continuously
i.e. She is consistently late to our meetings so maybe you need to fire her.

penchant (n.) – 倾向
i.e. I have a penchant to be violent.

seek – look for / find
i.e. I am seeking a new job.

conspicuous (adj.)- obvious
i.e. It is quite conspicuous that she does not want to be here.

turn up – show up

curse (v.) – 骂
i.e. She cursed me for forgetting her things.

criticize – 批评
i.e. I want to criticize this movie.

Reading

As the saying goes, ‘time waits for no man’. Time is always against us, and we just can’t stop it. Maybe that’s why some of us are always running late for appointments. But if timekeeping is not what you’re good at, don’t stress. There might be a good reason for your lack of punctuality.

People’s attitudes to being on time vary. Some clock-watch and make sure they’re bang on time for a meeting. It is, after all, rude to be late, and if you can make it on time, why can’t everyone else? But if, like me, you want to make every second count, you might try to squeeze as much as you can into the time you have available. However, when your schedule doesn’t run to plan, your punctuality inevitably slips.

People who lack promptness have been described as ‘time benders’. Author Grace Pacie told the BBC that “they’re the people who don’t want to be late, but they have a strange resistance to being early, and they don’t allow enough time.” They assume their journey to an appointment will always go smoothly, and the train will always be on time!

Perceptions of unpunctual people are almost always negative – even if sometimes wrong. Writing for the BBC, Laura Clarke says: “Being consistently late might not be your fault. It could be your type. The punctually-challenged often share personality characteristics, such as optimism, low levels of self-control, anxiety, or a penchant for thrill-seeking, experts say. It is also possible people are late so not to be conspicuous and to avoid the anxious wait for others to turn up.

Maybe us latecomers should make more of an effort and follow the advice I heard to not ‘try’ to be on time but ‘decide’ to be on time. But I know if a meeting or a deadline really matters, then I’ll be there. Otherwise relax, even if others are cursing you!