F2F Class Notes (Nick)

Homework

Write about the caves at Donghuang. Try to use some of the vocabulary from today.

Vocabulary

Fall – when something becomes cheaper, often a lot
e.g. Rubber prices have fallen recently, unfortunately.

Invest – to buy something hoping that its value will increase
e.g. We invested most of our savings in stocks and bonds.
Bond – you pay money as a loan to receive interest

Least vs. at least vs. Minimum – “least” means the smallest in a group; “minimum” means that nothing can be less, and “at least” is the same in minimum, but “minimum” is a noun, and “at least” is an adverb
e.g. I can guarantee a minimum of 4% profit.
e.g. I can guarantee at least 4% profit.
e.g. He is the least wealthy of my investors.

Loss vs. Deficit
— To have something and then have less
e.g. We had a loss of $20,000 this quarter.
— To have less than you need.
e.g. We have a deficit of rubber this month, so production has stopped temporarily.

Province – an area smaller than a country
e.g. Shanghai and Jiangsu are provinces in China.

Scenic Spots – 景点

Hike – to walk in nature, or on mountains
e.g. Many trips go to Nepal for hiking.

Grammar

Everybody don’t think – nobody / no one thinks

They can guarantee the least profit – They can guarantee the minimum profit

Rubbers – Rubber

Draw, Drew, Drawn

It happened a long time ago – It was done a long time ago
— If you say “happened,” it means that no one did it
— If you want to say that someone was involved, then you should use “do”

These pictures were drawn between 1000 and 500 years ago / These pictures were drawn over generations

Pronunciation

Deficit – de – fi – sit; usually, a “c” followed by “e” or “i” will sound like an “s”