F2F Class Notes (Raph)[R]

Vocabulary

Prejudice (n): 1- an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge. 2- 偏见
E.g.: Laws against racial prejudice must be strictly enforced.
E.g.: The campaign aims to dispel the prejudice that AIDS is confined to the homosexual community.
E.g.: He claims that prejudice against homosexuals would cease overnight if all the gay stars in the country were honest about their sexuality.
E.g.: When we talk about things we don’t actually know, we can often commit prejudice and make unfair judgements.

Laptop (n): 1- a computer that is small enough to be carried around easily and is flat when closed
E.g.: I always take my laptop when I travel.
E.g.: He bought a new laptop.
E.g.: What kind of laptop do I need?

Beat (v): 1- to defeat or do better than.
E.g.: Simon always beats me at tennis.
E.g.: Holland beat Belgium (by) 3–1.

Fed up (adv): 1- bored, annoyed, or disappointed, especially by something that you have experienced for too long.
E.g.: I’m fed up with my job.
E.g.: He got fed up with all the traveling he had to do.

Commute (n/v): 1- to make the same journey regularly between work and home.
E.g.: It’s exhausting commuting from Brighton to London every day.

Waterproof (adj): 1- not allowing water to go through.
E.g.: These boots are all right but they’re not as waterproof as leather.
E.g.: This coat isn’t waterproof.

Fumes (n): 1- strong, unpleasant, and sometimes dangerous gas or smoke:
E.g.: Traffic fumes always make me feel ill.

Fitness (n): 1- the condition of being physically strong and healthy.
E.g.: I’m trying to improve my fitness by cycling to work.

Fit (adj): 1- healthy and strong, especially as a result of exercise:
E.g.: I jog to keep fit.
E.g.: You need to be very fit to hike the Inca Trail.

Yell (v): 1-  to shout something or make a loud noise, usually when you are angry, in pain, or excited:
E.g.: Our neighbors were yelling at each other this morning.
E.g.: The child yelled out in pain.
E.g.:  “Just get out of here!” she yelled.

Cyclist (n): 1- someone who rides a bicycle.
E.g.: A driver ran over a cyclist on Main Street today.

Illegal (adj): 1- not allowed by law. 2- 非法
E.g.: Prostitution (卖淫) is illegal in some countries.
E.g.: It is illegal to drive a car that is not registered and insured.
E.g.: It’s illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of their sex.
E.g.: For a teacher to hit a child is not just wrong but also illegal.

Munich (n): 1- 慕尼黑

Monk (n): 1- 僧

Man swims to work every day to beat traffic
(Source: breakingnewsenglish.com/1708/170814-swimming-to-work.html)

A German man has started swimming to work after he got fed up with commuting. Benjamin David, 40, got tired of being stuck in traffic every day in the German city of Munich. He now beats the traffic by swimming 2km down the city’s Isar River. He puts his laptop computer, mobile phone and his business suit in a waterproof bag that he drags behind him. Mr David got the idea by watching the river flow right past his apartment. He looked on a map and realized the river went past his office. He then decided to swim to work and get some exercise, instead of battling other commuters in buses and trains or breathing fumes from traffic while on a bicycle.

Mr David told reporters that his river commute has changed his life. He is much fitter and less stressed. He spoke about the stress his commute used to cause him. He said: “I’m not a monk. When I was on my bike, I would yell at cars. When I was on foot, I would yell at cyclists, and so on and so forth.” He described how the river has changed things. He said: “Just a few metres to the side of [all the traffic] is the river, and if you just swim down that, it’s completely relaxing and refreshing.” David also spoke about the dangers of river swimming. He always checks the temperature before diving in. Not everyone can swim to work in the city. In Central London, it is illegal to swim in the River Thames.

Pronunciation

Defense:  /dɪˈfens/

Opportunity: /ˌɑː.pɚˈtuː.nə.t̬i/

Drank: /dræŋk/

Drunk:  /drʌŋk/

Prejudice: /ˈpredʒ.ə.dɪs/

Resistant: /rɪˈzɪs.tənt/

Realized: /ˈrɪəlaɪzd/

Exercise: /ˈek.sɚ.saɪz/

Munich: /ˈmjuː.nɪk/

Waterproof:  /ˈwɑː.t̬ɚ.pruːf/

Describe:  /dɪˈskraɪb/

Illegal: /ɪˈliː.ɡəl/

Battle: /ˈbæt̬.əl/

Fitness: /ˈfɪt.nəs/

Commute: /kəˈmjuːt/

Kilometer: /kəˈlɑm·ət̬·ər

Cyclist: /ˈsaɪ.klɪst/