F2F Class Notes (Raph)[R]

Vocabulary

Legislation (n): 1-  a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament / congress (议会).
E.g.: The government has promised to introduce legislation to limit fuel emissions from cars.
E.g.: There are some ambiguities in the legislation.

Aim (n/v): 1- a result that your plans or actions are intended to achieve. 2- to intend.
E.g.: My main aim in life is to be a good husband and father.
E.g.: I aim to be a millionaire by the time I’m 35.

Short-term (adj): 1- lasting a short time or relating to a short period of time.
E.g.: Our short-term plan is to increase sales and profits.
E.g.: Small traders often have short-term cash-flow problems.

Long-term (adj): 1- continuing a long time into the future.
E.g.: It’s too early to know the long-term consequences of crisis.
E.g.: We want long-term solutions, not short-term palliatives.
E.g.: What are your long-term career plans?

Demonstrator (n): 1- a person who takes part in a public protest meeting or march to show support or disapproval for something or someone. 2- 示威者 (n: Demonstration)
E.g.: Demonstrators marched on the streets to ask for better public transportation.
E.g.: Angry demonstrators carried signs and shouted in protest.
E.g.: There was a massive demonstration for environmental protection last Saturday in New York City.

Demand (v): 1- to ask for something forcefully, in a way that shows that you do not expect to be refused.
E.g.: I demanded an explanation.
E.g.: The union is demanding a seven percent pay rise this year.
E.g.: He has always demanded the highest standards of behavior from his children.
E.g.: “And where do you think you’re going?” demanded the police officer.
E.g.: I demand to talk to the manager.

Immediate (adj): 1- happening or done without delay or very soon after something else. (Adv: Immediately)
E.g.: We must make an immediate response.
E.g.: My parents told me I need to go home immediately.

Prison (n): 1- a building where criminals are forced to live as a punishment.
E.g.: Conditions in the prison are said to be terrible.
E.g.: He’s spent a lot of time in prison.

Cell (n): 1- a small room with not much furniture, especially in a prison.
E.g.: The prisoners had to live in very small cells, where they never saw the light of day.

Tiny (adj): 1- very, very small.
E.g.: The glass broke into a thousand tiny pieces.
E.g.: The print is so tiny that you can’t read it.

Cubicle (n): 1- a small space with walls or curtains around it, that is separate from the rest of a room and where you can be private when taking clothes off, etc..
E.g.: There are four toilet cubicles in each bathroom.
E.g.: I was getting undressed in one of the cubicles.

Humane (adj): 1- showing kindness, care, and sympathy towards others, especially those who are suffering. (≠ Inhumane)
E.g.: The humane way of dealing with a suffering animal (= the way that causes the least pain) is to kill it quickly.
E.g.: Conditions for prisoners were described as inhumane.
E.g.: Many people believe factory farming is inhumane.

Prosperous (adj): 1- successful, usually by earning a lot of money.
E.g.: In a prosperous country like this, no one should go hungry.

Unacceptable (adj): 1– too bad to be accepted, approved of, or allowed to continue. 2- 不可接受 ( Acceptable)
E.g.: The teachers’ union has described the latest pay offer as unacceptable.
E.g.: We need to come to an solution that is acceptable to both parties.

Reading

Hong Kong’s Poor Live in Homes Smaller Than Prison Cells
(Source: www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1711/171104-living-space-2.html)

A new study shows there are poor people in Hong Kong who live in tiny homes. A housing group found that 204 families in one area live in homes that are smaller than prison cells. The average space per person was 4.6 square meters. This is about the size of three toilet cubicles, or half the size of a car parking space. The average size of a cell for Hong Kong’s maximum security prisoners is 50 per cent bigger than the size of the homes in the study. A 2016 report stated that over 65 per cent of Hong Kong families live in homes that are between 7 and 14 square meters.

Hong Kong has some of the world’s most expensive homes. An average person has to save for 18 years to buy a tiny home. A member of the housing group told reporters how unhappy people are about living in such small homes. He said: “It is completely unacceptable and inhumane that the living area for people is the same as for prisoners in such a prosperous city like Hong Kong.” Another resident said the tiny room for her husband and six-year-old son only has a bed, a closet and a small table. She said: “The bathroom is so small we have to sit sideways to go to the toilet.”

Grammar

They have the same mean. – They have the same meaning.

Pronunciation

Legislation: /ˌledʒ.əˈsleɪ.ʃən/

Aim: /eɪm/

Cubicle: /ˈkjuː.bɪ.kəl/

Expensive: /ɪkˈspen.sɪv/

Tiny: /ˈtaɪ.ni/

Said: /sed/

Acceptable: /əkˈsept.ə.bəl/

Unacceptable: /ˌʌnəkˈsep.t̬ə.bəl/

Inhumane: /ˌɪn.hjuːˈmeɪn/

Prosperous: /ˈprɑː.spɚ.əs/