VIP Class Notes (Raph)[R]

Pronunciation

Aunt (n): 1- your mother or father’s sister.
E.g.: Today my mother and my brother went to my aunt’s house.

Rush Hour (n): 1-the busy part of the day when towns and cities are crowded, either in the morning when people are going to work, or in the evening when people are going home.
E.g.: The metro is always crowded during rush hour.
E.g.: I want to go home early to avoid rush hour traffic.traffic

Virtual (adj): 1-Something that is virtual can be done or seen using a computer and therefore without going anywhere or talking to anyone:
E.g.: Virtual shopping is very popular in China.

Minor (adj): 1- having little importance, influence, or effect, especially when compared with other things of the same type.
E.g.: It’s only a minor problem.
E.g.: There’s been an increase in minor offenses, such as traffic violations and petty theft.
E.g.: She suffered only minor injuries.

Major (adj): 1- more important, bigger, or more serious than others of the same type.
E.g.: All of her major plays have been translated into English.
E.g.: Sugar is a major cause of tooth decay.
E.g.: There are two problems with this situation, one major, one minor.

Minority (n): 1- a smaller number or part. 2- any small group in society that is different from the rest because of their race, religion, or political beliefs, or a person who belongs to such a group (ethnic/religious minorities, etc.)
E.g.: It’s only a tiny minority of people who are causing the problem.
E.g.: Children with single parents at my school were very much in the minority (= there were very few).
E.g.: The plan was designed to help women and minorities overcome discrimination in the workplace.

Majority (n): 1- the larger number or part of something.
E.g.: The majority of the employees have university degrees.
E.g.: In Britain women are in the majority.

Vast (adj): 1- extremely big,
E.g.: A vast audience watched the broadcast.
E.g.: The amount of detail the book contains is vast.

Delicate (n): 1-  having a thin, attractive shape. 2- 精巧
E.g.: She put her delicate hands on the table.

Fascinating (adj): 1-  extremely interesting.
E.g.: The book offers a fascinating glimpse of the lives of the rich and famous.
E.g.: I found the whole movie fascinating.

Lantern (n): 1- 灯笼

A new dating app in China is very popular with women. It is so popular that Chinese women are spending over $30 million a month on it. It is a little different from the usual dating app because the boyfriends are not real. There are just four single men on the app and they are all virtual boyfriends. Women have to role-play dating the four boyfriends. They have to use real money to buy “Purple Diamonds” from the app. They then spend their Purple Diamonds in the app to go on dates and keep their relationships going. The app is called Love and Producer. It is currently the biggest money earner on Apple’s App Store in China. Players spent over 200 million Chinese Yuan ($30 million) on playing it last month.

A market research company said the app has more than two million daily active users. The vast majority of these are women in their early 20s. The company said users love the idea of romance and fun. A 19-year-old student at Wuhan University explained why she liked the app. She said: “It’s like a romantic novel with fascinating voices. It’s more real than reading a novel.” She said she loved the app’s “delicate drawings,” as well as the “great voices” of the four male characters. Another young Chinese woman said: “I don’t have a boyfriend, so I’m happy to have a relationship with a “paper partner”. She also liked getting e-mail and chat messages from her virtual boyfriends.

Grammar

The internet is slowly. – The internet is slow.

I don’t want to go the earlier today. – I didn’t want to go the earlier today. 

My niece at home. -She’s one old. – My niece is at home. She’s one year old.

You are work hard. – You are hard-working.

Annual vacation. – Annual leave.

Pronunciation

Sew: /soʊ/

Alcohol: /ˈæl.kə.hɑːl/

Westerner: /ˈwes.tɚ.nɚ/

Bedridden: /ˈbed.rɪd.ən/

Board: /bɔːrd

Woman: /ˈwʊm.ən/ 

Women: /ˈwɪmɪn/

Virtual: /ˈvɝː.tʃu.əl/

Diamond: /ˈdaɪ.mənd/

Novel: /ˈnɑː.vəl/

Character: /ˈker.ək.tɚ/

Fascinating:  /ˈfæs.ən.eɪ.tɪŋ/

Virtual: /ˈvɝː.tʃu.əl/