VIP Class Notes (Raph)[R]

Vocabulary

In-law (n): 1- a parent of your husband or wife or a member of his or her family:
E.g.: He’s spending the holiday with his in-laws.
E.g.: My parents-in-law came to visit us last week.

Sibling (n): 1- a brother or a sister.
E.g.: Raph has only one sibling: an older sister.
E.g.: Most young people in China don’t have any siblings.

Lately (adv): 1- recently.
E.g.: I haven’t been feeling so well lately.
E.g.: Have you been doing anything interesting lately?

Wedding (n): 1- a marriage ceremony and any celebrations such as a meal or a party that follow it:
E.g.: a wedding cake/dress/invitation/present/reception
E.g.: Do you know the date of Caroline and Matthew’s wedding?
E.g.: It was their 25th wedding anniversary last week.

Uneasy (n): 1- slightly worried or uncomfortable about a particular situation.
E.g.: I feel a little uneasy about asking her to do me such a big favor.
E.g.: He was feeling uneasy about the success of the project.

Measure (n): 1- a way of achieving something, or a method for dealing with a situation:
E.g.: What further measures can we take to avoid terrorism?
E.g.: These measures were designed to improve car safety.

Badly (adv): 1- very much.
E.g.: He needs the money really badly.
E.g.: They are badly in need of help.
E.g.: Emergency measures to help the refugees (难民) are badly needed.

Although (conj): 1- despite the fact that. 2- but.
E.g.: She walked home by herself, although she knew that it was dangerous.
E.g.: He decided to go, although I begged him not to.
E.g.: He’s rather shy, although he’s not as bad as he used to be.
E.g.: She’ll be coming tonight, although I don’t know exactly when.

Policy (n): 1- an officially accepted set of rules or ideas about what should be done
E.g.: Ask the manager what the store’s return policy is.
E.g.: They voted to adopt more the new trade policies.
E.g.: Each employee is given a handbook on company policy.
E.g.: American foreign policy

Patio (n): 1- an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing, eating, etc.:
E.g.: In the summer we have breakfast out on the patio.

Regardless (adv): 1- despite; not being affected by something.
E.g.: The plan for a new office building went ahead regardless of local opposition.
E.g.: This job is open to all, regardless of previous experience.
E.g.: All the children are put together in one class, regardless of their ability.

Escort (v): 1- to go with a person or vehicle, especially to make certain that he, she, or it leaves or arrives safely.
E.g.: Several little boats escorted the sailing ship into the harbor.
E.g.: Security guards escorted the intruders from the building.
E.g.: The police escorted her to the airport, and made sure that she left the country.

Whether (conj): 1- (used especially in reporting questions and expressing doubts) if, or not. 2 – 是否
E.g.: I wasn’t sure whether you’d like it.
E.g.: She asked me whether I was interested in working for her.
E.g.: I’m wondering whether to have the fish or the beef.
E.g.: I doubt whether it’ll work.
E.g.: I was merely questioning whether we have the money to fund such a project.
E.g.: It all depends on whether or not she has the time.
E.g.: Anyway, it’s a good story, whether or not it’s true.

Whether…or: 1-  (used to introduce two or more possibilities) it is not important if
E.g.: I’m going, whether she likes it or not.
E.g.: Someone has to tell her, whether it’s you or me.
E.g.: Let’s face it – you’re going to be late whether you go by bus or train.

Weather (n): 1- 天气

Handcuffs (n): 1- 手铐

No purchase needed to sit in Starbucks cafes
(Source: breakingnewsenglish.com/1805/180522-starbucks-cafes.html)

The cafe chain Starbucks has made a new policy about who can use its cafes. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has announced that anyone can enter a Starbucks cafe in the USA without needing to make a purchase. That means people are free to sit in the cafe or use the restrooms. Mr Schulz has asked all Starbucks staff to treat every person entering the cafe as a customer. He said: “Any person who enters our spaces, including patios, cafes and restrooms, regardless of whether they make a purchase, is considered a customer.” This means people can simply use Starbucks to sit down, relax and use the Internet. The new policy applies to more than 8,000 cafes in the United States.

The new policy will also make it easier for store managers and baristas to do their job. There have been high-profile cases recently of managers asking real customers to leave a cafe or telling them they cannot use the bathroom. On April 12, two black men were arrested and escorted out of a Philadelphia Starbucks in handcuffs for waiting for a friend to arrive before they ordered. A week later, another black man was told he could not use the bathroom because he hadn’t bought anything. He posted a video online of a white man using the bathroom in the same cafe without buying anything first. Mr Schultz said he didn’t want to make Starbucks a public bathroom, but the new policy was “the right thing” to do.

Grammar

Her parents is both Chinese – Her parents are both Chinese.

Pronunciation

Vase: /veɪs/

Edge: /edʒ/

Diet: /ˈdaɪ.ət/

Woman: /ˈwʊm.ən/

Women: /ˈwɪmɪn/

Mainland: /ˈmeɪn.lænd/

Sale: /seɪl/

Sell: /sel/

Alter: /ˈɑːl.tɚ/

Although: /ɑːlˈðoʊ/

Patio: /ˈpæt̬.i.oʊ/

Barista: /bɑːrˈiːs.tə/