2xOnline Class Notes (Mike)

Write about a travel experience. 写一次过去的旅行经历（用过去时态）

1.

Finn
What advice would you give to someone who is preparing for an interview?

Craig
Prep is absolutely key. I’ve always said ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Make sure that you’re researching the company, by looking on their website and getting any information that you can, make sure that you research the job description and the person specification, and think about real-life examples of where you’ve done things in the past, and how you can apply those to the potential questions that might come up.

Also, if you can practise with a family member or friend that’ll give you a real head start as well, because you can get their feedback on how you’re doing.

Finn
What advice would you give for people during the interview, especially if English is not their first language?

Craig
Yeah, so I think, first and foremost, the interview process is a nerve-wracking experience for absolutely everybody, whether English is your first language or not.

So, when you go into the interview you can always use your body language and non-verbal communication. Whether or not English is your first language, you can smile, you can give eye contact, you can nod when the – you know, when the interviewer is asking you the question.

Finn
What about if someone asks you a question you don’t understand: what’s your advice?

Craig
Ok, so if someone asks a question that you don’t understand, always have the confidence to ask them to repeat the question. It doesn’t make you look like you’re unsure, it just shows that you’re assertive and that you’ve got confidence.

Finn
And what about if you’re in the middle of an answer that you’re giving, and you think ‘hmmm, this isn’t very good.’ What should you do then?

Craig
Ok, so if you’re in the middle of an answer as well, and you’re not happy with the way that you’re answering the question, always have the confidence to go back to the top and rephrase that answer. Again, this shows confidence and assertiveness.

Also make sure that you take time with your answer. The nerves can make you give a speedy, a speedy response, and what you want to do is be aware of that and just slow your answer down.

I would say one final tip is just to have a couple of questions prepared for the panel, which you can ask at the end of the interview. Because that just really shows that you’ve, you’ve thought about the position.

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2.

For young people in Ghana, in West Africa, it’s not easy to learn the necessary skills for work and life. The school system has many problems: the quality of teaching is variable, and sometimes teachers don’t come to work at all.

It’s particularly difficult for Ghanaian girls to get a good education. Normally, they’re expected to leave school when they are young, and get married.

A new education project, called Making Ghanaian Girls Great, is trying to improve girls’ education, by offering extra lessons in English and maths.

The project provides lessons on television, from a studio in Accra. Teachers in the studio can talk to pupils in their classrooms, and the project also offers after-school lessons – called Wonder Women lessons – designed to increase girls’ confidence. In these lessons, girls can ask questions about health, education or careers – and they can also talk to role models.

The project was launched by Nana Ogyedon Tsetsewah, a local leader in central Ghana. Nana says that young people in Ghana are frustrated, and they don’t want to work as farmers any more.

Head teacher Vanderwell Augustt Gordor welcomes the extra lessons. It’s a much more active style of learning, he says, and the pupils like joining in.

Ghana has invested in education, in order to increase national income. “Education is the key to development,” said Anthony Klopka, a local politician. But until now, he says, girls’ education has not received enough attention.

Because of projects like Making Ghanaian Girls Great, perhaps this situation is starting to change.

Finn

Hi this is Finn and I’m joined in the studio today by Jagtar. Hello Jagtar.

我通过Jagtar加入了工作室

Jagtar

Hello Finn

Jagtar

I’m very well, thank you. You?

Finn

Great, yes. Good to have you here. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do?

很高兴你能来/这儿有你很好，你能告诉我关于你自己的一些点和你做了什么/关于你的二三事/一些事

Jagtar

I’m an English language teacher. I work at Crisis, which is a homeless charity in London. I’ve taught English now for seven years, in different countries: Australia, Thailand and Egypt.

那儿是一个位于伦敦的服务流浪汉的慈善机构，到现在为止我教英语已经七年了，

Finn

Ok, great. And there’s something very interesting about your diet?

有关于你的饮食方面的有趣的事情吗

Jagtar

Yes. I’m vegan. And so I don’t eat meat, fish, poultry, or any cheese, or any honey.

我是素食主义。我不吃肉，鱼，家禽肉，或者任何芝士或者任何蜂蜜

Finn

None of that at all… no eggs?

None of that 完全/彻底 没有/不含/不吃那些

Jagtar

No eggs unfortunately.

不幸的是没有鸡蛋

Finn

No animal products at all?

没有动物产品

Jagtar

No animal products at all, and I don’t wear animal products at all.

我不穿动物产品

Finn

Really?

Jagtar

I’ve been vegan for three and a half years now. And it’s also how I met my wife.

我一直素食主义到现在已经三年半了。我遇见了我的妻子/我和妻子就是这么认识的

Finn

You met your wife through your vegan diet? Wow, tell me about that.

通过素食主义饮食你遇见了你的妻子？告诉我具体的

Jagtar

Well, we met at a vegan cafe in Hackney.

Finn

Which is in East London.

Jagtar

In East London. And so we met there, and then we stayed in contact, and from that we dated, and so we got married last year. Actually, it’s our one-year anniversary next week.

我们保持了联系，从那时起，我们就约会/开始交往。

Finn

Congratulations, that sounds incredible. But becoming vegan must have meant you made a lot of changes to your diet. What changes did you have to make?

祝贺你，听起来不可思议。但是成为素食主义你的饮食必须做一些改变。你有做些什么改变？

Jagtar

Well I had to go out and buy lots of soya milk, soya butters. I had to change what was in my fridge. So unfortunately that day I had to throw away quite a lot of stuff.

我必须出去买一些大豆牛奶，大豆黄油。我必须改变在我冰箱的东西。我得扔掉 比较 多的东西

Finn

Oh no.

Jagtar

Or my brother just ate it, I think.

Finn

I hope he enjoyed it. The last meat and animal products in your house. Ok, let’s imagine I want to become vegan. Is that good news?

Jagtar

Yes, it’s great!

Finn

And… what will I have to do if I want to become vegan tomorrow?

Jagtar

Good question. What you absolutely have to do is make sure you’re going vegan for the right reasons. You must read extensively; look at all the blogs and books and websites, and find out as much as you possibly can about veganism. Because it’s not only about the diet, it’s about minimising your ecological footprint, and also animal rights issues, as well as other issues. So you have to do it for all of those reasons rather than just following a famous celebrity.

Finn

Ok – thanks for all of your tips. Is there anything you must or mustn’t do if you want to go vegan?

Jagtar

In my experience, what you mustn’t do is talk about veganism when eating with friends and family.

以我的经验，当和朋友和家人一起吃东西的时候你不能聊纯素食主义

Finn

Oh right.

Jagtar

Yeah. People are there enjoying their food.

人们在那里享受他们的食物

Finn

You don’t want them to feel bad.

你不能够想象他们感觉糟糕/你不想让他们感觉糟糕-最好不要让他们感到不快/不舒服

Jagtar

No, because we’re in a restaurant and we’re celebrating a birthday and having a nice time, and those conversations can be left to a different time.

那些（关于素食主义的）谈话可以留到另一个场合。

Finn

Is there anything else that you mustn’t do?

有其他你不能去做的？

Jagtar

Well you mustn’t forget to inform people that you’re vegan. So for example, if you’re invited to a party, inform the host that you’re vegan. Because otherwise if you don’t, the host will be incredibly embarrassed that you can’t eat anything. And also – you’ll be hungry!

你得记得通知/告知人们你是素食主义。比如，如果你参加一个聚会，告知主人你是素食主义者，如果没说的话，主人将因为你不能吃任何东西而非常尴尬。你将挨饿。

Finn

That’s not much of a dinner party is it, if you have nothing to eat. And anything else?

那就算不上是晚餐聚会了，如果你没有吃的东西的话

Jagtar

I think instead of preaching to all your friends and family all the time, I think the best thing to do is to lead by example. As actions speak louder than words. 行动胜于言辞/说得多不如做得多/身教胜于言教

我认为不是一直给你所有的朋友和家人宣传，我认为最后的方式是去通过例子引领。我觉得最好的事是言传身教/以自己为例子，而不是一直给你所有的朋友和家人宣传。

Finn

Very wise words, thank you Jagtar and… who knows, maybe I will become vegan too. Thanks a lot.

Vocabulary

vegetarian: 素食主义者

vegan: 严格/纯素食主义者：no eggs/milk/cheese/butter

tip (v) 给小费  (n) 小费
He tips a lot.

leave (v) 离开；留下
I will leave this book to you. 我会把这本书留给你

be left to 留待/留到…

don’t have to: 你不必
You don’t have to eat it all. 不必全部吃完
You mustn’t eat it all. 你不能/别全部把他吃完

serious (adj.) 严肃的，严格的

easy – easier
take life easier 看开一点/过得潇洒一点

rock (n) 岩石

roll (n) 卷，滚动

rock ‘n roll 摇滚乐 = rock and roll

heart – hurt

neck (n) 脖子 – necklace (n) 项链

shoelace (n) 鞋带

iron (n/v) 熨斗，熨烫
iron (n) 钢铁，铁 – Ironman 钢铁侠

batman – spider man 蝙蝠侠-蜘蛛侠

aqua man: 水/海王

rearrange (v) 安排，重新摆放,调整

borrow from (v) 找 … 借
Mike borrowed 100 yuan from Chen.

lend to (v)借给/出
Chen lent 100 yuan to Mike

send – sent 

Grammar

quiet (adj.) 安静的

quite (adv.) 十分，比较，挺…的
he is quite tall.

过去进行时: Ving
It was raining.
I was teaching you English.

现在进行时: Ving
It is raining.
I am teaching you English.

将来进行时: will be + Ving
It will be raining tonight.
I will be teaching from 7-9 tonight.
I will be cooking at 6pm.
I won’t be cooking at 6pm.

a little (adj.) + N 很小/少的
A little kid: 小孩
I only have a little money. 我的钱很少
a little + adj. 一点。。。
I am a little hungry/sad/angry.

a bit + adj.
I am a bit angry.
a bit of + N 一部分，一小部分

a little bit +adj. = a little = a bit 

I am joined by XXX
XXX 加入我