Online Class Notes (Mike)

What will you do when the lockdown is over?

Who do you count as your friends? From our BFF to a work mate, it’s good to have someone to chew the fat with or offer comfort and support. But when it comes to friendship, is it more important to have quantity or quality?

The recent isolation we have endured due to the coronavirus pandemic has made some of us question our friendships. We’ve fallen out of touch with friends and acquaintances, and it may feel awkward, but do we actually have to rekindle every relationship we once had? It might be time to take stock and think about who you kept in touch with, who you missed talking to, and who you didn’t. In short, maybe it’s time to reset your list of real mates.

There’s no obligation to stay friends, and writing for BBC Worklife, Bryan Lufkin says: “While people have known for years that friendships are unquestionably good for your health, experts say it’s only natural for acquaintances and even friends to fall by the wayside as time goes on – and it’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

Of course, it can be hard to choose who’s in your friendship circle. This is what Suzanne Degges-White, professor of counselling at Northern Illinois University, calls our ‘friendscape’. She says, “in life, as we go through certain stages and ages, our attention shifts, and we want to be around people who are like us.”

So, changing friends is normal, but we still need those special pals who’ve known us long term. These are friendships we invest time in. According to Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, these are your inner circle of friends – your “shoulders to cry on” – and you have to see them at least once a week to keep them in that circle. He adds that the friends that do drift are mostly “friendships of convenience”. But the advice for maintaining a good friendship is to share how you feel with someone you trust – this can help strengthen your friendship as well as giving you both a chance to support each other.

词汇表

BFF (best friend forever) 最好的朋友
work mate 同事，工友
chew the fat 闲聊
comfort 安慰
friendship 友谊
out of touch 不常联系，疏远
acquaintance 泛泛之交，相识的人
rekindle 重新燃起（一段关系、感情）
relationship 关系
take stock 反思，仔细考虑
mate 伙伴，朋友
fall by the wayside 中途放弃，不再熟络
friendship circle 交友圈
friendscape 朋友圈
pal 好友
inner circle 核心（朋友）圈
a shoulder to cry on 可以倾诉的对象
drift 渐渐疏远
friendship of convenience 由于便利而结成的友谊
strengthen 增强，巩固

expression (n) 表达，面部表情
I sent them some flowers as an expression of thanks.
There is no expression on his face.
“Shut up” is an impolite expression.
She is eloquent, that’s why the company arranged her to be the host at the company’s annual dinner.

hilarious (adj.) 搞笑的，滑稽的
He’s a hilarious guy. At friends’ gatherings, his talk has always brought joy.

entertain (v) 娱乐，搞笑，/招待，款待
He bought a lot of pizza and Coke last weekend to entertained his friends at home.

suck in 陷入
Since she failed in her investment and owed the bank lot of money, she was sucked in a dilemma.

compelling 引人入胜的
The Avatar is a compelling film, that’s why I am very much looking forward to the second part at the end of this year.

refined 优雅的（举止，姿态，仪表）
elegant (adj.) 优雅的（人）
elegance is an attitude 优雅是一种态度
Linda is a very refined model and a good actress, so she is very popular.
She has a refined way of speaking. 她谈吐优雅

savvy 精明的
Tom is a savvy businessman, in the business world he always makes a lot of money.

get one over on 捉弄 = trick
Jack is a little fat, so his classmates often get one over on him in school.

unexpected 意想不到的
I bought a lottery ticket in a shop nearby, unexpectedly, I won a case of Coke.
My friend paid me an unexpected visit.
pay sb a visit = pay a visit to sb = visit

majestic 高贵的，有威严的
Majestic view 壮丽的景观
majestic mountain 雄伟的山
Tiananmen Square is a majestic building.
Fuji Mountain has majestic scenery.
fall from grace 失态
On today’s social platforms, people like to watch famous/elegant people say stupid things, and then they’re all laughing at their fall from grace.

Vocabulary

perfect (adj.)

rainy (adj.) 多雨的
It has been pretty/quite rainy recently.

eloquent (adj.) 出口成章，善于雄辩的，口才好的
An eloquent debater 辩论家

pick up (v) 接（人），捡起，拾起，重温
I went to the school to pick up my son.
I will pick you up at the airport.
I learned Japanese 5 years ago, I need to pick it up.

dilemma (n) 困境，窘境

quarantine (v/n)

lock down (v)  封闭措施，封城

I want a big traveling.
I want to take a big holiday.

I got a news yesterday.
I saw this news yesterday.

If you have a negative Covid test within 72 hours, you don’t need to quarantine.