英語趣味課堂：巴黎 Paris

Todd: OK, Raphael, you were saying you lived in Paris.

Rapheal: Yes, I made my studies there.

Todd: Paris is just an amazing city. Can you talk about Paris?

Rapheal:Yes! Well, the biggest difference I noticed with Tokyo is the size. Like Paris is nice in that way, you can go anywhere by walking. It might take at maximum an hour and a half if you want to go to a very far place, but basically it's a city like made for walkers and you can really go anywhere just by walking, I mean it's quite pleasant cause you can see many, you know, nice buildings and places and things, just by walking.

Todd: Wow, that's nice. How many people live in Paris?

Rapheal:Including the suburbs it's 8 million now. Maybe getting increasing, but the inner3city is only one million, so it's not overcrowded at all. Yeah!

Todd: So, what else would you say is different about Tokyo and Paris?

Rapheal:Well, specially, Paris you mean? The Transport is less expensive. This is important.

Todd: Yeah

Rapheal:Yeah, Yeah.

Todd: It's more expensive?

Rapheal:No, it's less, sorry, it's less expensive. Anyway, the, I was surprised because Tokyo is not that expensive finally, I mean you can, you can live in a very expensive way if you want but you can save a lot as well. It's really up to you. But in Paris is quite hard to save. I mean, the food is very expensive, and if you want to go out, just, a restaurant or anything, it's really more expensive than in Japan. A restaurant for example, like prices in Japan start from a thousand yen, maybe less, like 600 yen, and in France like the cheapest restaurant you can find is 15 Euro which is around 2000 Yen

Todd: Whoa! That is expensive.

Rapheal:Yeah, it's more expensive, wherever you go it's more expensive if you want to go out but on the contrary the cinema is really cheap, so so many people go to the cinema, I mean, the cinema is really, it's a part of Paris nightlife, like, people used to go to cinema once a week at least, almost everyone. Yeah, cause it's really cheap. A ticket is 1000 yen, maybe less.

Todd: So, what about sports, like what kind of sports do you like to do?

Rapheal:Yeah, anything. Anything, yeah! You have a lot of facilities, like gymnasium6, swimming pools, clubs, yeah, you can practice a lot. Especially, I was a student so, I had this very easy student life because France has a lot of students, whatever it is, so they give you a bit of money, and you get discount on almost anything, so sport is specially favorized in Paris when you are a student, you canalmost like do whatever you want, as a sport almost free, sometimes, so, it's, you can do a lot of things. Actually, I did Aikido. I did swimming pool, squash, tennis, yeah, uh, basketball, yeah, a lot of things actually.

Todd: Active guy. And what about the traffic if you want to drive in Paris?

Rapheal:I never tested, because as I told you it's so nice to just walk, that, and I didn't own a car but it's quite tough for people living in the suburbs cause they need a car to come, the train system is not really good. It's not like, there's a lot of delay, trains and things like that, so if you live in the suburbs you need a car, and driving through Paris in the mornings or evening is really difficult, so I just didn't want to test, you know.

學習內(nèi)容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

in that way

In Paris, you can go anywhere by walking; it's nice in that way.

You can use the phrase 'in that way' to show you are talking about a specific characteristic of a place or person and not speaking in general terms. Notice the following:

He's always on time, so in that way he's a good employee.

There is always something interesting happen, so in that way it is exciting.

overcrowded

The inner city's population is only one million, so it's not overcrowded at all.

If a place is 'overcrowded' there are too many people to move around comfortably. Notice the following:

It can get a little overcrowded in this bar when there is live music.

This coffee shop is always loud and overcrowded.

around

In France, the cheapest restaurant you can find is fifteen Euro, which is around two thousand Yen.

When we give a number that is not exact just to give a general idea we use the word 'around.' It is an approximate number. Notice the following:

The average salary is around $3,000 per month here.

We need you to be here around ten AM.

on the contrary

The food is expensive in France; but on the contrary, the cinema is really cheap.

'On the contrary' is used to introduce information that is the opposite of what is being discussed or is different from what people would assume. Notice the following:

He is an extremely tall man, but on the contrary his wife is very short.

On the contrary, traveling by train is really relaxing.

favored

Sports is favored in Paris when you are a student.

Something that is 'favored' is preferred or considered very important. Notice the following:

My parents have always favored my younger brother.

The teacher definitely favors the smart students in the class.

1 basically

adv.基本上，從根本上說

參考例句：

His heart is basically sound.他的心臟基本上健康。

Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的計劃。

2 suburbs

n.郊區(qū)，城郊( suburb的名詞復(fù)數(shù) );四鄉(xiāng);隧;四郊

參考例句：

The poor suburbs traditionally formed the bedrock of the party's support. 貧窮的郊區(qū)在傳統(tǒng)上構(gòu)成了支持該黨的牢固基礎(chǔ)。

The new college will be located in the suburbs. 這所新建的學院將設(shè)在郊區(qū)。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》

3 inner

adj.內(nèi)部的，里面的;內(nèi)在的，內(nèi)心的;精神的

參考例句：

The label is on the inner side of the box.標簽貼在盒子內(nèi)側(cè)。

Other people seek the mountains for renewal of their inner lives.另一些人到深山中去，尋求新的精神生活。

4 specially

adv.特定地;特殊地;明確地

參考例句：

They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它們經(jīng)過特別包裝以便于堆放。

The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.這種機器是專為拆毀舊樓房而設(shè)計的。

5 yen

n. 日元;熱望

參考例句：

He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想將美元換成日幣。

He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望獨自呆在一條船上。

6 gymnasium

n.體育館，健身房

參考例句：

Our school has a big gymnasium.我們學校有座大型體育館。

The game will be staged in the gymnasium.競賽將在體育館舉行。

7 squash

n.壁球，摺皺不堪，擁擠嘈雜的人群，濃縮果汁，美國南瓜;vt.壓扁，壓制;vi.變扁，壓榨

參考例句：

He is drinking lemon squash.他正在喝檸檬露。

She sprained her ankle playing squash.她在打軟式墻網(wǎng)球時扭傷了腳踝。

8 approximate

adj.大約，大致，近似的;vi.(to)近似，接近

參考例句：

The builder gave an approximate cost for fixing the roof.房屋修建商給修理房頂粗略地估計了一個價錢。

The approximate date of his departure is next month.他大約在下個月動身。

9 assume

vt.假裝;假定，設(shè)想;承擔;呈現(xiàn)，采取

參考例句：

I assume that he won't cheat you.想來他是不會騙你的。

We can't assume anything in this case.在這種情況下我們不可能做出假設(shè)。

10 definitely

adv.一定地，肯定地;明確地，確切地

參考例句：

The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不參加比賽，這個隊肯定會輸。

I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6點以前，我一定回家。