衣服，一般我会用clothes来总称。这个词语看起来简单，读起来则很麻烦。音标写作[klɔθs] ，但事实上后面θs得连读成一个音才行。

先来说下衣服的分类。以前在学校学到的，除了skirt 是短裙，shirt 是衬衫以外，就是coat 和T-shirt 比较常用了。但在生活中，我发现太多太多的衣服不知道怎么说了。比如羽绒服，比如毛衣，还有女人的连裤袜，男人的夹克之类的。所以我很认真的请教了一次老外，关于衣服的说法。以下是整理的内容：

先来学习羽绒服。在老外的词典里，没有羽绒服的专有名词。一般就用coat加前缀来表示。我在字典上查了，羽绒服叫down coat，不过我的语言伙伴alex告诉我，他们会直接用warm coat。coat的原来意思是大夹克，当然你也可以用jacket。比如冬天男人就会穿一些比较厚重的jacket，未必是羽绒的。

然后是毛衣，一般的叫法是sweater，这个满有意思的，因为sweat是汗的意思，加了er变成毛衣，倒是很好理解。大概就是穿了会出汗的衣服吧？不过我在以前的英语伙伴——一位老太太那里还听过一个说法：jersey，意思也是毛线衫。我查了很多字典，貌似针织的衣服就可以这么说。反正大家知道下就可以了。

接下来是围巾和手套。这个比较简单，围巾叫scarf，手套叫glove。只有一点要注意，冬天的那种羊毛大围巾，不能叫scarf，虽然你这么说别人也懂。但一般含有woolen成分的围巾，要叫pashmina。我查了下，确切的意思是披肩。

接下来说说衣服的统称。一般我比较常用到的就是dress和suit。但感觉上是很正装的。前者比较生活化，比如我去参加个婚礼，我会穿dress。后者比较商业化，比如我上班，就是穿suit。当然也可以用dress，看场合了。不过要说明哦，男人应该不会用dress这个词，suit嘛，老外都是西装革履的，肯定没错的。

然后还要介绍一些特殊的衣服说法。看过，有印象，知道就行了。

1 jumper 连身衣（大部分时间无袖）注：袖子 sleeve（s）
有趣的是，这是美国人的说法，在英国人和加拿大人眼里，jumper就是厚的衣服，类似厚毛衣，厚衣服。

2 hoodie 连帽衫 zip-up hoodie 有拉链的连帽衫

3 track suit 田径服，运动服（一般是运动套装）

最后补充2个关于袜子的词。socks和stocking，前者是短袜，后者是连裤袜。哦，还有jeans，这个不用说了吧，牛仔裤是也。

因为和老太的练习停了2周，所以到现在才把第4个章节的问题整理出来。虽然说旅游是我非常乐于去谈的一个话题，但真的准备起来，也不轻松呢。

1）What do you do in your holidays?

I like to travel in my holidays. I have been to a lot of places in China and abroad, such as Beijing, Tibet, London, Eygpt and Australia. Sometimes I feel tired, so I just stay at home and sleep all day.

2) Do you think holidays are becoming more and more important?

Yes, I think so. When I was a child, people worked from Monday to Saturday. After several years, people started working 5 days a week, resting on Saturdays and Sundays. Within the last 5 years, people had annual leave from 5 to 15 days not including weekends. I think more relaxation can let people do their work better. I hope we will have more and more holidays in the future.

3) Do you like to travel in your holidays or free time?

I like both. If it's a long holiday, I love to travel with friends. But sometimes all the cities are full of people, and everything in the tourist attactions is more expensive than on ordinary days. I also love to travel in my free time because of I am a freelancer. I can arrange my spare time by myself. Travel outside the holidays is cheaper than the public holidays, though it's hard to find a parterner to travel with.

4) What kind of places do you like to travel to?

I like beaches very much. Walking through the beaches is good for my health and relaxing. I also like seafood very much, such as crabs, lobsters, fish and shrimps. The price near the sea is cheaper than inland.

5) Have you ever been to the seaside?

Of course. I have been to Hai Nan, Da Lian, Qing Island. I think the beaches of Hai Nan are the most beautiful in China. I also have been to the Phillipines, Thailand and Eygpt. There are lots of beautiful beaches there. I hope I can build my wedding party on the beaches if possible.

6) Why do some people take their holidays at the seaside?

Because city life makes people tired and they want a place to relax both head and body. You can lie in the sunshine and do nothing all day. Stop thinking, Stop action, just be a lazy person and take it easy.

7) Do you want to live near the sea?

No, I only want to spend my holidays there. But I hope I can have a small house near the sea. Because my job is writing, I need fresh air to clean my head and get more ideas. I would still live in the cities, though, because it is more convenient.

和老外交流时，由于我听力不太好，反应慢，经常需要对方再来一遍。在中学里，我们只会用pardon？来表达，后来美剧看多了，我会用what？但慢慢我才知道这么说是非常不礼貌的。所以现在我找到一些有用的句子用来做此类型的发问（询问含义）。这些句子都很简单，但是要用的很习惯、很自然，熟练到一定程度，我还需要多练习。不过anyway，这些太……常用了。

Sorry?
What did you say?
What does that mean?
What do you mean?
What did you say this is?
Pardon?
Could you repeat that?
Could you say that again please?

抱歉？你说什么？
这是什么意思？
你的意思是什么？
你说这是什么？
你能重复一次吗？
请你再说一次，好吗？

Emi: Sorry? What did you say?
Dr.: Gesundheit!
Emi: What does that mean?
Dr.: Good health.
Emi: How do you spell it?
Dr.: G-E-S-U-N-D-H-E-I-T.
Emi: How did you pronounce it again?
Dr.: Gesundheit.

最近明显跟不上进度了，几乎每课都有超过50个新单词要掌握，到现在已经积累太多，能浏览一遍就觉得挺累，而且也希望自己是真的掌握这些单词，不仅是背出来那么简单。如果不知道怎么用，不会造句，那么背出来还是会遗忘的。但这样一来，完全没有时间把整理出来的句子同答案完整的背一遍。这个周三又要下一个话题，这样就落后了2课啦，真是急人呢。

1）What part of your day do you like best?

I like late night. I am a journalist and used to working at night. No one else in the house is awake yet. Nobody will call me and interrupt my train of thought. That's my quiet time, and write as late as I can.

2) What is the busiest of part of the day for you?

From about 2 o'clock to 10 o'clock. I am used to getting up at noon. After brunch, a lot of people call me because all my friends and colleagues know my schedule. Then I go out and interview 2-3 people for my columns. Sometimes, I am too busy to eat supper.

3) When do you have free time?

I have free time on Monday. Because I work freelance, I have to work on weekends. The newspaper is usually published on Monday, so I only have free time that day.

4) What's your favorite way to relax?

I usually watch science fiction movies. This kind of movie is full of imagination and creative power and makes me forget about my work and reduces the pressure of reality.

5) Do you do things in your leisure time with friends or family?

Mostly with my friends. I often go out to have dinner or go shopping with my friends. Sometimes we just talk and talk, even on the internet. We share our life experience and have fun.

6) Do you have any hobbies or interests?

I have a lot of hobbies. I like reading science-fiction, watching horror movies, taking photos when travelling, and so on. I am interested in new things that can suprised me or give me some passion. I hope I can live a different life from ordinary people.

7) How do you (usually) spend the weekend?

I usually interview people on the weekend. Being a journalist, my work is to interview people and get their stories. But most people work from Monday to Friday and have free time on the weekend. That is why I work at that time.

8) Which do you prefer, Saturday or Sunday?

I prefer Saturday, because most of my friends have time to meet me. We can go out and have a drink in the bars, then stay out late. They don't have to work and get up early the next day.

9）Are weekends important for you?

Not really. I don't have to work from Monday to Friday like others, but sometimes I have to work at weekends. To me, weekends are like any other day.

10) Should people be paid over time for working at the weekend?

Definitely. Work more and get more. The weekend is your own private time, people need time to have a rest. I think the company should pay for extra time at the weekend.

11）Do you like shopping?

I like shopping very much. When I travel abroad, I like to find something special and different from other countries. Sometimes I am lazy and buy everyday things from the internet. But it still wastes a lot of time to view the web and choose the right merchandise.

12) Are there many shops near where you live?

Yes, there are 2 shopping malls and a lot of 24 hours convenience stores. I can find anything I want in the area where I live, but the rents are rising, so I may have to move to an other district in the future.

13) Who usually does the shopping in your home?

My mother does the shopping. She is retired and has enough time to shop. She likes to go to the supermarket and buy something cheap but maybe of no use. And she also likes shopping by mail. They mail the catalog to her everyweek and she always orders lots of products from that.

14) Do you have a regular time to go shopping?

No, I don't. I am a journalist and I have lots of interviews everyweek. I don't know which times I will be free, so it depends on that.

15) What things do you usually buy when you go shopping?

I like to buy clothes when I go shopping. I think women like to wear all kinds of clothes and make themselves beautiful. Of course sometimes I buy things I will never wear. Eventually I will put them on Ebay and sell them maybe at half prize.

16) Do you prefer shopping in small shops or big supermarkets and department stores？

I prefer shopping in big supermarkets. I like walking in the supermarket and looking over all the goods they have. If I find something new or interesting, I wil buy it though it's not on my shopping list.

这是我最怕的题目之一，就是谈谈你的家乡，或是讲讲城市交通情况，20年来的变化啥的。其实生活中真的用的很少，不过面对老外，可能真有讨论的必要。不管怎么说，我到网上搜索了一堆城市介绍、导游词之类的东东，希望我真能背出来。

1）Whereabouts did you grow up?

I grew up in Shanghai, the largest city of China, with over 20 million people,l ocated on China's central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

2) Do you still live there?

Yes, I have lived there since I was a child, but now I plan to go abroad and study. I want to know more about the world.

3) What's the most famous place in your hometown?

The most famous place in my hometown is the Orient Pearl TV Tower. It is 468 meters high, the tallest in Asia and third tallest in the world. It faces the Bund, which is one of the symbols of Shanghai.

4) How has your hometown changed in recent years?

In the past 10 years, great changes have taken place in Shanghai with the rapid development of science and technology. It's a modern and ever-expanding city which includes the Orient Pearl TV Tower, Jing Mao building, and Meglev train. Today, Shanghai is the largest center of commerce and finance in mainland China.

5) Where do you live now?

I am still living in Shanghai. I no longer in Hou Kou district, but I go there every weekend to see my parents. Now I live in ChangNing district because it is convenient for my work. Anyway, Shanghai is my hometown and I am pround of my city.

6) What part of the city do you like best?

I like the Bund. I like the old buildings there, because it's really like Europe. The Bund shows off Shanghai's outstanding foreign bulidings, most of which were erected before 1937. I like to go for a walk along the Bund and imagine I am working along the Thames River.

7) Is there anything you dont like about the city?

One thing I dont like about Shanghai is there are so many people. The streets are full of people all the time. Another thing I dont like about Shanghai is the traffic problem. People waste a lot of time to and from work. Sometimes you have to fight rush traffic.

8) Do you want to live in a big city or a small town?

Big city. I am a night animal. It's hard to get bored when you live in a city that never sleeps, like NYC, Paris, LA, London. There's much to do and Shanghai's night life is amazing. There are lots of clubs and you can have fun with friends.

今天开始进入雅思口语topic准备阶段，实际上就是根据topic的不同，来预先设置自己的答案，然后叫老外朋友帮忙修改一下，之后背诵出来。没办法，应付考试这回事中国人就是只能死记硬背了，sigh~

1）Would you tell me what you do for a living?

I am a freelancer newspaper journalist. I worked for a newspaper named'Shanghai Times'. It's popular in Shanghai. I am in charge of the romance columns. We have wedding, match maker and love story columns.

2) What are you responsibilities at work?

I interview a lot of people, talk with them, then write down their stories. Although I dont have to work nine to five, I am still very busy. Sometimes, I need to work all through the night.

3) What is the most interesting part of your work?

I do like my job. The most interesting part of my work is meeting people from many different areas of life. I meet so many cool people and they share their love stories with me. I can learn a lot and get a lot of useful informations from them.

4) Is there anything you dont like about your job?

The pay is definitely one thing that I dont like about my job. I work freelance so I dont have a regular income. I envy those guys on a regular salary especially when the bonus seasons comes. Another is that I dont have the opportunities to interview people abroad. Because of my English level is not good enough. I hope I can have the chance in the future when I imporve my English level.

5) Is your job very important to you?

My job is very important to me. Because I am still single, so I need to support myself with a salary. I have to pay for the rent,water and electricity fees, and so on. My job is also important to me, because it gives me confidence, and strong sense of identity.

6) Would you like to change your job?

No, I wouldnt change it. Because I really like it. I dont need to get up early in the morning and dress up everyday, especially in the winter. I can work at home, sending my articles by internet and interview people by phone. It's so flexible and that's why it suits me.

7) Do you often get together with your colleagues after work?

No. Most of time, I work independently. I interview people and write articles by myself. Sometimes, I need to work with a photographer. They are also freelancers. If he is a handsome guy and has some interests on me, I dont mind having some beers with him when we finish our work.

8) What is your dream job?

My dream job is one that combines travelling, writing and meeting people all over the world. I think I should improve my English level. I plan to go abroad and study English. Then I will come back China and have a chance to get a job with a foreign newspaper or travel magazines. I think at that time I can get a lot of chances to interview abroad.

1 本次旅程需要大约20分钟时间。
This trip takes about 20 minutes.

2 本公交车程需要大约45分钟时间。
This bus takes about 45 minutes.

3 墨西哥城到洛杉矶大约为2500公里。
It is about 2500 km from Mexico City to Los Angeles.

4 蒙特利尔到芝加哥大约为1200公里。
It is about 1200 km from Montreal to Chicago.

5 柏林到斯德哥尔摩大约为800公里。
It is about 800 km from Berlin to Stockholm.

6 这些羊毛衫的价格在100元到200元之间。
These sweaters cost between 100 and 200.

7 这辆汽车大约10000元。
This car costs about 10000.

8 本次航程需要多长时间？大约1小时。
How long does this ferry take?About one hour.

9 本次航班需要飞行多长时间?大约9小时。
How long does this flight take?About nine hours.

10 纽约到伦敦有多远?大约5500公里。
How far is it from New York to London?It is about 5500km.

11 墨西哥城到洛杉矶有多远?大约2500公里。
How far is it from Mexico City to Los Angeles?It is about 2500km.

12 蒙特利尔到芝加哥有多远?大约1200公里。
How far is it from Montreal to Chicago?It is about 1200km.

13 这个酒店住宿费多少钱?在100元到200元之间。
How much is this hotel?It costs between 100 and 200.

14 这些羊毛衫多少钱?在50元到80元之间。
How much are these sweaters?They cost between 50 and 80.

15 这种水果多少钱?在3元到5元之间。
How much is this fruit?It costs between 3 and 5.

16 这个酒店住宿费多少钱?在50元到80元之间。(另一种问法）
How much does this hotel cost?It costs between 50 and 80.

17 这台电视机多少钱?大约5000元。
How much does this television cost? It costs about 5000.

今天要写做菜的文章，哈哈，我就只会炒饭，所以只能写炒饭啦！

Favorite Meal

Describe your favorite meal. What are the ingredients used to prepare the meal?

我的作文：
I like fried rice with eggs. Though it's so simple and easy,but it's still be the delicious. I am used putting 3-4 eggs into the cold rice. If u put the rice to the refrigerator for some minutes,it will more better than hot rice. Then u put the beaten eggs into oil. Next step is add a bowl of rice. Only five minutes u can finish the meal. Of course if u put the shrimps or onion into ur fried rice, it will be so nice.

Ramblin 老师的修改：

I like fried rice with eggs. It's so simple and easy, yet so delicious. I am used to putting 3-4 eggs into the cold rice. If you put the rice into the refrigerator for a few minutes, it will better than using hot rice. After you beat the eggs, fry them in oil. Next add the bowl of rice and in only five minutes you have a finished the meal. Of course, you can add shrimp or onion into your fried rice to make it better.

Newyork214 老师的修改：

I like fried rice with eggs.It is simple and easy to make and so delicious.I put 3-4 eggs into the cold rice.If you put the rice into the refrigerator for some(or few) minutes,it will be better than eating hot rice.Then you put the beaten eggs into the oil,add a bowl of rice,and after five minutes you can eat and finish the meal.You can also add shrimps or onions with your fried rice.It will be so good.

好友Kwoff的修改：

When you put "Though" at the beginning, don't put "but" in the next phrase. You can think of it as if it was inverted: "It's still delicious, though it's simple and easy."

You use "the" sometimes when you shouldn't. Don't put it before things unless they are "definite" (I know that is a bit tricky, though), like things you have already mentioned. "I put 3-4 eggs into cold rice." (no "the") "If you put the rice into the refridgerator...." (correct to use "the" this time because you're talking about the rice you just mentioned, so it's "definite") "If you put shrimps or onions...." (no "the" here)

"Next step is add a bowl of rice." That's okay for really informal speech, but it'd be better like this: "The next step is to add a bowl of rice." But for a recipe like this, what you have is kind of alright, maybe like this: "Next step: add a bowl of rice."

今天，朋友叫我翻译一段旅馆确认信给他：

Dear Thank you for your booking made online. We are pleased to inform you that your reservation is confirm. We have charged your card being deposit of your reservation. Please pay the balance of your booking amount upon check in at the resort. If you need any assistance in getting to the resort pleasedo not hesitate to contact us. Thank you and welcome to Senja Bay Resort.

其他的基本上我能懂，但是加粗的2句还是有点犹豫。问了朋友，确定这两句的翻译是：我们已经从你卡里扣除一部分钱作为定金。请在入住前将余款付清。

不过令我疑惑的是，为什么要用upon而不是before，另外，为什么要用resort而不是hotel。关于后面的那个问题，我在google上找到了答案。也就是说，通常resort的级别比较高，当然也有hotel相当豪华的例子。其实，在国外还有hostel青年旅馆，motel汽车旅馆，我在英国是住的B&B，就是有点家庭式的小旅馆，包breakfast和bed的。

至于upon的问题，我找了个在美国加州呆了20年的日本人问，不过答案也许还不够标准，我回头晚上再问问其他老外，应该会有更好的答案。

upon check in...meaning when you check in at the resort

这次是要做个简短的自我介绍，呵，这几乎是所有口语考试的入门课了。不过这次是要我写。

Brief Introduction

Introduce yourself! Write a brief introduction. What is your name? Why are you learning a new language? Where are you from?

以下是我写的：

My name is Adele. I am from china. I am living in Shanghai,the bigest city of east China. Shanghai is chinese econmic center. I like travelling. I study English for travelling around the world. I have been to London,Sydney,Cairo ... and so on. I hope one day I can have chance to study abroad and travel all the weekend.

接下来是David老师的批改：

My name is Adele. I am from China. I am living in Shanghai, the biggest city of east China (in eastern China). Shanghai is the Chinese economic center. I like travelling. I study English for travelling around the world. I have been to London, Sydney, Cairo ... and so on. I hope one day I can will have chance to study abroad and travel all over the World. the weekend.