英语博客：Do it yourself and win $5000.

　　Do-it-yourself is more than a hobby in this town. It is more like a craze. When a job needs to be done around the house, a lot of people will do it themselves, instead of hiring someone else. You don't always need to be an expert to fix a pipe, to paint a wall, to hang a door, or to replace a window. You just need to know how to do it, and you also need the right tools. There are a couple of stores where I live that supply those two things. They have employees who are very knowledgeable¹ about all 'fix it' possibilities. And they have aisle² after aisle of tools and equipment which will help you get the job done. As you might have guessed, these stores are huge. They are the biggest shops in the whole town, and they are always busy. They have a gardening section, a lawn care area, a lighting³ area, a lumber⁴ yard (which is where different kinds of wood sheets are available), doors, bathroom and kitchen appliances, floor coverings, paint, and tools. Phew! You could be in there for weeks without seeing everything. People keep coming back out of a desire to improve their homes, to save money, and to take pride in something they have done with their own hands. But now, something else brings them back, the chance to win $5000. Every time you buy something and receive your receipt, you will see on it an invitation to do a survey and enter the code that is on the receipt for a chance to win some big bucks⁵. I have a few receipts at home that I haven't used yet. I should do. A $5000 card to the hardware store would be extremely useful. The list of things I could buy is very long: light bulbs, batteries, fertilizer for the lawn, cleaning fluids, paint, plants, picture hooks, garden tools.....well, I could go on. Apparently⁶, one person each week wins the shopping card. That means that there is probably someone who comes to the store near me, who has already won, and who is buying 'freebies' for his projects.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a freebie, a survey, to take pride in, knowledgeable.
1. A freebie is something that is free to buy, or a gift from a store.
2. After staying at the hotel, we were asked to do a survey about our stay.
3. That gardener really takes pride in his work, and, as a result, his garden is spectacular.
4. My father is knowledgeable about the world wars; he is always reading the war history books.

1 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

2 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

3 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

4 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

5 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。